Death of a Chancellor

“A kind of locked bedroom mystery. . . . Dickinson's view of the royals is edgy and of course shaped by our times.”—The Poisoned Pen

“Fine prose, high society and complex plot recommend this series.”—Library Journal

A sinister secret at the heart of Compton Cathedral leads to murder.

England, 1901. The cathedral in the town of Compton in the west of England is preparing to celebrate a very special anniversary: one thousand years of Christian worship. But a few weeks before the main ceremonies at Easter, the chancellor of the cathedral dies under mysterious circumstances. No one, except the doctor and the undertaker, is allowed to view the corpse. It turns out that the chancellor was one of the richest men in England. His sister suspects foul play, so the discreet and well-bred investigator Lord Francis Powerscourt is called in. He begins to suspect that a terrible secret lies hidden in the cathedral. Then there is a truly dreadful incident: the dead body of one of the choristers is discovered, turning on the great spit in the Vicars Hall kitchen.

Both Powerscourt and his wife, Lady Lucy, are at risk of their lives before he uncovers the astonishing secret of Compton Minster and unmasks a brutal killer.