29 December 2025.
ISBN: 978-1-990550-58-4 (PB)
The ladies of the WISE Women Enquiries Agency are hoping for a quiet start to the New Year, because two of their number are absent from their office in Wales Welsh village, leaving Carol and Annie to deal with any cases that crop up. As well as working with the WISE Women, Mavis acts as a companion to her friend Althea Twyst, the Dowager Duchess of Chellingworth, and has accompanied her to the Twyst family home in Scotland, so that Althea can spend time with her daughter and son-in-law, and Mavis can visit her sons and grandchildren. Christine is staying in London with her parents while awaiting the birth of her first child.
Annie and Carol are asked to take on a new case, and it is one that has special significance for Annie because it involves the therapist that had treated her when she was traumatised after an injury. When Barbara Newsom arrives at the office Annie is horrified because she hardly recognises the smart, competent woman she had known. Barbara has lost a great deal of weight and appears gaunt, frail and unkempt. Barbara tells Annie and Carol that her husband died a few months ago; for both of them it had been a second marriage, and they each had one adult child who did not live at home. Barbara’s late husband had been a very wealthy man, and he had left everything to Barbara, which caused ill feeling between Barbara and her stepson.
The doctors have carried out several tests and have been unable to discover a physical reason for her symptoms of nausea, weakness, fatigue and vertigo, and Barbara is aware that these symptoms could be caused by psychological factors following her bereavement. However, she is haunted by the fear that she is being poisoned, presumably by someone close to her, the most likely suspect being her daughter. Annie and Carol agree to take the case and put measures in place to discover the truth and, if necessary, to protect Barbara. Unfortunately, this proves very difficult when they have to cope with a client who is torn between the necessity of safeguarding her own life, and her desire to consolidate her relationship with her daughter, who has been unusually attentive since Barbara’s bereavement.
As well as this major case, Carol and Annie have other investigations to engage their time and attention. One of these is instigated by Annie who is concerned about the arrival of a fish and chip van that parks in the village. The chip van’s owners charge a lot less than Tudor, Annie’s partner can ask for the meals he serves in his pub. Annie knows her suspicions of the new business may be fuelled by personal concerns, but she is determined to find out all she can about the people running the chip van.
Another personal investigation is one that they undertake at the request of Henry Twyst, the Duke of Chellingworth. Henry is very worried that his much-loved wife, Stephanie, is determined to improve their health by changing their diet and enforcing more exercise. Henry feels that Stephanie is being unduly influenced by her friend Val Jenkins, bookshop owner and nutritionist. Although Henry does not like Val’s interference in his lifestyle, he is fond of her, and she is the godmother of his son. This means that he is genuinely concerned when he discovers that Val has formed a romantic attachment and gone into business with a man that he has good reason to distrust. Stephanie does not agree with his fears, but Henry feels so strongly about the matter that he overcomes his natural diffidence and asks Carol to use her outstanding computer investigation skills to check on Val’s new partner. With three cases to investigate, Carol and Annie have a great deal to do, and while they hope that Mavis and Christine are enjoying their break, they also feel rather overwhelmed and overworked.
However, neither Mavis nor Christine are enjoying their time away from Wales. Mavis finds Twyst House uncomfortable, cold and badly maintained, and the Steward in overall charge is dour and unhelpful. In London, Christine has been confined to bed until her baby is born and is desperately bored. She knows that she has to take care in order to safeguard her own and the baby’s health, but that does not stop her from feeling frustrated by her inactivity, and she misses her fiancé, Alexander, who is trying to get all of his business interests settled, so that he can devote himself to his family when the baby arrives. However, even when officially off duty, both Mavis and Christine have the instinct that discovers suspicious things to investigate, but, without her usual support network, and with patchy internet and phone access, Mavis also discovers that curiosity can prove very dangerous.
The
Case of the Devious Daughter is the twelfth book in the excellent
series featuring the WISE Women and it is a delightful addition to the series.
The central characters are all engaging and skilfully drawn as they change and
develop with each book. The multi-viewpoint plot is cleverly handled so that
each strand is clearly designated, but the investigations are woven together by
the close relationship of the protagonists. The Case of the Devious Daughter
is a page-turner, which I thoroughly recommend.
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Reviewer:
Carol Westron
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