PRAISE FOR DEBORAH CROMBIE’S
A FINER END
“Crombie has laid claim to the literary territory of moody psychological suspense owned by P. D. James and Barbara Vine. Superbly creepy and melodramatic.”
“Crombie … has evolved into a masterful novelist.”
“Very richly written.”
“A master of the modern British mystery … one writer who gets better with every book.”
“A really splendid book.”
“Intricately layered.”
“Careful plotting, the development of characters and the evocation of place are hallmarks of Crombie’s writing and the current book is no exception.”
“A clever, cunning series.”
“Superbly creepy and melodramatic. Like
“The atmosphere … is perfect.”
KISSED A SAD GOODBYE
“Atmospheric … absorbing … haunting.”
“Crombie never stumbles as she maneuvers her way through her complicated plot as skillfully as she handles the ongoing romance between her two detectives. The result is an Anglophile’s delight.”
“Deborah Crombie is an American mystery novelist who writes so vividly about England, she might have been born within the sound of Bow bells. [She] gets better with each book.… Lyrical, biting, and evocative.”
“An engaging, richly peopled, satisfying mystery.”
“Compelling from start to finish. Another winner from a dependable and gifted pro.”
“[A] beautifully executed story of murder and revenge … With each volume, Crombie grows in the understanding of her characters and hones her writing and creative skills with verve and elan.”
“Gripping. Highly recommended.” —
“Readers … who loved Deborah Crombie’s
DREAMING OF THE BONES
A
NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR
NAMED ONE OF THE CENTURY’S BEST MYSTERY NOVELS BY THE INDEPENDENT MYSTERY BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION
NOMINATED FOR THE EDGAR AND THE AGATHA AWARDS FOR THE YEAR’S BEST NOVEL
“Fascinating … multilayered.”
“A definite recommendation for fans of Elizabeth George, P. D. James, and Ruth Rendell.”
“
ALSO BY DEBORAH CROMBIE
*
A FINER END
A Bantam Book
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Bantam hardcover edition / May 2001
Bantam paperback edition / June 2002
Map illustration by Laura Hartman Maestro
All rights reserved.
Grateful acknowledgment is made to Samuel Weiser, Inc. for permission to reprint material from GLASTONBURY: AVALON OF THE HEART by Dion Fortune (York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 2000). Material used by permission.
Copyright © 2001 by Deborah Crombie
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
For information address: Bantam Books.
eISBN: 978-0-307-78940-2
Bantam Books are published by Bantam Books, a division of Random House, Inc. Its trademark, consisting of the words “Bantam Books” and the portrayal of a rooster, is Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Marca Registrada. Bantam Books, New York, New York.
v3.1
For my mother, who has always believed in me
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to my writer’s group once again for their unstinting support and patience: Steve Copling, Dale Denton, Jim Evans, John Hardie, Viqui Litman, Diane Sullivan, and Rickey Thornton. Added thanks to Diane Sullivan, RN, BSN, for advice on medical matters, and to Dr. Davis Wortman, director of music, St. Matthew’s Cathedral, Dallas, Texas, for his advice on the complexity of Gregorian chant.
