Crafts and Life

Called to the peaceful wooded churchyard of St-John’s-at-Hampstead, Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose faces one of the most audacious and unusual murders of his career. The body of the church’s organist is found in an opened grave, together with a photograph of a manor house and a cryptic note. The image leads Archie to Cambridge, where the crisp autumn air has brought with it bustling life to the ancient university and town.

Soon, another body is revealed, and in the shadow of King’s College Chapel, Archie uncovers a connection twenty-five years old which haunted both victims—as well as some of their living companions. As Archie and Josephine each grapple with savage malefactors intent on making their victims pay, they must race to stop another attack in this beautifully written, intricately plotted mystery.

In this, the 7th outing for Josephine Tey, we have two major crime waves interlocking, Scotland Yard (in the shape of Archie Penrose) is investigating a series of complex and bizarre murders, and in the course of his investigations he goes to Cambridge where there is a viscous rapist at large.  Marta has rented a house in Cambridge and Josephine is staying there whilst Marta is with the Hitchcocks in the US.  Josephine ends up being involved when the next door neighbour (a nurse from the local hospital) is the latest victim, and as well as that Archie asks her to do some research on crimes from 24 years previous as a dying man gives that as the only hint to the murders.

With deception in their own lives, and deception in their professional lives Josephine and Archie need to work quickly to stop anything else from happening.