The fifth book in the acclaimed William Dougal crime series, from CWA Dagger winner Andrew Taylor.
After the death of his wife, Arabella, Rod Lorton finds papers which reveal unpleasant facts about her. Lorton wants revenge and private detective William Dougal lends a hand, even coming up with a good plan.
The object of the revenge is PR chief Ivor Newley, owner of a rare collection of coins, all of which he has obtained by shady means. If the collection were to disappear Newley couldn't go to the police and would be vulnerable to blackmail.
But Dougal has miscalculated - when it is time to collect there is no money, there is only a corpse...
Taylor's fifth witty and intricate story about amiable, amoral William Dougal moves him even closer to the top of the British first division. - Time Out
A wonderful book, funny and inventive, well plotted and characterised. Dougal, the not quite amoral, redeemingly imperfect Machiaval and skinflint child of fortune, is one of the most likeable sleuths on the circuit - Oxford Times
Sparky and humorous writing - The Times
Neatly put together, witty and fast-moving. - The Sunday Times
Andrew Taylor is a master story-teller. - Daily Telegraph
A bestselling crime writer, Andrew Taylor has also worked as a boatbuilder, wages clerk, librarian, labourer and publisher's reader. He has written many prize-winning crime novels and thrillers, including the William Dougal crime series, the Lydmouth crime series, the ground-breaking Roth Trilogy - which was televised as ITV's Fallen Angel - and several standalone historical crime novels.
His many awards include the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2009 for sustained excellence in crime writing, an Edgar Scroll from the Mystery Writers of America, and the Crime Writers' Association Ellis Peters Historical Dagger, which he has won twice - most recently for his bestselling Richard & Judy Book Club novel, The American Boy, which was also selected for The Times Top Ten Crime Novels of the Decade. Bleeding Heart Square won Sweden's Martin Beck Award, the Golden Crowbar.
Andrew Taylor is also the crime fiction reviewer of the Spectator. He lives with his wife in the Forest of Dean, on the borders of England and Wales. To find out more, visit Andrew's website, www.andrew-taylor.co.uk, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/andrewjrtaylor