From Library Journal
Happily retired Detective Chief Superintendent Henry Bassett chances upon the body of a long-missing judge in a little-used cottage near his own in rural England. Police blame local gypsies, but Bassett, who loves to keep his mind at full alert, rules out the scapegoats in favor of less obvious possibilities. Investigating independently, he zeroes in on five closely connected suspects and their own versions of the truth. Comfortable village surroundings, well-drawn supporting characters, the intelligent and human protagonist, and heavy emphasis on the judge's puzzling death all contribute to the novel's success.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
Engaging second outing for retired Detective Chief Superintendent Henry Bassett (Screaming Bones, 1990), now mulling over a gently arranged corpse in Crum Cottage--and, while he's at it, absolving a gypsy duo of stealing a sack of porcelains and figuring out the year-and-a-half-ago disappearance of a judge. Again relying on Glevebourne officers Greenaway and Miller to do the legwork (license checking, etc.), as well as on the regulars at the Pheasant for background material (otherwise known as gossip), Bassett pieces together a tale of two sisters, one plain, one a beauty, and their loves--both before and during marriage--to distinguish between the scapegoat, the duped, and the guilty. Bassett's interrogations, like Columbo's but with an English accent, and his neighborly chats provide much charm, but there's also firm craftsmanship, a well-thought-out plot, interesting clues, and a clever switch, then re-switch. The quintessential ``cozy'' mystery. --
Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
