Smallbone Deceased

Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder

A first-rate job -New York Times
A classic of the genre -Guardian

Horniman, Birley and Craine is a highly respected legal firm with clients drawn from the highest in the land. When a deed box in the office is opened to reveal a corpse, the threat of scandal promises to wreak havoc on the firm’s reputation-especially as the murder looks like an inside job. The partners and staff of the firm keep a watchful and suspicious eye on their colleagues, as Inspector Hazlerigg sets out to solve the mystery of who Mr. Smallbone was-and why he had to die.

Written with style, pace, and wit, this is a masterpiece by one of the finest writers of traditional British crime novels since the Second World War.