Wishtide Manor in the county of Lincolnshire is the family seat of Sir James and Lady Calderstone. Their son, Charles, is eager to marry Helen Orme, a local lady rumoured to be already married. Charles is 23 and independently wealthy; Helen is 32 and living in genteel poverty.

Sir James commissions Laetitia Rodd, praised by previous clients as being a private detective of the utmost discretion, to investigate the background of Helen Orme. Laetitia is intelligent, determined and self-assured.

This is the first book in the ‘Laetitia Rodd Mystery’ series, set in the 1850s, in which the middle-aged widow of a Church of England archdeacon is the principal character. She has a competitive edge over her fellow private investigators as she has access to a spy network throughout Britain: the wives of parish clergy.

Laetitia moves into the Calderstone manor house to make discreet enquiries. Helen Orme claims to be the daughter of a poor curate who lived and died on the Suffolk coast. Laetitia discovers, however, that this story is false.

Other secrets emerge that embarrass the Calderstone family. Two letters are received demanding money for remaining silent, a staff member of the manor house is murdered, and a family member is arrested. This novel has a strong narrative, a well-rounded principal character and a memorable supporting cast. Murder should result only from deep-rooted emotions and the author does not disappoint. I look forward to further books in the series.

Review by Rufus Greene