The Secret Vanguard (Inspector Appleby Mystery) cover

The Secret Vanguard (Inspector Appleby Mystery)

by Michael Innes

On an ordinary train journey to Scotland, Sheila Grant becomes embroiled in a plot that is anything but: a chemist has gone missing, an artist has been kidnapped, and a poet has been murdered. As Sheila begins to understand the significance of the situation, she realizes her life is in grave danger and must flee across the Scottish Highlands in search of aid. In London, Appleby is trying to piece together a kidnapping, a death, and a disappearance as the world wavers on the brink of another war. He has no idea he is Sheila’s best hope of survival. When the clock is ticking and no one is quite who they claim to be… will Appleby find Sheila before it’s too late?

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?