Murder at Swann's Lake

With its funfair, caravan sites and social clubs, Swann's Lake seems the ideal weekend retreat for Manchester's sprawling workforce. But it is also the setting for brutal murder when Robbie Peterson, ex-con turned nightclub owner, is found dead in his office; a six-inch nail driven deep into his skull.

With the local force baffled, Scotland Yard drafts Chief Inspector Woodend and Sergeant Rutter up from London, and as the questions and suspects multiply, it soon becomes clear that it is a far from straightforward case.

Why was the victim's office broken into twice on the day of the funeral? Why did Robbie's son-in-law attack his own brother on the night of the murder? And why, later, does Robbie's daughter try to claw her sister's eyes out?

Added to his problems with the case, Woodend is also having trouble with his sergeant. Bob Rutter's fiancée, María, is a Spanish political activist and when she is badly hurt in a demonstration, Rutter blames the police, threatening resignation. Woodend thinks it would be a tragic waste, but what neither realises is that in María's injury lies the key to the mystery.

"Sorting through the red herrings that create as many subplots as a vintage Agatha Christie, Woodend and Rutter match the felony to the suspect until the cheese stands alone. Quietly reliable, retro puzzling."
Kirkus Reviews

Order Murder at Swann's Lake (hardcover) from Amazon.co.uk

Order Murder at Swann's Lake (hardcover) from Amazon.com

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