Miss Marple visits her old friend Carrie Louise at Stonygates, a country house converted into a residential centre for troubled young men. During a dramatic confrontation in one part of the building, a member of the extended family is shot elsewhere.
The household combines philanthropy, inheritance and theatrical personalities, allowing private motives to hide behind public concern for reform. Miss Marple studies sightlines, timing and the emotional dependence surrounding Carrie Louise, while the converted estate reflects the post-war search for new uses for large houses and inherited wealth.
Jacqueline Winspear
20 books
Rhys Bowen
53 books