A Time to Deceive

When Eldrige Slouch is murdered, Myles Devereux sees an opportunity to acquire the dead man’s business at a favourable price. He is unconcerned by rumours that Slouch was cursed or that his spirit remains nearby, but further deaths and disappearances begin to damage the property’s value and frighten away those Devereux needs to make the investment work.

The case becomes personal when Slouch’s records contain the names of a man and child connected to a widow to whom Devereux owes a debt. He must separate deliberate superstition from evidence, trace who benefits from the disappearances and decide how far he will go to protect people whose claims on his loyalty cannot be reduced to money. The novel uses Tudor London’s belief in curses and restless spirits as cover for human crime.