George and Frances Roll the Dice

Summary

In this Victorian-era mystery novella, the Countess of Harleigh, Frances Hazelton, and her husband, George, discover that a French seaside resort is a fetching backdrop for business, pleasure … and murder.

Frances and George arrive in Deauville by the sea to enjoy a long-awaited honeymoon. It’s also an opportunity for George to inspect a villa inherited by his ward and arrange for its sale. To the Hazeltons’ surprise, they find it inhabited by wealthy revelers playing an illegal game of Hazard—forbidden fun, hosted by Albert Roth, a charismatic professional gambler who has a lease and no desire to vacate. 

The discovery doesn’t sit well with Frances and George. Especially since Albert also fixes horse races and polo matches and is said to pay off authorities who turn a blind eye to his criminal endeavors. But not anymore. The Hazeltons plan to break up the party. Yet the game abruptly changes when a popular British polo player who claims to have lost a fortune to Albert is found murdered in the villa’s salon. 

Now Frances and George have to do more than prove ownership of the valuable Normandy coast property. They have to find a killer. They’re sure all roads lead to Albert. But in a world of bribery, loansharking, corruption, and high society risks, nothing is what it seems. And for the Hazeltons, the stakes are getting higher …