Ladies in Retirement

November 2004

An eerie atmosphere of mystery is evoked in a dark, lonely house on the marshes of the Thames Estuary. Leanora Fiske, a former actress, lives with her companion Ellen Creed. At first, a visit from Ellen’s two sisters does little to suggest what lies ahead, but when the eccentric guests make themselves at home, Leanora’s patience wears thin. She requests that Ellen’s guests leave, but after a bitter row, it is Leanora who vanishes. The arrival of Ellen’s sisters’ nephew, Albert, adds to the mystery and suspense, as his own shadowy past complicates the recent occurrences. He gradually pieces together the series of events that have unfolded and must hope that the eerie moonlit pantomime murder he stages to trap the real murderer succeeds before he becomes the next victim.