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Cyril Hare

When an anonymous letter arrives for Mr Justice Barber, the High Court judge, warning of imminent revenge, he dismisses it as the work of a harmless lunatic. But then a second letter appears, followed by a poisoned box of the judge's favourite chocolates, and he begins to fear for his life.

Wildside Press

The Francis Pettigrew Mysteries

Tragedy at Law

A charming mystery set in WWII England, centered around the people working for England's regulatory department on pins. Spending days amidst Byzantine bureaucracy in a remote Great House and nights at a guesthouse during blackout hours, the characters become steadily more enmeshed with each other and addicted to what they call "The Plot," a group attempt to write a mystery novel...which naturally ends up with murder!

With a Bare Bodkin

Who murdered solo violinist Lucy Carless during a concert by the Markshire Orchestra? There are several suspects, any one of whom might have strangled her with a silk stocking. Was it her first husband? Or her second? Womanizer Bill Ventry? Or perhaps the clarinetist and fellow Polish émigré, Zbartorowski, with whom she’d had a violent argument? Lawyer Francis Pettigrew, as reluctant honorary treasurer to the Markshire Orchestral Society, finds himself caught up with assisting the police in their investigations.

The Wind Blows Death

Francis Pettigrew, a former barrister and sometimes amateur detective, is plucked out of what promises to be a peaceful retirement in the Home Counties to deputise for the County Court judge. The proceedings offer him some unexpected insights into the lives of the new neighbours that he has—until now—only observed through his field glasses.
When the body of a penniless widow known for her good works is found on Yew Hill, a famous local beauty spot, Pettigrew is drawn into the case as a witness. Despite his best efforts to leave the inquiry to the police, it is he, with the unconscious help of a teenage boy, who puts the finishing touches on the solution.

That Yew Tree's Shade

Francis Pettigrew, a retired London attorney, is on vacation with his wife in Exmoor. Francis neglected to tell his wife, Eleanor, that he used to spend many of his vacations when he was a child at Exmoor with his family. To be honest, he had almost forgotten his times there, but he did remember an incident which was still capable of giving him shivers. As a child, hiking through the wilds of Exmoor, he came upon the dead body of a man. Not knowing what to do, he ran away and never told anyone about it. His memory of the incident slowly faded since there were no repercussions that he didn’t tell anyone at the time. This time, while hiking through the moor, he stumbles over a body, and the same nightmare repeats itself. Now, however, he is a grown man and knows that he must seek help. When he finds and brings back the members of a hunt club, the body is no longer there.

The Francis Pettigrew Mysteries

The Francis Pettigrew Mysteries

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