In the dying days of September 1938 the murderer of a Jewish shopkeeper is hanged in Birmingham. After witnessing the execution, Inspector James Given, who brought the killer to justice, is surprised to find he has been taken off the investigation into attacks on Jews to pursue a very different case.Two people have been found dead in the grounds of a Warwickshire house: it seems clear that Lady Isabel Barleigh has shot her disabled son on the eve of his wedding then turned the weapon on herself. An hour later his fiancee, distraught with grief, committed suicide. The case has been all but closed; Given doesn't believe this version of events and, with the local policeman, Constable Sawyer, begins to dig further into the past of the Barleigh family.Meanwhile, Given's own past - his very nature, hidden from all - begins to catch up with himA complex mystery about identity, deceit, and past crimes.Inspired by a true story.
This book has everything I love about golden age mysteries, country house setting, cast of varied characters all hiding something, murder and deceit, crime and a satisfying payoff. There are several interwoven subplots and the characters (and their imperfections and foibles) are three dimensional and believable in the context of the book.
I like that the author didn't shy away from the antisemitism of England in 1938. The history and background were well researched and I didn't find any egregious mistakes.
I enjoyed this book very much and I sincerely hope the author continues this series. I look forward to finding out what the wartime years hold for inspector Givens and his sidekick Sawyer.
