When Helen Davenport is found strangled in her fashionable London flat, the discovery shocks even those who thought they knew her best. Glamorous, charming, and with just enough scandal in her past to raise eyebrows, Helen had always walked a dangerous line between admiration and envy. But who hated her enough to kill?

Enter Scott Egerton, amateur sleuth and Member of Parliament, who quickly realizes this is no ordinary crime of passion. Behind Helen’s glittering façade lies a web of secrets: blackmail, betrayal, and a scandalous past that someone was desperate to keep buried. With Scotland Yard circling in one direction and Egerton digging in another, the truth becomes more elusive—and far deadlier—than anyone suspects.

The Murder of Mrs Davenport is a taut, atmospheric classic from Anthony Gilbert (pseudonym of Lucy Beatrice Malleson), blending biting social observation with razor-sharp plotting. A must-read for fans of Agatha Christie, Ethel Lina White, and Golden Age crime.