Nancy Sharpe's retirement is an unassuming affair. She has her son's laundry to clean, knitting to learn and volunteering to attend. So, her family is naturally concerned when they discover a letter from her old work. There's been a murder at the university and the Royal City Police would like one of their best detectives to come out of retirement to help resolve the case.
Unfortunately, it seems, academics are not well loved on campus. The list of suspects grows ever longer as Nancy investigates a jealous wife, rebellious students, political extremists, violent gang members and even the highly competitive university staff themselves. Secrets abound within the ivy choked walls. The question quickly changes from who would kill the academic to who had killed him first.
With so much danger about, can the unassuming Nancy be able to wrestle the truth of Professor Gingrich's murder from those involved? Or will the guilty grow more desperate as she narrows in on the culprit? Perhaps, in the end, it will be the police who are taught a lesson on committing the perfect crime.
Autorentext
Kevin McFadyen is a world traveller, a poor eater, a happy napper and occasional writer. He prefers Earl Gray to English Breakfast but has been considering whether or not he should adopt a crippling addiction to coffee instead.
His love for stories started way back in his distant childhood when he enjoyed the classics: J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Robert Aspirin and Lynn Abbey, Ursula Le Guin, Stephen King, Piers Anthony, Clive Cussler, H.P. Lovecraft and a slew more that aren't currently on the nearby bookshelf. While video and boardgames may have supplanted some of his reading time, Kevin has committed his life and sanity to the crafting of his own narratives.
Having accumulated a number of short stories, this persistent scribbler has turned to publishing books. The Red Sabre series is a steampunk fantasy set in a wild west-like world full of train mercenaries. The books follow an ensemble cast of diverse characters in this epic adventure. His second series focuses on a retired detective inspector, Nancy Sharpe. These are light-hearted mysteries set in modern times with a real-life feel to them.
Kevin continues to share his ideas on writing, media and life in the jointly owned blog: https://kmcfadyen.com/