The Only Security

Thea Crawford #1

by Jessica Mann

Academic skulduggery plays a large part in Jessica Mann’s third crime novel, set in a Cornish university, but the result is psychological suspense rather than donnish detection.Thea Crawford is the newly-appointed Professor of Archaeology at the University of Buriton. Her husband is abroad, leaving her to pursue her career with liberated enthusiasm, but as soon as she arrives she is faced with immediate difficulties in her own department and is drawn into a series of bizarre and sinister events.Mediaeval skeletons and twentieth-century corpses, the discovery of a rare and precious object, conflicting archaeological attitudes and some sharply observed characters add up to a fascinating novel of subtlety, wit and intrigue.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Crime-writer Jessica Mann was born in London, England in 1937. She studied archaeology at Cambridge University and Law at Leicester University.

She is the author of a non-fiction book, Deadlier Than the Male: An Investigation into Feminine Crime Writing, about female crime writers from Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers to Ngaio Marsh. She contributes reviews and feature articles to many newspapers and magazines, is a regular broadcaster on TV and radio and tours regularly promoting her books at events and festivals.

Jessica Mann lives with her husband, an archaeologist, in Cornwall. Her latest book is The Mystery Writer (2006).

Reviews

[Tobie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, quick read. Archaeology used in a mystery; love it.