by Bryan Darby |
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SynopsisNothing of any note has ever happened in Compton Gurney, a sleepy village so cosily concealed in the heart of rural England that it might easily be overlooked on all but the most detailed maps. Parishioners, arriving for Midnight Mass, certainly had no reason to think that this Christmas Eve would be different from any other. They were unaware that, earlier in the day, the parish priest had been rushed to hospital. They were also unaware that, in his absence, the Service was to be celebrated by the bishop, whose timely but unexpected arrival was to become a major factor in events that were soon to follow. But the bishop’s part in those events was limited to the discovery of his body in the church and a cryptic message scrawled in his own blood. The investigations of a Detective Inspector and his overworked Detective Sergeant seem to generate more questions than answers. There are far better ways to spend Christmas than discovering the hard way that even the most picturesque of villages will have cupboards, and that cupboards - as we all know - will undoubtedly hide skeletons. As each layer of the mystery is peeled away, it becomes clear that there are some crimes that are far worse than murder. As for the motive and the identity of the killer? Who knows? The one thing of which we can be certain is that, come Boxing Day, residents who treasure the cosy anonymity of Compton Gurney will feature prominently in news media headlines nationwide. |
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Characters
Note: Alex should be about 12-14 years younger than Caroline. All other character’s ages are for guidance only. |
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