A trio of murders spanning nearly a century poses an unusual challenge for DCI Hannah Scarlett of the Cumbria Constabulary's Cold Case Review Team--especially since one of the corpses is anything but cold. Locals still tell the story of how Gertrude Smith, the Scottish lassie whom builder Clifford Hodgkinson hired and seduced and his jealous wife, Letitia, bashed to death on Halloween soon after World War I, roams the grounds of Ravenbank as the Faceless Woman. Lately, it seems that Gertrude's ghost has a lot to answer for. Five years ago, Australian massage therapist Shenagh Moss, the wild beauty who'd thrown over married event manager Oz Knight in favor of Ravenbank owner Francis Palladino, was found dead under very similar circumstances, presumably the victim of another ex-lover, Craig Meek, who'd recently been released from prison just in time to attack Shenagh and die in a lorry accident. Hannah's friend Daniel Kind, who's evidently the most famous academic historian in the Lake District, soon takes a professional interest in the legacy of the Faceless Woman. But it takes the shocking murder of her best friend, much-married Terri Poynton, to drag Hannah into the case. Once again, there's an obvious suspect--Terri's violent ex-boyfriend Stefan Deyna--but this time Hannah and Daniel both wonder if he's really guilty and wonder too if either of the earlier killers was ever correctly identified. The ensuing investigation is more routine than usual for the detecting pair (The Hanging Wood, 2011, etc.), but Edwards does an impressive job of linking the three murders across the long years.
Halloween in Ravenbank is something more sinister than tricks and treats. Death has come twice to Ravenbank, a remote community in England's Lake District, each time on Halloween.
Just before the First World War, a young woman's corpse was found, with a makeshift shroud frozen to her battered face. It is said that her ghost, the “Faceless Woman,” walks through Ravenbank on Halloween. Five years ago, another woman, Shenagh Moss, was murdered, and again her face was covered to hide her injuries.
Daniel Kind, a specialist in the history of murder, becomes fascinated by the old cases and wonders whether the obvious suspects really did commit the crimes. He spends Halloween at a party in Ravenbank-only to find death returning to this beautiful but isolated spot.
Once more, the victim is a woman; once more her damaged face is shrouded from view.
Halloween in Ravenbank is something more sinister than tricks and treats. Death has come twice to Ravenbank, a remote community in England's Lake District, each time on Halloween.
Just before the First World War, a young woman's corpse was found, with a makeshift shroud frozen to her battered face. It is said that her ghost, the “Faceless Woman,” walks through Ravenbank on Halloween. Five years ago, another woman, Shenagh Moss, was murdered, and again her face was covered to hide her injuries.
Daniel Kind, a specialist in the history of murder, becomes fascinated by the old cases and wonders whether the obvious suspects really did commit the crimes. He spends Halloween at a party in Ravenbank-only to find death returning to this beautiful but isolated spot.
Once more, the victim is a woman; once more her damaged face is shrouded from view.
The Frozen Shroud: A Lake District Mystery
The Frozen Shroud: A Lake District Mystery
Editorial Reviews
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940174028432 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Blackstone Audio, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 04/02/2013 |
| Series: | Lake District , #6 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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