First published 2002
Detective Sergeant Cribb investigates suspicious deaths in the cider houses of Victorian Bath. When bodies turn up in the rough taverns where locals gather to drink the potent local brew, Cribb must navigate the city's working-class neighborhoods to uncover the truth. The detective faces resistance from tight-lipped proprietors and suspicious patrons who view police interference as unwelcome. His loyal constable Thackeray assists as they piece together clues linking the deaths to the cider trade's darker elements. Cribb discovers that beneath Bath's genteel surface lies a network of crime that threatens more lives. The investigation forces him to confront both the violence lurking in familiar places and his own assumptions about the people he serves to protect.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, crime, thriller, detective, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-detective, class-conflict, police-investigation
Setting: Bath, Victorian England
Period: 19th Century
280 pages · Hardcover · G K Hall & Co