Check-Out Time

The Pennyfoot hides many secrets and its downstairs staff keeps a tight lip, even when the Edwardian aristocrats are spotted dallying with damsels in the boudoirs, or gambling in the forbidden card rooms hidden below the floorboards. Should now and then one of the hotel guests fall prey to a dastardly murderer, however, it is up to Cecily Sinclair to restore order before Scotland Yard steps in and shuts down her infamous seaside hotel. CHECK-OUT TIME In the midst of planning the Midsummer Ball, Cecily receives surprising news. One of the aristocrats staying at the hotel just checked out, in a most bizarre way. After climbing onto his top floor balcony, he did a little dance on the railing and fell to his death. The downstairs staff are convinced the lord was crackers, but Cecily suspects that the victim had a little help with his dive to the pavement and is determined to prove it. The final Pennyfoot Mystery, also a Christmas edition, Mulled Murder, was published in November 2013 by Berkley Books.