Someone was sending the comfortable citizens of Edinburgh poison-pen letters, but the recipients thought it politic to say nothing about them. That way scandal would not break. Dilly Gosset, the French-born wife of a judge, had received one of the letters and she had blurted out the details of her husband's not so blameless life to anyone who would listen. Someone in this small, closed professional circle was undoubtedly evilly disposed. Spurred on by the apparently accidental, if oddly convenient, death of Lady Gosset, Diana Drummond began to investigate. Her discoveries led her to wonder if lady Gosset's death had indeed been an accident.
Crime-writer Jessica Mann was born in London, England in 1937. She studied archaeology at Cambridge University and Law at Leicester University.
She is the author of a non-fiction book, Deadlier Than the Male: An Investigation into Feminine Crime Writing, about female crime writers from Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers to Ngaio Marsh. She contributes reviews and feature articles to many newspapers and magazines, is a regular broadcaster on TV and radio and tours regularly promoting her books at events and festivals.
Jessica Mann lives with her husband, an archaeologist, in Cornwall. Her latest book is The Mystery Writer (2006).