Plus what is the connection between a fearful lawyer and the fatal stabbing of a Scottish tourist? On top of which, Daniel Darcy, trusted deputy to Chief Inspector Pel, has been suspended on suspicion of taking bribes. Pel really has his hands full this time.
Moody, sharp-tongued and worrying constantly about his health, Inspector Pel ensures that no case goes unsolved, in these mordantly witty French mysteries.
Mark Hebden, who died in 1991, was one of the pen names of John Harris, author of The Sea Shall Not Have Them and Covenant with Death. He also wrote adventure stories under the name of Max Hennessy.
Before becoming a full-time writer, he was a sailor, an airman, a journalist, a travel courier and a history teacher. During World War II he served with two forces and two navies. Hebden is a master of his genre, and his writing is as timeless as it is versatile and entertaining.