ILLEGAL TENDER

In what he declares will be his last mystery, the prolific Hammond moves Henry Fitts (Twice Bitten, 1999, etc.), who owns Three Oaks Kennels with his wife Isobel, into a starring role. Henry is looking forward to spending a weekend with Elizabeth Llwand, granddaughter and heir of his longtime friend, the late Sir Peter Hay. A bird shoot is scheduled for the weekend as well, but first Henry must stop in Edinburgh to meet with Gordon Breame, a fellow member of the board of Agrotechnics, maker of agricultural machinery. The credit of an Agrotechnics debtor, Corieson Farm Supplies, is grossly overextended, and director Maurice Corieson is asking for more time. Leaving those matters unresolved, Henry arrives at Hay Lodge to find that Elizabeth has been the victim of a computer scam that’s cost her a fortune. He also finds in residence Beatrice Payne, a pregnant friend of Elizabeth’s who’s serving desultorily as the Lodge’s housekeeper. After a successful shoot, Henry, walking his dog in the nearby woods, comes upon a wrecked car with Maurice Corieson dead behind the wheel. Detective Inspector Ian Fellowes, certain that Maurice’s death was no accident, is clearly unhappy that Maurice’s son Miles is abroad trying to raise capital for the firm. But it’s Henry who follows the trails that lead to a surprising killer—and the recovery of Elizabeth’s stolen money.

If this really is Hammond’s final whodunit, he’s quitting while he’s ahead, with a cleverly plotted, lucidly written story, and a gently likable detective hero.