A Collection of Lies

A honeymoon that is riddled with murder, conspiracy and corruption. Tom Mallory and his wife Kate have been staying in a small Devon town called Combe Mallett. The museum is hoping to attract backers and a museum of Devon history is hoping to highlight a specific dress and investigating the crime that fosters the mystery of the owner of the dress and more. Kate and Tom have been asked to look into the provenance of the dress and if course the attempted murder and eventual murder of the man who donated it to the museum. The man is quite caught up in the time period namely Victorian and even dresses as those did back then. His housekeeper adhered to that dress code too or was fired. Kate and Tom meet the man and wonder why he bought the clothes and the things in a trunk which includes the dress. The dress was said to be stained in blood and belonged to Nancy Thorne said to be a murderess. As we see the dress and learn about lace making and the time period 1885l

Kate begins to help readers with the investigation by writing down important facts that will help her and us solve the murder and more. Clive and Donna Nixon would they profit from the death of Gideon as we meet them and get a cold chill about Clive and what he’s hiding. Why was he in Combe Mallet the night before the murder ? Was Gideon the target at the gala, had he uncovered dirt on someone other than Quinns father and his colleagues? Is the breast 3 months ago related to his murder? Who is the man who died in Exeter? Why did Gideon refuse to give the trunk to the museum and who forged the note in the dress? Was Nancy really a killer? Whose blood was in the dress? How is it linked to the murder of Littlejohn? Romani period: link to the dress and items in trunk? Where is his ex-wife and who are the other historical creators can they enlighten about anything?

A trip to the library and the librarian uncovers information about the night of September 7, 1885, and how she returned to where she lived with her sister, but she was incoherent, why? Then the librarian accessed the accessed the census for the years of the Thorne family and on pages 123-126 you’ll have to find out more for yourself. Then Julia Kelly explains the mystery of the dress and the odd facts about the calico one worn by Nancy they think, and another that shows the style of the time. But the most revealing information is about an article bought by Hugo and the two words in it that were forgeries which the librarian brought to his attention and the end result you can imagine.

Lies unfold and Kate and Tom question the housekeeper and her husband and learn about their scam to get his disability and how she came to be on bad circumstances with Littlejohn who accused her of fraud, stealing and her husband’s medical benefits claiming he was sick and could not work. Arrested needs to payback  the money or do jail time then it shifts to the past and the videos that Littlejohn made and who was the person that was seen in the morning of his murder? Lies, betrayals and more deceptions and new articles from the 1885 time period that might unlock the hidden truths but who owned the bloodstained dress? Who did  the doctor in the past treat? In the present who tried to kill Teddy Pearce and why was his wife appearing concern? Who tried to kill him and how will that lead back to the forged note about the authenticity of the dress?

A tour that reveals information but not what she expected and now back to the housekeeper who worked for Gideon did she really steal, hide things and more? Then the origin of the items from the auction did not include what was in the trunk that Gideon bought, what used to be fact and what used to be fiction? Then the author takes us back to 1885 and we enter the world of the Gypsies and meet Queenie herself who was ill and her life span and why she died and not sent to the hospital. But August 31,1885 says it all added by October of that year which explains how Queenie kept her family together and the question Kate has is who died? But the truth behind the trunk and other items were still unknown and then a surprise revelation. How will it all unfold and who killed Gideon, why and who had the most to gain you won’t believe what is right in front of you.

Events change and two people are injured and the truth behind who killed Littlejohn is revealed that goes back to over 30 years ago and someone in the present lied openly about his past and the death of someone dear to Littlejohn but how will it play out as each person within this group involved in the history of the museum, the dress, the trunk and the truths that Gideon was about to reveal plus his housekeeper round out almost everyone who created as the title states more than a small but larger than life Collection of Lies. DCI Okoje is a great character and his methods unorthodox and Varma O’Brien equally good.

As the truths are revealed, whose lies would come back and haunt them, and a harsh reality from the past in 1885 will set the investigation in a new direction, the lies that someone in power told, the lies that someone did to protect this person and in the end who will win if anyone as the author reveals through a special flash drive, the hidden truth about Nancy Thorne, William and her love for Heron, what happened in the past was tragic and was moved into the present and caused one man to seek retribution for the death of a friend, and another who wanted him silenced. Read pages 318-320 and admire and understand the hidden truths that lied beneath the bloodstained dress. A mystery that will keep you wondering until the last page and Kate and Tom in it all the way. What is next for them? Will he accept the DCI position? Only you will know when you read the final page. Author Connie Berry’s research into the Victorian period and other time periods makes the past come to life. A must read.

Fran Lewis just reviews