Publisher's Synopsis
Murder Most Cosmetic A friendly game of mahjong turns deadly when ruinous secrets are on the verge of exposure. The shocking discovery of a body at the ladies' club leads to mystery, and the contents of the dead woman's handbag are the only clues. An adulteress, a thief, and an impostor play their hands, leaving the author turned sleuth, Mrs. Xavier Stayton, to decipher whodunit. Miss Harriet Tree's death confounds all who knew the coat check girl. Despite her checkered past, no one has a motive for the murder. On the trail of a stolen tiara, and a dastardly killer, Mrs. X is on the case. From fashionable Piccadilly Circus to humble Bow, the pieces of the puzzle all start to come together. As the game comes to a close, will the murderer's gambit remain a mystery, or will Mrs. Stayton checkmate her deceitful adversary? What do the critics have to say ... "Mrs. Stayton is the real stuff. She is as dangerous on land as she is at sea." -Albert Edwards, odd boy, Boudicca Club "What a page-turner! So many twists and turns, I am still not sure why poor Miss Tree was murdered." -Mr. John Dunn, manager of Queen's Hall "The daffy American is off her nut. Yes, I skimmed through her book, couldn't help myself. Pure rot, that's what it amounts to." -Donald Paton, journalist, The Dawn Chronicle
