A bizarre clause in an elderly woman’s will exposes a dirty secret—and a murder—in this “intricate, witty, and thoroughly delightful” mystery (Publishers Weekly).
It was an odd request, but when Octavia Garamond passed away, she left explicit instructions in her will: The police must be present at her funeral, and the coroner should be exceptionally thorough when examining her body.
Amelia Kennerley is perplexed to find herself the sole executor of her great-aunt’s will, as she barely knew her. Further questions arise when the local parson, Mr. Fournier, is anything but happy to conduct Octavia’s service. Then someone breaks into Octavia’s home and tears the house apart. It seems the old lady’s words may have been eerily prescient: “Hell is empty, and all the devils are here.”
From a winner of crime fiction’s prestigious Diamond Dagger, this twisting mystery featuring Detective Inspector C. D. Sloan of the Berebury CID is “a literate, surprising treat” (Publishers Weekly).
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“Aird’s delicious concoctions are never less than elegant and mischievously sharp.”
— Times (London)
“The very best in British mystery.”
— New YorkerBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Catherine Aird is the award–winning author of more than twenty crime fiction novels and several collections of short stories, most of which feature Detective Chief Inspector C. D. Sloan. She has been awarded the CWA Golden Handcuffs award for lifetime achievement and in 2015 the Diamond Dagger for an outstanding lifetime’s contribution to the genre. She holds an honorary MA degree from the University of Kent and was made an member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
Derek Perkins is a professional narrator and voice actor. He has earned numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration, as well as numerous Society of Voice Arts nominations. AudioFile magazine named him a Best Voice consecutively in 2014, 2015, and 2016. Augmented by a knowledge of three foreign languages and a facility with accents, he has narrated numerous titles in a wide range of fiction and nonfiction genres.