The Coldstone

The secrets of an English country estate offer a potent mix of romance and suspense in this classic mystery featuring retired governess Maud Silver.   When Anthony Colstone inherits an ancestral estate that dates back to Elizabethan England, there is one ironclad condition: The property is never to be excavated and the ancient stones known as the Coldstone Ring removed.   Anthony arrives at Stonegate in the bucolic village of Ford St. Mary with many questions: Why did Sir Jervis Colstone bind him to such a promise? Why does no one know exactly how many stones the Coldstone Ring contains? And why are the superstitious villagers so frightened? Anthony is convinced that he's being watched. Then one night in the library, he sees a panel behind a family portrait move. He's soon surrounded by shadowy figures looming in and out of his vision.   With the help of Susan Bowyer, the great-granddaughter of the oldest village resident, Anthony starts to uncover the secrets of the stones. But the closer Anthony and Susan come to the truth, the closer they move toward a dangerous enemy determined to possess a long-buried treasure at any cost.   The Coldstone weaves mystery and danger with an exciting love story in the sparkling style of beloved British crime writer Patricia Wentworth.