Don't Upstage the Body - Paperback

by Naomi Stephens (Author)

Rules for professional mourners:
- Plan your aliases well--no improvising.
- Wear proper mourning attire.
- Maintain discretion at all costs.
- Don't upstage the body.

It is 1957, and Hippolyta Halfpenny and her family have mastered the business of bereavement. As professional mourners, they are so accomplished that even Lord Basil Monfort, the famous and wealthy recluse, engages the family's services for his own funeral. Tired of disguises and aliases, Hippolyta vows it will be her last performance. Then she discovers the undertaker's body during the wake and finds herself cast as an amateur sleuth in an increasingly unpredictable investigation. 

Soon rain washes away the roads, trapping the funeral party at Lord Monfort's estate--with an unidentified killer in their midst. Bound by her father's wishes to maintain their charade, Hippolyta navigates a web of secrets spanning decades. But sorting truth from deception proves even more difficult when Lord Montfort's charming yet perceptive heir suspects Hippolyta is not all she appears to be.

Concealing her family's true identities while unraveling secrets might be a role Hippolyta is hesitant to play, but with a murderer among them, she must unmask the truth before the final curtain falls. 

With her Agatha Christie inspired voice, Naomi Stephens pens a 1950s manor house murder mystery set in England--perfect for book clubs and fans of cozy mysteries, amateur sleuths, Enola Holmes, Michelle Griep, Julie Klassen, and Anna Lee Huber.

Back Jacket

Rules for professional mourners:
- Plan your aliases well--no improvising.
- Wear proper mourning attire.
- Maintain discretion at all costs.
- Don't upstage the body.

It is 1957, and Hippolyta Halfpenny and her family have mastered the business of bereavement. As professional mourners, they are so accomplished that even Lord Basil Monfort, the famous and wealthy recluse, engages the family's services for his own funeral. Tired of disguises and aliases, Hippolyta vows it will be her last performance. Then she discovers the undertaker's body during the wake and finds herself cast as an amateur sleuth in an increasingly unpredictable investigation. 

Soon rain washes away the roads, trapping the funeral party at Lord Monfort's estate--with an unidentified killer in their midst. Bound by her father's wishes to maintain their charade, Hippolyta navigates a web of secrets spanning decades. But sorting truth from deception proves even more difficult when Lord Montfort's charming yet perceptive heir suspects Hippolyta is not all she appears to be.

Concealing her family's true identities while unraveling secrets might be a role Hippolyta is hesitant to play, but with a murderer among them, she must unmask the truth before the final curtain falls. 

Author Biography

Naomi Stephens is a bookworm turned teacher turned writer. She authored The Burning of Rosemont Abbey, which won a Daphne du Maurier Award, and Shadow among Sheaves, which was an INSPY Award shortlist contender and the winner of the 2020 Carol Award in Debut Fiction. Though she has called many places home over the years, she currently lives in New York with her husband, her two children, and a rascal of a dog named Sherlock. Learn more at NaomiStephens.com.