Ann Cleeves

A Lesson in Dying

Detective:   Inspector Ramsey
Location::    North East England (Heppleburn)
Time:         1990s
Genre:       Police Procedural

This is the first in the Ann Cleeves Inspector Ramsay novels and possibly recently re-published following the success of her later Vera Stanhope and Shetland novels.

The plot is based on the murder of an unpopular headteacher at a small village school and between the staffroom and the parents' association there are a number of likely suspects. When the head's wife is arrested the school caretaker and his daughter (a member of the parents' association) begin their own investigation and after some hesitation Ramsay accepts their support.

Blackmail is uncovered and other deaths follow before the conclusion which has a nice twist.

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