The Return of Captain John Emmett

By Elizabeth Speller

Book Overview

"Intriguing . . . a captivating wartime whodunit." -Boston Globe

London, 1920. In the aftermath of the Great War and a devastating family tragedy, Laurence Bartram has turned his back on the world. But with a well-timed letter, an old flame manages to draw him back in. Mary Emmett's brother John--like Laurence, an officer during the war--has apparently killed himself while in the care of a remote veterans' hospital, and Mary needs to know why.

Aided by his friend Charles--a dauntless gentleman with detective skills cadged from mystery novels--Laurence begins asking difficult questions. What connects a group of war poets, a bitter feud within Emmett's regiment, and a hidden love affair? Was Emmett's death really a suicide, or the missing piece in a puzzling series of murders? As veterans tied to Emmett continue to turn up dead, and Laurence is forced to face the darkest corners of his war experiences, his own survival may depend on uncovering the truth.

"An elegant, moving read." -Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0547737408
• ISBN13: 9780547737409
• Release Date: June 2012
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.3" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Didn't finish book

I bought the book thinking I'd like it. Didn't, it was slow in some parts and didn't finish reading the book. First time reading a book from this author. Don't know what his other books are like.

Long and drawn out.

Rambling on and on and not sticking to the point and telling an interesting story.