Finalist for a 2019 Lefty Award

The fourth book in what the Globe and Mail has proclaimed “a terrific series” by “a writer to watch.”

Summer descends over the picturesque King’s Cove as Darling and Lane’s mutual affection blossoms. But their respite from solving crime is cut short when a British government official arrives in Nelson to compel Darling to return to England for questioning about the death of a rear gunner under his command in 1943.

In Darling’s absence, Ames oversees the investigation into the suspicious death of a local elderly woman and uncovers a painful betrayal inflicted forty years earlier. Meanwhile, Lane follows Darling to London, where he is charged with murder and faces hanging. While desperately seeking answers, Lane is presented with a proposal that could save the man she loves, but only if she returns to the very life she sought to leave behind.

Iona Whishaw was born in British Columbia. After living her early years in the Kootenays, she spent her formative years living and learning in Mexico, Nicaragua, and the US. She travelled extensively for pleasure and education before settling in the Vancouver area. Throughout her roles as youth worker, social worker, teacher, and award-winning high school principal, her love of writing remained consistent, and compelled her to obtain her master’s in creative writing from the University of British Columbia. Iona has published short fiction, poetry, poetry translation, and one children’s book, Henry and the Cow Problem. A Killer in King’s Cove was her first adult novel. Her heroine, Lane Winslow, was inspired by Iona’s mother who, like her father before her, was a wartime spy. Visit ionawhishaw.com to find out more.

Iona Whishaw's profile page

• Short-listed, Lefty Award for Best Historical Mystery Novel

Praise for It Begins in Betrayal (#4)

“A tale of two murders. . . . relentlessly exciting from start to finish.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A wonderfully complex plot with threads that eventually resolve most satisfactorily. The post-war time period is particularly interesting and well captured.” —Maureen Jennings, author of the Murdoch Mysteries series

“Action-packed and emotionally charged from the prologue to the climax . . . it just doesn't get much better than this.” —Don Graves, Canadian Mystery Reviews

"I am in love. . . . Brilliant! Absolutely in the spirit of Dorothy Sayers’ Harriet Vane/Peter Wimsey mysteries, but smart and fresh in its own right. For lovers of cozy mysteries and British police procedurals―there’s even a murder investigation in which evidence includes fragments of a broken tea set―this title will not disappoint. . . . The writing was wonderful, the plotting rock solid." ―Kerry Clare, author of Mitzi Bytes

“If you’re after historical crime with a strong backbone but also an air of genteel cosiness about it, then the Lane Winslow series by Iona Whishaw is just right for you.” ―Crime Fiction Lover

"Whishaw’s ability to intertwine two complex plot lines is admirable, as is her skill at imbuing even minor characters with well-drawn backstories. She excels at period details . . . it’s a talented writer who can package all this together and nicely tie up every detail as well." ―Historical Novel Society

Praise for the Lane Winslow Mysteries

A Match Made for Murder (#7) is winner of the 2021 Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award

"The ‘find of the year’, Iona Whishaw’s Lane Winslow series is a real treat. Set after WWII, Lane has left England for Canada . . . settling in the small village of King’s Cove. With a quaint cast of characters and the feel of Louise Penny’s Three Pines, the independence and quick wit of Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher and the intelligence of Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs, this mystery series has it all!" —Murder by the Book, Texas

"Relentlessly exciting from start to finish." —Kirkus Reviews

"Highly entertaining . . . Whishaw makes smooth transitions between a dizzying number of locations, time periods, and points of view, all while shepherding the narrative to an immensely satisfying conclusion. Winslow’s fans and newcomers alike will find lots to love." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Whishaw deftly intertwines plot and psychology, giving readers insight not only into Lane's crime-solving strategies, but the perspectives and lives of her neighbors. The series also follows Lane's inner journey, from complicated family history to postwar trauma to the beginning of new love. Well plotted and laced with dry wit, Lane's adventures are entirely satisfying summer reading." —Shelf Awareness

"Iona Whishaw is a writer to watch." —Globe and Mail

"There’s no question you should read it—it’s excellent." —Toronto Star

"What a delight! Lane and Darling are the most adorable couple I’ve met in a long time, and Whishaw’s clever insights into their post-WWII lives are crafted with such charming finesse that readers will fall in love as I did." —Genevieve Graham, author of Bluebird

"Whishaw is a master of the historical mystery.” —Sam Wiebe, author of Sunset and Jericho

“Engaging, superbly.” —Alan Hlad, author of The Long Flight Home

“Iona Whishaw’s writing is worthy of taking its place alongside the works of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers. . . deftly crafted and briskly paced.” —Fiona Valpy, author of The Dressmaker’s Gift

"Another fantastic entry in the unique and compelling Lane Winslow series!" —Anna Lee Huber, author of the Lady Darby Mysteries

“I absolutely love the modern sensibility of these novels, of their feminism, sense of justice, their anti-racism, their progressiveness, which somehow never seems out of place in a tiny BC hamlet in 1948. . . But it’s never preachy or pedantic, and Whishaw continues to use her murder mysteries to explore the limitations on women’s lives and freedom that were contemporary to the period, and which are not yet so far away in the rear view mirror.” —Kerry Clare, author of Mitzi Bytes and Waiting for a Star to Fall

"Complex, suspenseful, and deeply felt, this is a smart series for the ages." —Francine Mathews, author of the Nantucket Mysteries

"Exquisitely written, psychologically deft." —Linda Svendsen, author of Sussex Drive

"Iona Whishaw has again raised the bar . . . This is seriously good storytelling." —Don Graves, Canadian Mystery Reviews

"In the vein of Louise Penny . . . a compelling series that combines a cozy setting, spy intrigue storylines, and police procedural elements—not an easy task, but one that Whishaw pulls off." —Reviewing the Evidence

"The setting is fresh and the cast endearing." —CrimeReads

"An enthralling mystery." —Historical Novel Society

"This series . . . continues to get better and better." —Reviewing the Evidence

"A simply riveting read by a master of the genre." —Wisconsin Bookwatch

"A series that’s guaranteed to please." —Mercer Island Books, Washington

"Full of history, mystery, and a glorious BC setting . . . a wonderful series." —Sleuth of Baker Street, Ontario