Betrayal at Ravenswick: A Fiona Figg Mystery

What nerve! Shame on this counterfeit author! Kelly Oliver stole this from Agatha Christie’s "The Mysterious Affair at Styles." Read the first 3 chapters of each and you will see: In “Ravenswick,” wealthy, white-haired, newly-married Edith with her “commanding demeanor” is the “autocratic” wealthy, white-haired, newly-married Emily Inglethorp in “Styles;” In “Ravenswick,” Edith’s new husband, the toadying, red-bearded Derick Wilkinson, whom she calls “Derick Darling” is Emily’s new husband, the overly-solicitous, black-breaded Alfred Inglethorp, whom she calls “Alfred Darling” in “Styles;” Both authors quote their characters’ pet names for the new husbands: “Ravenswick” author, Kelly Oliver, says: “Derick darling obeyed like a well-trained dog.” Christie’s character Hastings says: “I looked with some curiosity at ‘Alfred darling.’” Edith’s hearty companion in Ravenswick, a fleshy woman with “an ample body,” Miss Gwen Bentham, who cleans the fish pond is Emily’s deep-voiced “almost manly” companion who pulls weeds in the garden, Evelyn Howard in “Styles;” In “Ravenswick,” Edith’s daughter-in-law, the lovely Lady Mary Elliott is Emily’s daughter-in-law, the lovely Mary Cavendish in “Styles;” In “Ravenswick,” “Bright-eyed” young Lilian Mandrake, the orphaned daughter of Edith’s younger sister, is “fresh-looking” young Cynthia Murdoch, the orphaned daughter of Emily’s friend “Styles;” In “Ravenswick,” when Lilian’s “jumps” to comply when Edith requested she “help with the invitations,” Lilian’s comportment makes the narrator think that Lilian’s position is “dependent,” and a position which is relished by Edith. In “Styles,” Cynthia is asked by Emily to “write a few notes” for her, she “jumped up promptly” which reminded the narrator that Cynthia’s “position was a dependent one” and that Emily did not allow Cynthia to forget it. Though unrelated by blood, in “Styles” Cynthia calls Emily “Aunt Emily.” In “Ravenswick,” Edith is Lilian’s aunt. In “Ravenswick,” Lieutenant Douglas is asked what he did before the war. He replies that he “worked at Barclays,” a bank. In “Styles,” Captain Hastings whether soldiering is asked his regular profession, he replies that before the war he “worked at Lloyd’s,” a bank. In “Ravenswick,” Lieutenant Douglas is asked what he will do when the war ends. Lt. Douglas replies that he would like to write detective stories. In “Styles,” Captain Hastings is asked the same question. Hastings replies that he would like to be a detective. Lt. Douglas is asked, “Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Edgar Allen Poe?” Hastings is asked, “The real thing – Scotland Yard? Or Sherlock Holmes?” Both settings for these conversations are during afternoon tea in the garden and both have conversations about poisons and murder.