Millicent

Lisa Arsenault is an elementary-school teacher in Ajax, Ontario.

The premise of this mystery is novel: Edward VIII secretly married a
Canadian teacher, Millicent Mulvey, long before he met Mrs. Simpson. Due
to pressure by the British government, the marriage was annulled, and
the teacher took her secret to the grave, revealing it to only a few
friends. One of these, the narrator, researched the story after
Millicent’s death with a view to publicizing it. But many interested
parties, including “the Royals,” had much at stake and did not want
Edward’s clandestine marriage to be exposed. The narrator was
harassed, stalked, and nearly murdered.

Written in a fast-paced, breezy style, with a lot of dialogue, this
book is packed with all the conventional elements of international
intrigue, suspense, and mystery. However, the promise of an exciting
resolution implicit in the plot’s twists and turns dissolves in a
disappointing dénouement. Themes are not pursued to satisfactory
conclusion, and the book races to an abrupt stop.

Yet it is still an engaging read, and those interested in the British
royal family will find it particularly enjoyable.