Dorothy Bowers Shadows Before, Postscript to Poison, Fear for Miss Betony, A Deed Without A Name

The Dorothy Bowers Collection brings together four mysteries: Shadows Before, Postscript to Poison, Fear for Miss Betony and A Deed Without A Name. Each story follows a different set of circumstances, from uneasy domestic life in the Cotswolds to anonymous threats, urgent appeals for help and a sequence of alarming incidents.

Across the set, the focus shifts between households, institutions and individuals drawn into danger. A move to a remote manor is followed by sudden death; a doctor receives threatening letters while a wealthy patient recovers; a former teacher is asked to assist at a struggling girls’ boarding school; and a man who enjoys puzzles finds himself the target of an apparent attempt on his life.

Included titles

• Shadows Before
• Postscript to Poison
• Fear for Miss Betony
• A Deed Without A Name

Key details

• Four-book set
• Stories by Dorothy Bowers
• Includes four individually titled mysteries

Synopses

Shadows Before

After being acquitted of murdering his sister-in-law, Matthew Weir moves his family to Spanwater, a remote manor in the Cotswolds, hoping for a fresh start. His wife Catherine is unsettled and begins retreating into childhood memories and wandering the lanes. When Aurelia Brett is hired to watch over her, life seems to improve, but Catherine then dies suddenly.

Postscript to Poison

Dr Tom Faithful receives a third anonymous, threatening letter and decides it is time to involve the police. His wealthy patient, Cornelia Lackland, is steadily recovering from a serious illness, cared for by the doctor, her family and household staff. However, something feels wrong in Minsterbridge, and Mrs Lackland maintains strict control over her home.

Fear for Miss Betony

Emma Betony expects to spend her remaining years in a home for decayed gentlewomen, until an urgent request arrives from a former student. Grace Aram is running Makeways, a struggling girls’ boarding school newly moved into a former nursing home in Dorset. Grace does not want Miss Betony’s teaching skills, but asks for a trusted friend to help identify something.

A Deed Without A Name

Archy Mitfold has always enjoyed a mystery, but is unprepared to become the centre of one. He is convinced someone is trying to kill him, beginning with a near miss on Trumpeter’s Row when a car accelerates towards him. Later, birthday chocolates arrive with an unsigned card and leave him ill.