A False and Fatal Claim

“Iona Whishaw is an absolute treasure! Her books are instantly charming, instantly immersive, and readers will instantly fall under the spell of her captivating storytelling. No matter where you start in this entertaining series, Whishaw's considerable skill at creating a satisfying traditional mystery with well-drawn characters we adore—not to mention a gorgeous and authentic setting— provides a delightful experience. And for effortless and engaging dialogue, there is no one better. For anyone who loves Jacqueline Winspear and Louise Penny, Iona Whishaw will be your new favorite author.” —Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA TODAY best-selling author of All This Could Be Yours Lane Winslow struggles to tell friend from foe in a captivating new mystery from the series Publishers Weekly calls “highly entertaining.” Lane Winslow is known in her idyllic British Columbia laketown of King's Cove for a bad habit of finding dead bodies. This time, all she’s found is a suspiciously well-made hat abandoned in the brush, but she’s certain there’s a mystery afoot. While Lane is overtaken by the urge to snoop around for clues, her husband, Inspector Darling, and his team at the Nelson Police Station find their straightforward case of a stolen boat suddenly complicated when a fourteen-year-old boy is reported missing from the local school. When the search for the boy, the hat’s mysterious owner, and the boat lead them to the sudden disappearances of the local café cook, a visiting wealthy investor, and seventy thousand dollars in cash, the case quickly turns into a snarled tangle of missing people and scant, circumstantial evidence. Desperate to keep a vulnerable and possibly violent young boy safe, Lane recruits the neighbours as Darling, Ames, Terrell, and April scour the local towns and wildernesses for answers—all while Ames struggles to focus through wedding jitters, and April and Terrell chafe under the questionable advice of meddlesome old “friends.” At first, the daily dramas of King’s Cove unfold uninterrupted around the simmering questions at the heart of this far-reaching mystery, but as the case reveals its roots in both the glitzy high society and criminal underground of 1920s Toronto, it soon becomes clear all hands will be needed on deck to get everyone to the coming wedding alive in one piece.

Iona Whishaw is a former educator and social worker whose mother and grandfather were both spies during their respective wars. She is the award-winning author of the Globe and Mail bestselling Lane Winslow Mystery series. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with her husband. Learn more at ionawhishaw.com.