num_pages: 382
description: On the French Riviera during the Belle Epoque a murder draws two women into the dangerous shadows of Europes privileged elite One spring evening in 1884 beautiful young courtesan Lola Deslys discovers the lifeless body of a chambermaid hidden in the gardens of the Htel Beau Rivage in Cannes. Even more distressing is that Lola knows the girl well. When the inquiry into her murder fails to reveal a single substantial clue Lola is persuaded by novelist Guy de Maupassant to delve into the case on her own. Eager to exert her independence and defy conventions Lola agrees. But she needs help in her investigation and theres no better partner in her pursuithowever unlikelythan Miss Gabriella Fletcher a highborn well-educated and currently disgraced English governess. To solve this dreadful crime Lola and Miss Fletcher must navigate the depths of respectable society. But will their determination suffice in a city where fortune secrets men and appearances reign supreme?
language: English
title: The Crumpled Letter
publisher: Amazon Crossing