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Welcome to our June 25 group read of To Love and Be Wise The fourth book in the Alan Grant series was published in 1950.

It was rumoured that Hollywood stars would go down on their knees for the privilege of being photographed by the good-looking, brilliantly talented and ultra-fashionable portrait photographer Leslie Searle. But what was such a gifted creature doing in such an English village backwater of Salcott St Mary? And why - and how - did he disappear? If a crime had been committed, was it murder... fraud... or simply some macabre practical joke?

Please feel free to post spoilers in this thread.

I have finished and am disturbed / confused by the ending. Is Leslie going to remain missing, assumed drowned? That seems unfair to the family at Trimmings and Walter will remain under suspicion. Can Lee make a living without her photography? Her painting seems questionable.

I suppose Lee buckled Leslie's shoe after taking it off to heighten suspicion. Trying to picture shoes for a 5'10" woman and would they fit in that space. Evidently they did.

I greatly enjoyed the book regardless of my complaints. The plot was excellent and the characters interesting. Loved the practical actress. The motive was both unexpected and realistic as was the actress's pulling the dead cousin off her pedestal, freeing Leslie from her obsession.

Hmmm. I have finished this now. I don't know, it was a little weird, but very modern.

Sandy wrote: "I have finished and am disturbed / confused by the ending. Is Leslie going to remain missing, assumed drowned? That seems unfair to the family at Trimmings and Walter will remain under suspicion...."

Grant says that Leslie will have to appear in court for behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace, so I think it will all come out then. Also, in the previous chapter, he thinks about what a relief it will be to Walter, Liz and the family at Trimmings once the truth is revealed. It would have been nice to see Grant actually tell them what he's discovered though.

I really enjoyed this too. I think the characters are very interesting and I was wondering if she was thinking of real-life models for any of the authors/celebrities - maybe Barbara Cartland for Lavinia Fitch?! I rather like Walter even though it seems as if we are supposed to think he's dreadful.

The book he and Leslie are doing sounds as if it might be successful today, and maybe be turned into a TV series. I wonder if they would go back and finish it after all the publicity, as the journalist Jammy Hopkins suggests? (Joking - I'm sure they wouldn't.)

P.S. Not quite sure what I think of the ending overall - it's very clever but maybe a bit of an anti-climax? I'd partly remembered it from a previous reading though I hadn't remembered the whole solution. Certainly unusual to get an ending where no one has died (apart from Marguerite years earlier).

Sorry, this wasn’t for me. The ending left me feeling cheated. I endured the book, hoping for an exciting revelation at the end. I suppose at the time of writing that it was a daring end, but I thought the book was just a waste of time.

Sorry to hear that, Trisha - I really enjoyed it but it was for the characters more than the plot, I think. The ending is odd and not very satisfying - I keep trying to work out what I think about it!

Certainly a variety of reactions to this one. I thought the characterization was great and I was not disappointed with the solution.

I also really enjoyed the characters and interactions between the various personalities, and loved the village which had been "discovered" by elites-hadn't realized that this had been going on for so long.

The twist of the ending seems a little unbelievable although I do know that this has in fact happened before. I think the hair is what I wonder about most but perhaps Lee is wearing a wig.

I'm only sorry we don't have more Inspector Grants-would he and Marta have done a Peter Wimsey/Harriet thing if given more time?

Frances wrote: "I also really enjoyed the characters and interactions between the various personalities, and loved the village which had been "discovered" by elites-hadn't realized that this had been going on for ..."

If I remember correctly Lee had a braid wrapped around her head which would be hard for Leslie to hide. Must be a wig.