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  • Published: 14 January 2020
  • ISBN: 9780143134299
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 368
  • RRP: $49.99

The Decent Inn of Death

A John Madden Mystery



On a trip into Winchester, former chief inspector Angus Sinclair learns of a tragedy that has taken place in the village he is staying in. Beloved church organist Greta Hartmann has slipped and fallen to her death in a shallow creek, and while investigations conclude it to be an accident, her friend and housemate, Vera, remains unconvinced. After learning that Greta was the widow of a prominent anti-Nazi German preacher, Sinclair meets with the distraught Vera, and he resolves to dig deeper into the story. His investigations lead him to the stately manor of Julia Lesage, where she lives with her devoted staff that includes her secretary, cook, and driver. Though confined to a wheelchair, Julia is an electrifying spirit with a sharp wit, and those who know her adore her. Among those who do, a gentleman with dubious business dealings is also staying at the house--and Julia appears to be in love with him. A blizzard hits, keeping Sinclair, and later Madden, on the grounds with little to do but analyze the case of Greta's death, until a murder takes place, and everyone becomes a suspect.

"[Airth's] meticulously detailed procedural mysteries are beautifully written . . . well worth reading, and rereading." --Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times

Snowed in at a country manor, former Scotland Yard inspectors John Madden and Angus Sinclair find themselves trapped in the company of a murderer.

On a trip into Winchester, former chief inspector Angus Sinclair learns of a tragedy that has taken place in the village he is staying in. Beloved church organist Greta Hartmann has slipped and fallen to her death in a shallow creek, and while investigations conclude it to be an accident, her friend and housemate, Vera, remains unconvinced. After learning that Greta was the widow of a prominent anti-Nazi German preacher, Sinclair meets with the distraught Vera, and he resolves to dig deeper into the story. His investigations lead him to the stately manor of Julia Lesage, where she lives with her devoted staff that includes her secretary, cook, and driver. Though confined to a wheelchair, Julia is an electrifying spirit with a sharp wit, and those who know her adore her. Among those who do, a gentleman with dubious business dealings is also staying at the house--and Julia appears to be in love with him. A blizzard hits, keeping Sinclair, and later Madden, on the grounds with little to do but analyze the case of Greta's death, until a murder takes place, and everyone becomes a suspect.

  • Published: 14 January 2020
  • ISBN: 9780143134299
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 368
  • RRP: $49.99

Praise for The Decent Inn of Death

Praise for Rennie Airth:

"Move over, Inspectors Alleyn, Dalgliesh, and Morse, and make room for John Madden in the pantheon of great, civilized English sleuths."--The New Yorker

"Madden is seamlessly admirable...In an era when our real-life heroes tend to have feet of thick, grubby clay, it can be bracing to spend time with a man who is naturally but not implausibly noble."--The Washington Post Book World

"Airth writes with arresting authority and compassion...a major talent."--Chicago Tribune

"It's the tactics and the terrain, the morale and the characters that make the difference between an average thriller and one as good as this."--The New York Times Book Review

"Rennie Airth is one of the best detective writers around." --Philip Kerr, New York Times bestselling author

"I have been a huge fan of Rennie Airth's novels featuring John Madden since first reading River of Darkness... Airth is at the top of his game, engaging the reader with dense plotting, page-turning narrative and expert characterization."--Jacqueline Winspear, author of Maisie Dobbs