Part of Dalziel & Pascoe, book 14
First published 1994
Detective Inspector Peter Pascoe worries when a fellow officer vanishes in the picturesque village of Enscombe. His superior, the blunt Superintendent Andy Dalziel, dismisses the concern as typical Pascoe anxiety. The village presents a charming facade while fighting off tourists and property developers. But when the usually steady Sergeant Edgar Wield begins questioning his initial assessment of village life, even Dalziel takes notice. Over two tense days, the three detectives uncover a web of sexual betrayal and deception beneath Enscombe's perfect surface. Family rivalries run deep, old wounds fester, and desperate wants drive residents toward dangerous choices. The truth emerges during the Squire's Reckoning, an annual Lady Day celebration where villagers settle their accounts. Despite the presence of three experienced lawmen, violence erupts as past grievances demand payment. When the bloodshed ends, one detective will discover his life permanently altered.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: secrets, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Enscombe
Period: 20th-century
307 pages · Hardcover · Delacorte Press
Content warnings: violence