Miss Burnham and the Loose Thread: The cosy and uplifting historical mystery and perfect book club read
Mar 2025 · Random House
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About this ebook
INTRODUCING ROSE BURNHAM: DESIGNER, DRESSMAKER . . . DETECTIVE? Discover the cosy, 1920s historical mystery, the uplifting book club read for summer.
'A joy of a read. A superbly researched story of post-WW1 female friendship chock-a-block with characters you’ll cheer on to the very last page'
--AJ Pearce, Sunday Times bestselling author of Dear Mrs Bird
'A novel for everyone who’s ever cheered on a friend or sister. It’s suspenseful, enchanting, and uplifting: a pure delight'
--Nina de Gramont, author of The Christie Affair
‘If you enjoy historical fiction, cosy crime, or stories about strong women forging their own paths, this book is not to be missed’ 5-star reader review
_
South-east London, 1925.
Talented, ambitious designer-dressmaker Rose Burnham knows well both the strains of her profession and the secrets it can yield. Newly established in her own business, she and her sisters are privy to the hushed conversations that unspool behind the fitting room’s closed doors.
So when a major client finds herself the victim of a deception, it is Rose she tells. Driven by the shortage of men following the Great War, Miss Holmes had engaged the services of a matrimonial agency, only to be cheated out of her inheritance by a fake suitor.
Rose is determined to bring the swindler to justice. To begin with, playing the detective is a grand adventure, but as pressures mount and an old friend receives a troubling string of poison-pen letters, Rose discovers there is more to investigating – and these investigations – than she’d bargained for.
Praise for Miss Burnham and the Loose Thread
‘As well as being an exquisite mystery, Miss Burnham and the Loose Thread is an ode to the pioneering women who embraced new opportunities in the aftermath of The Great War. I loved it!’
--Jessica Bull, author of Miss Austen Investigates
‘A hat box of delights, full of period detail and thoroughly enjoyable.’
--Claire Wilcox, author of Patch Work: A Life Amongst Clothes and Professor in Fashion Curation at the London College of Fashion
‘The characters were brilliant. I love a good mystery and this one did not disappoint’ 5-star reader review
‘An expertly researched mystery novel... a beautiful evocation of the post-WWI era’ 5-star reader review
‘An absolute joy to read... a brilliant mix of cosy crime and historical fiction that kept me thoroughly entertained!' 5-star reader review
'A joy of a read. A superbly researched story of post-WW1 female friendship chock-a-block with characters you’ll cheer on to the very last page'
--AJ Pearce, Sunday Times bestselling author of Dear Mrs Bird
'A novel for everyone who’s ever cheered on a friend or sister. It’s suspenseful, enchanting, and uplifting: a pure delight'
--Nina de Gramont, author of The Christie Affair
‘If you enjoy historical fiction, cosy crime, or stories about strong women forging their own paths, this book is not to be missed’ 5-star reader review
_
South-east London, 1925.
Talented, ambitious designer-dressmaker Rose Burnham knows well both the strains of her profession and the secrets it can yield. Newly established in her own business, she and her sisters are privy to the hushed conversations that unspool behind the fitting room’s closed doors.
So when a major client finds herself the victim of a deception, it is Rose she tells. Driven by the shortage of men following the Great War, Miss Holmes had engaged the services of a matrimonial agency, only to be cheated out of her inheritance by a fake suitor.
Rose is determined to bring the swindler to justice. To begin with, playing the detective is a grand adventure, but as pressures mount and an old friend receives a troubling string of poison-pen letters, Rose discovers there is more to investigating – and these investigations – than she’d bargained for.
Praise for Miss Burnham and the Loose Thread
‘As well as being an exquisite mystery, Miss Burnham and the Loose Thread is an ode to the pioneering women who embraced new opportunities in the aftermath of The Great War. I loved it!’
--Jessica Bull, author of Miss Austen Investigates
‘A hat box of delights, full of period detail and thoroughly enjoyable.’
--Claire Wilcox, author of Patch Work: A Life Amongst Clothes and Professor in Fashion Curation at the London College of Fashion
‘The characters were brilliant. I love a good mystery and this one did not disappoint’ 5-star reader review
‘An expertly researched mystery novel... a beautiful evocation of the post-WWI era’ 5-star reader review
‘An absolute joy to read... a brilliant mix of cosy crime and historical fiction that kept me thoroughly entertained!' 5-star reader review
Ratings and reviews
4.0
1 review
Alison Robinson
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March 24, 2025
This was a pleasant, dare I say cosy, mystery. I am by no means an expert on the 1920s but a lot of the historical detail seemed authentic. I also liked the subtle indication that Miss Jennings and Isobel were not just friends. Loved the detailed references to clothes, as one would expect from a Professor in Fashion Curation at the London College of Fashion. I would definitely be interested in reading more in this series. I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
About the author
Lynn Knight was born in Derbyshire and lives in London. The women of her family passed on many stories along with beaded bags and buttoned gauntlets, and fostered her interest in the texture and narratives of women's lives. She is the author of the biography Clarice Cliff (2005), a memoir, Lemon Sherbet and Dolly Blue: The Story of an Accidental Family (2011), and The Button Box: The story of women in the 20th century, told through the clothes they wore (2016). Miss Burnham and the Loose Thread is her first novel.
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