The Crimson Rooms - Hardcover

compulsively readable... McMahon skilfully weaves the different strands of the complicated plot into a compelling and moving mystery story (Anna Carey THE GLOSS)

Four stars: "Haunted by the loss of her brother in the First World War, Evelyn is shocked when someone appears with a boy, apparently a nephew" (OK!)

a real treat and bound to enhance her reputation (THE MAGISTRATE)

a well-plotted, beautifully written tale which makes the point that everyone was a victim of the Great War (Virginia Blackburn DAILY EXPRESS)

a fantastic read: moving, gripping,absorbing and thrillingly sexy.. a skilful, highly atmospheric drama of guilt, passion and consequences.. the kind of book you never want to end (Wendy Holden DAILY MAIL)

McMahon vividly recreates the stifled atmosphere of the period, aympathetically portraying the dilemmas faced by women (WATERSTONES BOOKS QUARTERLY)

an absorbing and deftly woven tale, which impressively captures the spirit of the early 1920s... a cracking good read (PRESS ASSOCIATION)

Evelyn is a young woman who has defied convention to become one of the country's pioneer female lawyers. Living at home with her mother, aunt, and grandmother, Evelyn is still haunted by the death of her younger brother James in the First World War. Therefore when the doorbell rings late one night and a woman appears, claiming to have mothered James's child, her world is turned upside down. Evelyn distrusts Meredith at first, but also finds that this new arrival challenges her work-obsessed lifestyle. So far her legal career has not set the world alight. But then two cases arise that make Evelyn realise perhaps she can make a difference. The first concerns woman called Leah Marchant whose children have been taken away from her simply because she is poor. The second, Stephen Wheeler - a former acquaintance of Daniel Breen, her boss - has been charged with murdering his own wife. It is clear to Breen and Evelyn that Wheeler is innocent but he won't talk. After being humiliated in court, Evelyn is approached by a dashing lawyer called Nicholas Thorne. She is needled by his privileged background and old-fashioned attitudes, but despite being engaged, he cannot seem to resist sparring with this feisty young female. In the meantime, Meredith makes an earth-shattering accusation about James. With the Wheeler case coming to a head, and her heart in limbo, Evelyn takes matters into her own hands.