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The Kindness of Strangers

by Emma Garman

A houseful of secrets in postwar London

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AlbakiReads Editorial

A houseful of secrets in postwar London

Set in 1953, this historical mystery gathers an unconventional household under one Chelsea roof: a literary journal editor, her lodgers, and an unexpected arrival whose account of himself raises suspicions. When Jimmy Sullivan is found dying in the drawing room, the residents begin probing his story, bringing hidden schemes, jealousies, and uncertain loyalties into view. The boarding house gives the mystery a tightly shared setting, while the description points to themes of self-invention, complicated love, and revenge. The book is also presented as an homage to the classic murder mystery, anchored in a postwar London household where personal histories become part of the puzzle.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Fans of historical mysteries set in postwar London
  • Readers who enjoy mysteries centered on a close-knit household and its secrets
  • Those interested in classic murder-mystery traditions

Themes

Secrecy and deceptionSelf-inventionLoyalty and jealousyComplicated loveRevenge

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

A wildly entertaining debut and homage to the classic murder mystery set in a boarding house in post-WWII London--perfect for fans of Kate Atkinson, Agatha Christie, and Richard Osman

London, 1953. Jimmy Sullivan lies dying on the drawing room floor while his housemates look on, their lives about to change forever.

One foggy night, in the dead of February, a young man arrives unannounced at 42 Tregunter Road in Chelsea. Self-styled Bohemian Mrs. Honor Wilson, who runs a minor literary journal and lodgings from this timeworn Victorian house, introduces him to her 'dear house guests' Robbie, the writer; Mina, the teenage sleuth; George, the debutante; and Saul, the haunted refugee. Jimmy Sullivan is a family friend, Honor says - yet clearly, something is not right. Despite everyone's misgivings, she lets the stranger move into the attic.

As they each try to disprove Jimmy's dubious account of himself, secrets, jealousies, and disturbing schemes come to light, fracturing the household's delicate allegiances and setting in motion, unstoppably, a tale of perilous self-invention, complicated love, and murderous revenge.

In a house built on lies, the truth will get you killed.
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