England has weathered the Second World War, and a new day is dawning. With a new queen about to be crowned, Mrs. Harriet Wallis can barely breathe in anticipation. Her husband has an important job, the children are getting along well with the nanny, and life is simply terrific.

Until Mrs. Wallis puts three bullets into Mr. Wallis and becomes the second-to-last woman in England to be sentenced to death.

This is an engaging historical thriller with wonderful descriptions of the queen's coronation and life in post-war England. Humor creeps into the narrative amidst the dark foreshadowing, and you want to get to the next page to see what happens.

This is aimed at a British audience and British sensibilities, but if you're on the other side of the ocean, you'll probably enjoy it as well.