Heathcliff (his mother was a Bronte fan) and Swift ( a former inspector for Scotland Yard) have been called to investigate 2 deaths of older ladies.
Scotland Yard is happy to use these two to investigate. Swift loves to be called and Heathcliff likes the challenge of solving difficult puzzles.
When they arrive at a castle, the scene of the two deaths, they find a very unusual situation. There are 6 young people who are all in attendance in order to inherit the estate. All of them are illegitimate offspring of the late owner of the estate. All of them look alike, they have dark eyes and very light, almost white, blonde hair. There are 5 boys and 1 girl and they have been given a task to determine who is most qualified to inherit and care for the property. They each have lives which are interesting as well as productive.
And it turns out that one of them may be an insane murderer.
This series is a wonderful cozy mystery series.
Heathcliff is an unusual detective. He travels to crime scenes with his butler, his cocker spaniel and his cat. Quite often, he is most concerned with what he will be eating. His appetite is one of his most consistent qualities. That and the fact that he is a whiz at seeing facts and finding a murderer
Swift left Scotland Yard when he married and inherited a Scottish estate which happens to make excellent Scotch whiskey. He enjoys the investigations which make him remember how wonderful it was to be an acting policeman. The adventures help keep him sane.
These two make a perfect team. They have respect for one another’s abilities. And they are aware they are very good at what they do.
This particular case is difficult, because they both rather like the young people who are the suspects. But, there is a murderer among them, and that person must be stopped,
This book is part of a wonderful series. It does work as a stand alone read. But, in reality, the enjoyment is so much better after reading each book in order.
Ms Menuhin has created a wonderful atmosphere of life after the Great War. Heathcliff was a major in the British flying service. The war had a terrible affect on everyone in Europe, Britain lost nearly an entire generation of young men. The changes in British life and attitudes are not happening easily, but they are happening.
These stories are entertaining.
Yes, I found the murderer early. But, the finding was a wonderful journey.
I love this series and this book is no exception…...Love It!