The Girl At My Door by Rebecca Griffiths

 

Queenie has a great life.  She's the belle of the ball at the Moonlight Club, singing as the front for the band.  Men are crazy about her and each one gives her better gifts than the last, hoping to win her over.  She's just been offered a contract to leave London and go sing on Broadway in New York.  Her best friends are Terry, the piano player at the club and Joy who waits tables there.

But one mistake one night with one man changes everything.  Queenie finds herself in the same situation as many other unwed mothers, desperate to find a way to have the baby go away.  Terry asks around and finds her a name.  John Reginald Christie was rumored to have trained as a doctor before the war and supposedly has helped many girls.  Of course the truth is that this is the Christie who killed girls when they walked into his apartment house.  Will Goldie fall into his trap?

Rebecca Griffiths grew up in Wales and received an Honors First Class degree in English Literature.  After living in London for a while she has returned to Wales where she lives with her artist husband.  She writes in the suspense genre and does a terrific job.  This book was based on the real life serial killer, John Reginald Christie, who killed at least eight women after promising to help them get rid of an unwanted pregnancy.  He was known for his mild mannered appearance and the contrast between his appearance and his acts has kept him famous.  As he stalks Goldie and Joy through the streets of London, the reader's tension rises and rises.  This book is recommended for mystery readers.