Inspector Callum MacGregor has been called out to investigate the murder of one Archibald Linton, businessman, playboy, and now, dead. Found in a glass-enclosed gazebo on his property, the only known person to have been on the premises that night was his business partner, a timid man named Clarence Thomas.
From their first meeting, Callum can’t believe that a man such as Clarence could have committed this murder, and so he sets out to investigate every other possibility, further fueled by the need to protect Archibald’s daughter, a girl named Rosetti, now in the care of her spoiled step-mother.
Meanwhile, Laura, an American Callum met on a previous adventure, has returned to England on a tour and would like to renew her friendship with him. Unable to track him down at the police station, they are both pleasantly surprised to run into each other accidentally the next day. Although they haven’t seen each other for a while, their chemistry is instantly rekindled and they wonder if something more will come from their friendship.
Callum installs Laura in a guest house on the Linton property in the hopes that she will be able to spy on the newly widowed Mrs. Cecelia Linton, a young and pampered woman who resents taking care of her stepdaughter. Before long, Laura has volunteered to be Rosetti’s governess, and is in a position to pass information to Callum, who is out beating the bushes for more clues. As Laura’s attachment to Rosetti grows, so does Callum’s confusion. As much as he hates to admit it, it’s starting to look like Clarence is the only suspect in the case.
But when Cecelia’s high fashion friend from London shows up and starts encouraging her to leave everything behind and return to the gaiety of the city, Callum’s suspicions change their focus. Would Mrs. Linton have murdered her husband for his money, or is Clarence guilty after all?
An old-fashioned mystery set in the United Kingdom, this novel will keep you guessing. While written by Susan Evans McCloud, an LDS author, it contains no overt religious overtone and would be enjoyed by a reader of any denomination.
(This book was published in 1998 by Bookcraft.)
Related Blogs: