Planning on Murder

Mark Treasure #16

by David Williams

The plan to save the Elizabethan stately home Vormer House by selling part of its deer park for a golf and hotel complex has a mixed reception from local politicians, and others. Merchant banker Mark Treasure is financial advisor to the property group behind the development. He and his wife Molly drive up to attend the Thatchford town meeting called to air the project. Scandalous accusations are made, but worse is to come when a party in the house where the Treasures are staying is interrupted by the police, come to question the local MP after finding his glamorous secretary ghoulishly murdered.

While the probable suicide of the likeliest suspect promises a swift and easy solution to the case, it’s too much so for the conscientious DCI Furlong, especially when another less explicable death occurs. But when Treasure discovers that Furlong is about to arrest someone who the banker is positive is blameless, he sets up his own investigation.

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.


David Williams (June 8, 1926 – September 26, 2003) was a Welsh advertising executive who became a crime writer after suffering a stroke.

Williams was born in Bridgend in Wales. He started in advertising as a medical copywriter, rising through the ranks to head one of the largest advertising agencies in the country. He suffered a severe stroke in 1977 and realised that he would not be able to return to the stresses of life in the advertising industry. He had written crime fiction in his spare time, with Unholy Writ being written before his stroke in 1976. He turned from advertising to writing "whodunnits": he wrote 23 novels in all, most featuring Mark Treasure, Oxford graduate and vice-chairman of a merchant bank, and his successful actress wife Molly. A second series of books featured Chief Inspector Merlin Parry of the South Wales Constabulary, together with Sergeant Gomer Lloyd. His books were twice shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger award and he was elected as a member of the Detection Club in 1988.