Author’s Note: The Assigned Suites
The Yellow Cottage Vintage Mysteries: Book 6 is set in 1936, and historical accuracy is something I take seriously. Language, social detail, transport, and period context are all carefully researched and grounded in the era.
At Gifford House, the guests are assigned suites named after books by famous authors. These titles are not incidental they form part of the novel’s underlying clue structure for both the reader and the investigators.
In most cases, the books referenced were published before 1936 and would plausibly have been available at the time. However, two titles — Cat Among the Pigeons (1959) and Hallowe’en Party (1969) by Agatha Christie — fall outside that date range. Their inclusion was a deliberate and considered choice.
After extensive research, I could not find earlier works that conveyed the precise thematic signals required for those particular characters. Rather than weaken the internal logic of the mystery, I chose to prioritise narrative clarity and meaningful clueing. The references are intended as literary signposts, not literal shelf inventory.
My love of the Golden Age of detective fiction is the reason this book exists at all, and these choices were made in that spirit, as a quiet homage to the tradition rather than an oversight.
