Part of Isabel Dalhousie, book 7
First published 2010
Isabel Dalhousie faces a delicate assignment when a local boys' school board asks for her help. Three candidates compete for the headmaster position, but an anonymous letter claims one harbors a damaging secret. Isabel agrees to investigate discreetly. Her inquiries reveal unexpected truths about all three men, but the most startling discoveries concern her own life and her relationship with Jamie, her young son's father. As Isabel digs deeper into the candidates' backgrounds, she confronts questions about ambition and moral compromise. The case forces her to examine charity, forgiveness, and humility in ways she never anticipated. Her investigation leads her into the most private corners of human motivation and desire.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, mystery, contemporary
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, moral-dilemma
Setting: Scotland
Period: 21st-century
256 pages · Hardcover · Pantheon