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Wilson & McLeish #4
A Fatal Point
Please note this was previously published as Death Among the Dons
Dr Judith Symonds, Warden of the all-female Gladstone College, is found dead at her home. She had been drugged and murdered.
For John McLeish this is not a simple case. Gladstone College is in a perilous financial state, and his wife and the college bursar, Francesca Wilson, has linked it to unscrupulous financial dealings.
Then two Gladstone students are attacked, and Louise Taylor, a Fellow of the college is found unconscious and badly beaten. Both Louise and Judith had been having an affair with Sir Neville Allason, high ranking civil servant in the Department of Education.
A scandal like this would ruin him.
McLeish is convinced these frenzied attacks are linked to the Symonds murder. It’s a race against time as he tries to discover who wants to silence these women.
Can McLeish solve this case before Fran becomes the next silenced victim?
Dr Judith Symonds, Warden of the all-female Gladstone College, is found dead at her home. She had been drugged and murdered.
For John McLeish this is not a simple case. Gladstone College is in a perilous financial state, and his wife and the college bursar, Francesca Wilson, has linked it to unscrupulous financial dealings.
Then two Gladstone students are attacked, and Louise Taylor, a Fellow of the college is found unconscious and badly beaten. Both Louise and Judith had been having an affair with Sir Neville Allason, high ranking civil servant in the Department of Education.
A scandal like this would ruin him.
McLeish is convinced these frenzied attacks are linked to the Symonds murder. It’s a race against time as he tries to discover who wants to silence these women.
Can McLeish solve this case before Fran becomes the next silenced victim?
309 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1993
83 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Janet Neel
18 books10 followersAka Janet Cohen
Janet Neel Cohen, Baroness Cohen of Pimlico is a British lawyer and crime fiction writer. She was educated at South Hampstead High School, Hampstead, London, England and graduated from Newnham College, Cambridge University in 1962 with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Honours, Law.
She started to work as a practising solicitor in 1965. She married James Lionel Cohen, son of Dr. Richard Henry Lionel Cohen, on 18 December 1971. She was a Governor of the BBC between 1994 and 1999. She was created Baroness Cohen of Pimlico, in the City of Westminster (life peer), on 3 May 2000 and sits as a Labour peer in the House of Lords.
As Janet Neel and Janet Cohen she is the author of crime fiction novels.
Janet Neel Cohen, Baroness Cohen of Pimlico is a British lawyer and crime fiction writer. She was educated at South Hampstead High School, Hampstead, London, England and graduated from Newnham College, Cambridge University in 1962 with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Honours, Law.
She started to work as a practising solicitor in 1965. She married James Lionel Cohen, son of Dr. Richard Henry Lionel Cohen, on 18 December 1971. She was a Governor of the BBC between 1994 and 1999. She was created Baroness Cohen of Pimlico, in the City of Westminster (life peer), on 3 May 2000 and sits as a Labour peer in the House of Lords.
As Janet Neel and Janet Cohen she is the author of crime fiction novels.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 14, 2021
"Award-winning author Janet Neel has hit the mark with this critically acclaimed British mystery series featuring Police Superintendent John McLeish and his wife, Francesca Wilson. On maternity leave, Francesca is grateful for a part-time position as the college's bursar--until she discovers murder at academia's ivory tower."
This is an outstanding mystery! Wonderful characterization, grand plotting -- the reader is kept guessing until the very last pages. Was it Neil, the perennial philanderer? Was it Alice, whose shoulder chip was at least a mile high? Was it Alice's husband, seemingly so devoted that he might murder to make her wishes come true? Was it Michael, whose jealousy over his wife's affair led him to violence, never mind he was having his own affair? Or someone as yet not introduced? You'll have to read the book to find out.
This is an outstanding mystery! Wonderful characterization, grand plotting -- the reader is kept guessing until the very last pages. Was it Neil, the perennial philanderer? Was it Alice, whose shoulder chip was at least a mile high? Was it Alice's husband, seemingly so devoted that he might murder to make her wishes come true? Was it Michael, whose jealousy over his wife's affair led him to violence, never mind he was having his own affair? Or someone as yet not introduced? You'll have to read the book to find out.
March 28, 2020
I am a sucker for crime stories set at university, and this one delivers on that. (Also it's a women's college: even better!) The main characters didn't really get introduced right away, so that was a little disappointing. Also, it was pretty clear towards the beginning of the end who the culprit was and why. But the writing is good.
September 14, 2020
As anyone who spends any time with Inspector Morse knows, university is a hotbed of marital affairs, poisonous envy , general iniquity, and financial chicanery. In short, murder is to be expected among the dons.
When Samantha Wilson, desperate to get a break from caring for her endlessly crying infant, took a part-time bursar job at Gladstone College, she did not know she was in a hotspot of killings, assaults, and political rage. She thought she was just going to straighten out a few books a couple of days a week. In this slow burning book, she gradually finds out how wrong she was.
Excellent mystery set at a woman’s college, noteworthy for its female centric point of view.
When Samantha Wilson, desperate to get a break from caring for her endlessly crying infant, took a part-time bursar job at Gladstone College, she did not know she was in a hotspot of killings, assaults, and political rage. She thought she was just going to straighten out a few books a couple of days a week. In this slow burning book, she gradually finds out how wrong she was.
Excellent mystery set at a woman’s college, noteworthy for its female centric point of view.
February 26, 2021
Notes from 1994: Very good English in the classic style, Good characters, nice setting. Very nice business background and business drams. Definitely should read every book in the series. Good strong female characters. DPL
April 6, 2025
Gladstone College was founded in 1873 by Alice Gladstone, a distant cousin of the Prime Minister, to enable women to follow a university career. The college was, from its inception, part of the University of London, but it was only in 1932 that women undergraduates were able to receive degrees awarded by that University. The college has currently 400 undergraduates, 100 graduate students and 32 Fellows. All are women by the terms of the Statutes. The warden, Dr. Judith Symmonds, died on 2 January, this year, at the age of fifty-three.
After a post-Christmas party at the University club, Dr. Judith Symmonds, warden at Gladstone College, returns to her London flat, and is found dead the next day. Her death is dismissed as accidental by the local police led by Superintendent McLeish.
Gladstone is an academic hotbed of jealousy, passion and politics. Dame Sarah Murchieson, retired from Home Office, and a member of the University Funding Commission, takes on the role of warden after Judith’s unexpected death. Sarah is concerned about Gladstone’s deterioration- the college is in financial trouble, the buildings are dilapidated, and there’s a prowler about campus assaulting the students and fellows. These troubles would mean the degeneration of the prestigious all-female institution to a co-ed liberal arts college.
Sarah hires Francesca Wilson as part-time bursar, unaware that she is related to Superintendent McLeish. Francesca who is half out of her mind with new motherhood and boredom is overjoyed at being invited to wade into the terrible mess.
When there is yet another attack on campus, and one of the research fellows is critically injured, Sarah begins to suspect that the campus attacks and Judith’s death must be related. Sarah, with her gentle tactfulness, and Francesca, with her energy and resourcefulness, begin to unravel the many links connecting the financial troubles, Judith's death and the assaults at Gladstone.
The plot moves slowly but purposefully. Superbly crafted and brilliantly written mystery.
After a post-Christmas party at the University club, Dr. Judith Symmonds, warden at Gladstone College, returns to her London flat, and is found dead the next day. Her death is dismissed as accidental by the local police led by Superintendent McLeish.
Gladstone is an academic hotbed of jealousy, passion and politics. Dame Sarah Murchieson, retired from Home Office, and a member of the University Funding Commission, takes on the role of warden after Judith’s unexpected death. Sarah is concerned about Gladstone’s deterioration- the college is in financial trouble, the buildings are dilapidated, and there’s a prowler about campus assaulting the students and fellows. These troubles would mean the degeneration of the prestigious all-female institution to a co-ed liberal arts college.
Sarah hires Francesca Wilson as part-time bursar, unaware that she is related to Superintendent McLeish. Francesca who is half out of her mind with new motherhood and boredom is overjoyed at being invited to wade into the terrible mess.
When there is yet another attack on campus, and one of the research fellows is critically injured, Sarah begins to suspect that the campus attacks and Judith’s death must be related. Sarah, with her gentle tactfulness, and Francesca, with her energy and resourcefulness, begin to unravel the many links connecting the financial troubles, Judith's death and the assaults at Gladstone.
The plot moves slowly but purposefully. Superbly crafted and brilliantly written mystery.
June 29, 2025
A surprisingly technical account of college finances forms the background to a series of attacks on women at an all-female college. The various husbands of the college dons seem inclined to affairs, which is somewhat accepted by the academically talented wives as characteristically "opportunistic" male sexual behavior. It does make it a challenge to keep the re-couplings straight. The detective and civil service couple John McLeish and Francesca Wilson are, however, sensible and stable. Francesca happily takes on messy accounts as a relief from a non-sleeping baby.
February 27, 2024
Excellent
My first novel by Janet Neel and I thought it was excellent, I really liked the characters and that’s half the battle. I shall look forward to the next instalment in the very near future.
My first novel by Janet Neel and I thought it was excellent, I really liked the characters and that’s half the battle. I shall look forward to the next instalment in the very near future.
July 27, 2021
it was alright
April 14, 2022
A good mystery - very good writing and I liked the setting - a female university college. Will look out for more from this author
January 29, 2009
This was a good read. It takes place at a women's college in London which is in financial difficulties. Early in the book, the warden dies and a new warden and bursar are hired. Soon, two students are attacked on campus and then a popular senior faculty member is attacked. Fortunately, the bursar's husband is a detective and solves the crimes. The number of affairs discussed in the book is rather large! The number of affairs discussed in the book appears rather large to me, but they do present more believable suspects.
September 15, 2007
Francesca decides to go back to work after having a baby, but is soon involved in a crime. Her detective husband arrives to sort things out. Worth trying.
September 12, 2010
Nice old fashioned England based mystery.
March 31, 2011
guessed in spite of red herrings good characters
September 7, 2011
amanda cross in oxford.
francesca doesn't have it quite together as harriet vane, but she is a likeable character and the plot is well done. favorite part was the setting however.
francesca doesn't have it quite together as harriet vane, but she is a likeable character and the plot is well done. favorite part was the setting however.
January 13, 2013
A bit like An Inspector Morse/Lewis mystery set in a women's college. I bought my copy at a Newnham College reunion where the author, Janet Neel, was speaking
September 4, 2015
Enjoying this series.
January 9, 2016
This book in the series of Chief Inspector John McLeish and Francesca Wilson was not as interesting as the last two. It was just too easy for the reader to figure out the guilty party.
April 12, 2011
Francesca Wilson and John McLeish are at it again, along with Dame Sarah. A good mystery.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews