Cast for Death (Patrick Grant #5)

Do you love a classic English whodunit? Then meet your favourite new gentleman whip-smart Oxford don, Dr Patrick Grant.

He loves rhyming verse, witty banter, strong coffee and solving impossible mysteries from history. Now he must pit his wits against a true-life killer.

Patrick’s night is not going to plan. He should be sitting in one of London’s top theatres — his dear friend Liz at his side — watching another friend, Sam Irwin, tread the boards. Had Liz not stood him up!

Patrick takes a stroll beside the Thames, under the twinkly lights of Festival Hall. He gazes out over the water. Only to spot something truly shocking, bobbing on the tide . . . a dead body.

And not just any dead body — it’s his actor friend Sam!

It’s no secret Sam was down on his luck, cast for death from the very start. Everyone says he chose to drown his sorrows. But Patrick can’t believe that’s true.

The Sam he knew had everything to live for. Not least, a plum role in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Patrick can quote the Bard with the best of them. But he’ll have to improvise to solve this mystery — and fast.

Before the ruthless killer returns for a final act . . .

**A CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger winner for outstanding lifetime achievement!**

A masterclass in misdirection, brimming with village intrigue and sly humour, this page-turning mystery is perfect for fans of Faith Martin, Agatha Christie, Veronica Heley, the Reverend Richard Coles and Clare Chase.

‘A writer of stealthy brilliance . . . the Miss Marple of crime fiction.’ Andrew Taylor

‘Explores the dark undercurrents of village life.’ Daily Telegraph

‘There was nobody better . . . Margaret Yorke wrote with a pen dipped in acid.’ Val McDermid

MEET THE SLEUTH
Dr Patrick Grant is a man of unparalleled intellect, as sharp and complex as his whisky namesake. He’d happily devote every moment to poring over Shakespeare’s plays, chortling at student fashions, jotting down lines of iambic pentameter and solving obscure historical puzzles in the library of St Mark’s College, Oxford. In this haven of musty old manuscripts and quiet cloisters, he can pursue his passions in peace — if only murder wouldn’t keep on getting in the way! Stumbling on crime scenes is becoming a habit for Patrick. And he’s never one to shy away from a baffling mystery. But will his curiosity and his brilliant puzzle-solving mind be his undoing . . . ?