by Arthur Wise
First published 1970
Someone has killed Enoch Powell, the controversial British politician. The discovery of his body sets off a complex investigation that exposes the political tensions of 1970s Britain. The detective assigned to the case must navigate through a web of suspects who had reasons to want Powell dead. His inflammatory speeches on immigration had made him enemies across the political spectrum. As the investigation deepens, the detective uncovers connections between Powell's death and the broader social upheaval of the era. The case forces him to confront not just the mechanics of murder, but the dangerous power of divisive rhetoric. Arthur Wise crafts a mystery that uses Powell's fictional death to examine the real conflicts tearing at British society. The investigation becomes a journey through a nation struggling with questions of identity and belonging.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime, detective, political-thriller
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: complex-investigation, web-of-suspects
Setting: Britain
Period: 1970s
216 pages · Hardcover · Harper & Row, Publishers