WYCLIFFE AND THE BEALES

by W.J. Burley ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 6, 1984

Inspector Wycliffe of the C.I.D. (Wycliffe in Paul's Court, etc.) is puzzled by the cold-blooded killing of harmless Bunny Newcombe, an unwashed, mostly unemployed handyman living in lone squalor since the death of his mother Emily. Could Bunny's death be connected to his mum's lifelong career as servant for the Beale family at their Ashill manor in the village of Washford? So it seems--when the murder gun is traced to ex-army bachelor Nicholas Beale, who shares the manor house with: martinet father Simon; pallid brother Maurice; sister Gertrude; Gertrude's husband Frank Vicary, who runs the lucrative family business; the Vicarys' coldly beautiful daughter Esther; and adopted cousin Edward, an aspiring painter. It's a strange household, of course, full of unspoken animosities. And then comes the murder of retired midwife Ruby Price, onetime confidante to the family--a crime that pushes Wycliffe deep into the Beales' tangled past to find motive and killer. Enlivened a bit by interesting vignettes of character and village: an even more low-key Wycliffe performance than usual--fine for fans, little appeal for others.

Pub Date: July 6, 1984

ISBN: 0752858726

Page Count: -

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1984

Categories: FICTION