Eva's sister Alice decides to visit, but without her husband and their three children. Eva is sure there is something amiss, but Alice refuses to explain.
Stephan Ripley returns to become the head gardener at Foxwood Hall after the abrupt and totally unexpected departure of long-time gardener Alfred Peele. When Phoebe meets him, she decides he has a sly and sneaky way about him, but is determined to be friendly because of his brother Keenan, a local pear grower.
The next day she hears them arguing about selling the orchard and Keenan refuses. The pears he grows are turned into a cider that is much moved by the community, and even though the orchard is in debt, Keenan doesn't want to lose his family's heritage.
When Stephen is found stabbed with garden clippers, the police zero in on his brother Keenan. But Lady Phoebe and Eva know he is not the killer, so they decide to investigate.
I love the relationship between Lady Phoebe and Eva. They treat each other with respect and admire each other's strengths. Those traits always enables them to solve the mysteries in A Lady & Lady's Maid Mystery series.
