The Widow's Club [Hardcover]

Dorothy Cannell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1988

Stylish, amusing, and deliciously wicked, the Misses Hyacinth and Primrose Tramwell are hired to investigate a woman's organization whose members choose widowhood over divorce. With the help of a newlywed friend, the spinster sleuths stalk the mastermind of matrimonial murder. HC: Bantam.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ellie Simons has a great deal on her mind: her pending marriage to handsome Bentley Haskell; the opening of his restaurant in the charming English town of Chitterton Fells; the restoration of the castle Merlin's Court, where she and Ben live. Most compelling of all, Ellie must learn to feel comfortable with her newly thin body, celebrated in the first Cannell mystery, The Thin Woman. But from the bacchanalian wedding reception on, she runs into trouble. She and Ben seem to drift apart. His parents, preparing for divorce, arrive separately to live at Merlin's Court. And in her heart of hearts, Ellie is convinced she is still a fat person. Into her already chaotic life come Hyacinth and Primrose Tramwell, proprietors of Flowers Detection Agency, to enlist her help in an investigation. Chitterton Fells has been marked by a recent rash of murders, the victims all unfaithful husbands. The Tramwells suspect the the existence of a Widows' Club, whose services include emotional support, various social activities and, possibly, murder. Ellie joins the effort to ferret out "the Founder," who could be any of a number of prominent citizens from the notorious Dr. Simon Bordeaux to Edward Digby, writer of murder mysteries. The humor is broad and delivery fastindeed franticand while the resolution may seem far-fetched, Ellie, for all her scatterbrained foolishness, remains a heroine with gumption and grace.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 338 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; First Edition edition (April 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553052594
• ISBN-13: 978-0553052596
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #685,982 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ellie and Ben are at it again, August 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Widow's Club (Mass Market Paperback)

I really liked this book. At first, I thought it wasn't going to be as good as The Thin Woman, but once I got into it, my interest was held completely. The wedding and honeymoon were very funny and Ben's parents were, for lack of a better word, interesting. All of this, combined with the Tramwell sisters getting Ellie involved in solving the murders, made for a fun read.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars YAY! More Ellie!, July 27, 2000

By 

"sarasarah" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Widow's Club (Mass Market Paperback)

You have to read this, if just for the hilarious wedding of our dearly beloved couple from The Thin Woman: Bentley T Haskell and Ellie Simons! This book is so many laughs and the Tramwell sisters from Down the Garden Path show up in their roles as FLowers Detection Agency. The murderer was a real surprise and the clues were clever, but as always it is the sheer delight of the characters that make up the heart of the story. It's a real joy to read, so treat yourself to it!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Genteel Murder, July 1, 2000

By 

Alice Kingsbury - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Widow's Club (Mass Market Paperback)

I am new to Dorothy Cannell's books, but I was delighted with the Widows Club. The plot is great-a group of proper English women, "sisters in sorrow", who have found discreet ways of "retiring" their problem husbands, rather than divorce, which would not be as lucrative. I especially enjoy the two elderly detectives, Miss Hyacinth and Miss Primrose. I would like to see more of them. The heroine, Ellie Haskell is a lovable character, newly married and newly thin. Her home, Merlin Court,seems full of eccentric characters, such as her irresponsible cousin and her inlaws with their marriage problems. Ellie must also save her husband from the sinister widows. Some of the plot seems very farfetched, but fun. This reminds me of a British version of the Charlotte McLeod books. Read this with a cup of English tea,of course. Not to be taken seriously.