Grave Responsibility

Superintendent Bone #4

by Susannah Stacey

In the course of 24 hours, the eccentric Mrs. Clare, her son, and her brother are all found dead. Murder suspects seem to be everywhere, with the late Mrs. Clare's other son and bitter ex-husband leading the list. Now Inspector Bone is up to his professional neck in adventure trying to sort out the clues.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

AKA Elizabeth Eyre, Susannah Stacey is the pseudonym of the couple of writers Jill Staynes [1927-] and Margaret Storey [1926-].
Jill Staynes writes her own novels as well as writing under the name of Elizabeth Eyre and Susannah Stacey with Margaret Storey. They were pupils at the same school where they invented bizarre characters and exchanged serial episodes about them. Their first book together. at the age of fifteen, was called 'Bungho, or why we went to Aleppo'. It was not offered for publication. They have both written stories for children, and together created the highly praised Superintendent Bone modern detective novels as well as this series of Italian Renaissance whodunnits.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superintendent Robert Bone doesn't intend to get involved with the Clare family, but when one of his officers is rushed to the hospital, he finds himself trying to make sense of the multiple tragedies that have befallen the unlucky Clares. Miranda left her husband and her two infant sons when her long-lost twin brother appeared. Now, years later, she and brother Kay are back in England, and her older son has just killed himself. Miranda doesn't know this, because she and Kay are both dead, too, in the mouldering country house where they lived. That leaves her former husband, a rigid doctor who plans to remarry soon, and her younger son, a vague slacker who is hiding something. Oh, and the mysterious drifter who may be living in the fields...Top notch British detection!

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do seem to be reading these out of order. But the books are good.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good Britsh mystery! three and a half stars

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome book, the first I have read by this author and I will definitely be reading more in this series. I have rarely felt so satisfied by the way a book wrapped up. Fascinating, distinctive characters and a mystery that keeps you riveted till the very end. There were also parts, with one character in particular, that made me laugh out loud and other parts and characters that were quite poignant.

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars. Ok. The mystery doesn't really lend itself to be solved by the reader because of clues that are picked up in the story. At the same time, it isn't some very strange piece of information that the investigator knows.

The story flows along smoothly but without many highs or lows.

[Marci · Rating 4 out of 5]

C

[Cece · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short-a quick read. Interesting premise.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series, but this is a saddening comment on unhappy families, and the effect of unpleasant gossip.