VBT# Death of a Ghostwriter - Gaynor Torrance

Review: Death of a Ghostwriter - A Wye Valley Widows Mystery - Gaynor Torrance - August 2025

When it comes to cozy mysteries, I'll be the first to admit I'm a bit of a mood reader. While I genuinely enjoy the genre, I often find myself frustrated by the leisurely pace that many UK-based cozies embrace—that distinctly British tendency to meander through teatime conversations and village gossip before getting to the meat of the mystery. So when I picked up Gaynor Torrance's "Death of a Ghostwriter," I wasn't entirely sure what to expect.

What immediately hooked me were two irresistible elements: the ghostwriter angle (as someone who's always been fascinated by the invisible craft of writing for others) and the absolutely audacious premise that our victim, Albert, managed to juggle not one, not two, but three wives simultaneously. The sheer logistics alone had me turning pages.

Albert's elaborate deception is almost admirable in its complexity. For thirty years, he maintained relationships with Sylvia (Wife #1) and Harriet (Wife #2), while adding Tess (Wife #3) to the mix just two years prior. His method? Spending one week with each wife under the guise of work travel. It's the kind of setup that makes you simultaneously marvel at his organizational skills and wonder how he kept track of three different anniversary dates.

When Albert's brakes fail on a morning departure from Tess's house, what initially appears to be a tragic accident quickly reveals itself as murder. The three wives naturally become prime suspects, setting up a deliciously tangled web of motives and secrets.

What I particularly enjoyed was watching Sylvia and Harriet—who should theoretically hate each other—team up with Sylvia's best friend Liz to investigate. Their unlikely alliance feels authentic, born from shared betrayal and mutual curiosity about the mysterious third wife. Their journey uncovers layer after layer of Albert's deceptions, including the revelation that his supposedly deceased brother and mother are very much alive and quite wealthy.

The real surprise comes with Tess's true identity. Gaynor Torrance skillfully reveals her as a "Black Widow" type, suggesting Albert was merely her latest victim in what appears to be a pattern of targeting married men. The irony is delicious—had she known about the other wives and children, she likely would have chosen a different mark entirely.

Gaynor Torrance manages to avoid the pacing pitfalls that often plague British cozy mysteries. While maintaining the genre's signature gentle approach to crime, she keeps the momentum moving with genuine character development and surprising reveals. The ghostwriter element, though not as central as I'd initially hoped, adds an interesting layer to Albert's character as someone who lived his entire life as essentially a ghost himself.

"Death of a Ghostwriter" succeeds as exactly what a cozy mystery should be: an engaging puzzle that doesn't rely on graphic violence or psychological horror to maintain interest. It's comfort food for mystery lovers—satisfying without being overwhelming, clever without being pretentious.

For readers seeking a well-crafted whodunit that hits all the right notes without keeping you awake at night, this one definitely delivers.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lFpAbg