Killing a Unicorn

By Marjorie Eccles

A family with secrets---is murder one of them? Membery Place has been the home of the Calvert family for over one hundred years. Below it, set in a forest clearing, is a modern, award-winning house designed by architect Mark Calvert, one of Alyssa Calvert's three sons. Mark's wife, Francesca, has been conscious of an intriguing element of mystery surrounding Bianca Morgan ever since Chip, the eldest Calvert brother, brought her and her child to live with him at Membery. No one, except possibly Chip, knows anything about her previous life. Bianca remains an enigma---and then one day her body is found in a pool beneath a waterfall on the estate. The three brothers have always been very close, but the subsequent inquiry now reveals that they all had their own secret connection with Bianca. Could one of them have had reason to kill her? Perhaps Jonathan, to save his career as an international cello soloist; Mark, to save his marriage---or even Chip? The focus of the inquiry shifts dramatically when Bianca's nine-year-old son goes missing. Has the child too been killed, or has he been abducted because he saw his mother's murder? The fruitless search for Bianca's killer and the kidnapper forces Francesca to take matters into her own hands, determined to resolve the mystery of the Calvert family.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312324111
• ISBN13: 9780312324117
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.9" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Good mystery

Eccles is a very good writer, in addition to being able to plot out an excellent mystery story. From the first page she sets the mood very well and doesn't rush through building the aura and relationships that drive the plot. Hope to see more of the same from her.

terrific homicide investigation

Fran Calvert is taking a walk on her husband's family estate when she finds the corpse of Bianca (Biba) Morgan near a refreshing waterfall. Fran knows that Biba and her nine years old son Jasie were brought here by Fran's brother-in-law Chip. Reflecting on the deceased Fran realizes she also knows almost nothing about the victim. She also worries that her spouse architect Mark is no where in sight and Jasie is missing. The family led by the matriarch Alyssa clings to the belief that an outsider killed Biba. , Inspector Dave Crouch and Sergeant Kate Colville investigate the death and quickly find ties between Biba and the third son international cello star Jonathan and Mark; they believe an inside job. As the cops dig deeper into the family, the pretense of upper crust affinity begins to unravel as each Calvert has their own agenda. This English cozy is an enjoyable police procedural that combines insight into a family through the investigation. Fans will appreciate how cleverly Marjorie Eccles reveals her cast especially the hidden roles they mask from others while the two police officers strip away their veneer. The who-done-it is a terrific homicide investigation that also serves as the background to a deep family drama. Harriet Klausner