- Granny is a titled lady who was a failed debutante. (What she did to Queen Victoria sealed her fate.) However, she is an excellent poacher and that has been most useful in keeping the family going during World War I rationing.
- Mother is a reclusive author who doesn't function well in the real world so keeping her out of it is the best course of action.
- Alix is the oldest daughter. Her twin brother died in the war a few months ago. She volunteers at the neighboring hospital to get a look at any potential husbands but she hasn't been impressed yet.
- Christy is the responsible one who works out a plan to take in lodgers without her mother knowing about it. She also publishes stories that no one knows she writes.
- Addy is a genius who has been kicked out of school again for talking back to the teachers.
- Father was a con man who came in and out of their lives until he had the decency to sink with the Lusitania three years ago but now it seems that that might have been a con too.
Even the secondary and background characters are well developed. I especially liked the detail of the woman who named her children names that she'd seen in the newspaper but never heard pronounced so Nigel is called Niggle and Penelope is Penny-lope.
When I started reading this book, I didn't remember what it was supposed to be about and I found that I didn't really care. I enjoyed spending time with this family as they navigated the grief over their brother's death that is just starting to lift a bit and as they find ways to support themselves. The book is funny and warm with a mystery or two thrown into the mix. I will definitely look into more books by this author.
Author Bio – Nicola Slade lives in Hampshire where she writes historical and contemporary mysteries and women’s fiction. While her three children were growing up she wrote stories for children and for women’s magazines before her first novel, Scuba Dancing, was published in 2005. Among other jobs, Nicola has been an antiques dealer and a Brown Owl! She loves travelling and at one time, lived in Egypt for a year. The Convalescent Corpse is Nicola's 9th novel. Nicola is also a member of a crime writers’ panel, The Deadly Dames
Social Media Links – www.nicolaslade.wordpress.com www.nicolaslade.com
Twitter: @nicolasladeuk
https://www.facebook.com/nicolasladeuk/ https://www.pinterest.co.uk/nicola8703 (I have a board for each book)
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This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story