Jemima Shore's First Case and Other Stories

by Antonia Fraser

Book Overview

There are five Jemima Shore tales, including her first case, which took place when she was fifteen and still at her convent school, the school featured later in Jemima's career in Quiet as a Nun.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• ISBN: B000ZHU0WG
• Release Date: January 1986
• Publisher: Norton
• Length: 186 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.

Customer Reviews

5 Jemima Shore stories + 8 others

The first 5 stories feature Jemima Shore, Investigator, as she's called in her work in English television. Although she's not a detective, her reputation has involved her in a number of cases. Like the author, she was educated at a convent boarding school in England, although not the same one; see also Jemima's first full-length novel appearance, _Quiet as a Nun_.The non-Jemima stories aren't typical mysteries. Two of them involve the killing of family pets; some involve problems other than crime."Jemima Shore's First Case" occurred when Jemima, at fifteen, attended school at Blessed Eleanor's. Although nominally Protestant, she's a day student since her parents live nearby. Just now they're both away, so she's boarding at the school temporarily, only to be wakened in the night by the screams of the irreligious Sybilla, who swears she saw one of the statues move in the chapel. (All other Jemima stories are set much later in her life.)"The Case of the Parr Children" was famous a few years prior to this story; as heirs to the Parr fortune, their custody was disputed when Catherine Parr left her husband for a roaming life with her lover. The judge stuffily decided in favor of the husband's solid, worthy alternative of upbringing complete with nanny - although the supposedly impartial nanny, Zillah, married Parr once the divorce was final. Catherine, having just learned of her ex's death and of Zillah's recent drowning, wants verification that the two little girls really *are* her children, and has come to Jemima for help.Mrs. B, Jemima's bossy cleaning lady, disapproves of her visits to Holland Pools for exercise, saying "Swimming Will Be the Death of You". Of course, *Jemima* isn't the woman drowned in an accident there.As a TV personality, Jemima's appearance is part of her stock in trade. When an automated message from Arcangelo's salon calls to say "Your Appointment Is Cancelled" just after a long session abroad, she's concerned mainly with re-scheduling rather than with the murder of the proprietor's son-in-law. The victim was suspected of cheating on his wife with Epiphany, the beauty who fields telephone calls. As constructed, the story suffers from several plot holes; for instance, competent police wouldn't need Jemima's intervention to notice the key clue.Jemima becomes involved in the disappearance of "The Girl Who Wanted To See Venice" after finishing the filming of an installment on 'The British Honeymoon' on location. Ironically, heiress Nadia Hewling *was* on her honeymoon in the same lavish hotel that Jemima's staying in, but they didn't meet in filming. Nadia left the hotel with only her passport, apparently not even spurred by any quarrel with her husband, although they were not only newlyweds but in her chosen city.Pamela, the young wife of a successful middle-aged barrister, is determined to arrange the "Death of an Old Dog" without consulting either Richard or her stepson.Sammy Luke's books have previously done well in the U.K. b