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From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

British writer Willett (Postcards from the Past, 2015) introduces Sir Mungo Kreslake as he retires from his illustrious acting career and relocates at his family's estate in the Devon countryside. His brother, Archie, and his wife live just down the lane, as do his elderly cousins, Philip and Billy. There are even properties available for long-term rental, which is where Emma and her two young children wait out her husband's deployment to Afghanistan and where James has come to work on his next novel. It's also where the ghosts of the past linger amid the orchard and hedgerows and where people from Mungo's dramatically different London milieu come to retreat from their own problems. Mungo's longtime friend, Kit, needs such an escape now as she considers a surprising proposition from Jake, the one-who-got-away many years ago. Into this bucolic, tight-knit little community, the ever-engaging Willett drops unsettling and potentially divisive elements adultery, bankruptcy, abuse, and even a long-concealed murder cleverly designed to keep readers on their toes, even as they're lulled by the comfort of a cozy read.--Haggas, Carol Copyright 2010 Booklist

Library Journal
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Sir Mungo Kerslake, 1960s theater and film icon and perpetual bachelor, is spending the waning days of summer in the family compound in Devon. The estate, inherited by Mungo's older brother Archie and Archie's wife, Camilla, is in constant need of costly repairs. To assist with the upkeep, Archie lets out two cottages, one to a writer and the other to a young mother. Joining the cadre is Kit Chadwick, Mungo's friend from his theater days, bringing a letter from a long-lost love. Ever present is the ghost of Izzy Trent, musical theater actress and tragic figure. Loved by all, Izzy, delicate and needy, never recovered from being ill-treated by fellow actor Ralph. Desired by both Izzy and Mungo, Ralph disappeared from their lives years ago after the three had a terrible row. To outsiders, the estate may seem a quiet, uneventful, and idyllic setting, the perfect place to find peace away from stifling London. Yet, for each character there are undercurrents and painful secrets that might cause the entire production to fall to pieces. Verdict Willett (The Songbird) transports readers to bucolic Devon, where the heat and the story simmer but never boil. This well-written but tepid tale may please fans of Jill Mansell.-Susan Santa, Shelter Rock P.L., Albertson, NY © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.