An Open Window

Richard Patton #4

by Roger Ormerod

As Amelia Patton approaches a caravan parked in their usual spot, it explodes, killing the woman inside.

As she recovers in a hospital near the Welsh coast, she learns that she is the residual legatee in her uncle’s will.

As she cannot attend the reading herself, her husband, ex-Detective Inspector Richard Patton, drives to the Midlands on her behalf.

He finds that the word ‘residual’ can be extremely deceptive, and that the will is bound to provoke trouble between the children of Amelia’s eccentric uncle, Walter Mann, who died just two days after signing the new will.

Richard is intrigued by Walter had become a virtual recluse and locked himself away in his rooms.

But when he was found, having fallen from the third-story window and through the roof of his conservatory, the key for the door was on its chain around his neck.

Was it suicide? In which case—why?

Or if it was murder, as Patton believes, how had the culprit entered the room?

And why the open window?

Faced with enmity and suspicion, and strongly discouraged from intervening by the police, controversies over shares in the family business, and a drama of love and betrayal, all make this one of Richard’s most difficult cases yet—especially with him hundreds of miles away from the hospitalised Amelia, and wondering whether the caravan explosion was in fact intended for her…

'An Open Window' is a complex crime thriller from a master of the genre.

Praise for Roger

‘Roger Ormerod is an accomplished writer of traditional murder mysteries who has earned himself not only popular success but also the respect and admiration of his colleagues...This is a strongly characterised, intellectually teasing story with a nail-biting climax, which any crime fiction buff ought to relish.’ James Melville, Hampstead & Highgate Express.

Roger Ormerod is the author of over twenty novels. He was born in 1920 and left school at seventeen to join the Civil Service in which he spent most of his working life. He retired in 1970 and later worked as a postman and in the production control department of a heavy industry factory. He lives in Wolverhampton. His other novels include ‘A Shot At Nothing’, ‘Third Time Fatal’, ‘The Key to the Case’ and ‘The Night She Died’.

Endeavour Press is the UK’s leading independent publisher of digital books.

Genres: Amazon

345 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Roger Ormerod was born in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire. He worked as a county court officer, an executive officer in the Department of Social Security, a postman, and a shop loader in an engineering factory.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the Patton's approach their usually caravan parking spot, they notice that the area is occupied by another caravan, which then explodes. As his wife Amelia lies in hospital ex-D.I. Patton investigates. Newly written wills, residual legatee, Amelia's uncle, and his children are all involved as it seems there are now three deaths to solve.

[Kim Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not too bad

But not so good either. When you read this you wonder how on earth Richard Patton ever made Detective Inspector. He went through the whole cast and even then didn't guess who did it! His wife had more ideas than he did and she never got out of bed! Still it passed a few hours.

[Sebastian Barrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

The murder in a locked room puzzle. All started with an incident involving Amelia which led into her being named in the will of her uncle.
The investigation by Patton is rather shameful in a way. He just could not get the correct information from the clues thus making him look a bit of a fool in the eyes of Another investigating officer.
Still a reasonably good story though.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

the murders that are being investigated by a retired police dective.the more he investigates the more crimes continue to happen.