The brutal murder of a promiscuous young wife and the disappearance of her baby son bring Superintendent Amos Hawke and Sergeant Tom Churchyard to a tiny moorland village in nineteenth-century Cornwall, where the residents harbour dark secrets. The two policemen believe the murderer will be found within the isolated and insular community, but unravelling the tangled web of lies and deceit proves frustrating. Is the answer to the mystery held by the young gypsy girl whose appearance on the scene has disturbing ramifications for Tom Churchyard?
E V Thompson was born in London and spent nine years in the Navy before joining Bristol police. He moved to Hong Kong, then Rhodesia and had over 200 stories published before returning to England to become a full-time award-winning writer.
c2011. FWFTB: murder, promiscuous, Cornwall, gypsy, secrets. Vintage EV Thompson managing to blend an interesting murder with a gentle love story and tales of woe in the Colonies. Glimpses of Cornwall are woven throughout the story and clearly E V loved the county. I have only just discovered that Mr Thompson passed away in July 2012 so this may have been one of his last books published. Recommended for those times when concentration is not really required and a comfort read is the best medicine. "'A body?' This time it was Tom who spoke. 'Do you have any idea who it is?' The farmer gave Tom a disdainful look, 'It may not be a very deep well, but we don't have lanterns down wells here in Cornwall so I can't say as I recognized him,,'"
It was a good solid read, nothing spectacular - a little bit of romance , likeable characters and believable story. More Agatha Christie than Nicci French when it comes to crime novels. I really didn't like the cover!!