This should have been a lot creepier than it was and the dialogue failed in a lot of places, leaving Emily sounding like a boasting second grader at times and Colin a condescending but kindly nanny.
Even though the story didn't quite meet the level of creepy it was capable of, it was still a good story and definitely not one that's been overused. Cecil's odd childhood friend grew up to be an adventuress who always appeared in the news from a different spot on the globe.
Then one night at a masquerade in London, Cecile is introduced to her friend, and it's an imposter. The imposter turns up dead the next morning and everyone is off in search of a killer and, incidentally, to find the real Estelle. I'm not sure if I'll read the next one or not - it does feature Jeremy Bainbridge and he's one of my favourite characters, but the odd dynamic between Colin and Emily really threw me off. T
he author does include a note at the back explaining the historical connections to the creation of this plot, and I always enjoy these; I always learn a little something from each one. Perhaps if the next book is on sale..