In August 1811, George, Prince of Wales and the Prince Regent is horrified to find his mistress Sarah, Marchioness of Creeve dead in his bed, strangled by the string of pearls around her neck. The Prince realizes what a scandal could come out of a dead married woman (not to mention his younger br...
Faro is a happy man. His stepson Vince is to marry into Edinburgh’s high society. At a sumptuous family party disaster strikes. His future father-in-law is poisoned and Faro’s detective skills reveal that the murderer has to be a family member. As further investigations reveal sinister and terrib...
July 1660, Falkland Palace, Fife. After rescuing King James the Sixth from a runaway horse, Tam Elidor finds himself in favour. As the King s new object of affection, Tam has become the target for jealous courtiers -- and their attentions are seriously hampering his investigation into the murder ...
A trail of blood leads Inspector Faro through the snow to the body of a maid sent out to post a letter. Had she a secret lover, was she the victim of a crime of passion? Or does another murder two days later indicate a serial killer at large and a reign of terror to be unleashed in Victorian Edin...
Set in in the late 1800s in Edinburgh, this seems a well-written enough story, with a moderately likeable detective. But...but.The deceiving wife murdered by her husband (and considered almost excusably so by the detective). The scheming girl murdered by the unknown. The saintly dead wife (rap...
And who better to give him information than the murdered boy's brother? The utmost tact would be called for, but he was a past master at conducting such revealing interviews without a hint that there was anything like murder involved. 'Tell them there's been a murder or a serious crime and at onc...
'Fascinating stuff, Stepfather.' 'Where's the family?' 'Long past their bedtime. Haven't you noticed the time?' 'Did they enjoy the Botanic Gardens?' 'Positively wild with delight. By the way, I had a tantalisingly brief meeting with the delectable Miss Haston as she was leaving.' 'Did she stay t...
‘I’m so sorry. This must be awful for you.’ Not nearly as awful as for Erland, he thought grimly. ‘Were you with him?’ The question was so sharp that Poppy looked at him oddly for a moment. She shook her head. ‘No, just Lena. She told me – how it was,’ she added awkwardly....
Sarah was his third wife and he had had little luck breeding sons with the other two. The first, chosen by the former marquis, his father, when he was seventeen, was the sixth and last unmarried daughter of an earl. Older than himself and very plain, it was no love match and, preferring horses to...
It was Leslie Godwin, leading a horse, and on the path below, Sergeant Batey. 'Shall I wait, sir?' said McQuinn. 'No. You head back.' Leslie approached Faro eagerly. 'I'm out later than usual. Missed my early-morning ride.' He gave his cousin a quizzical glance. 'I expect Vince will have told you...
As he wandered through Overgait and Nethergait he noted that the shops looked prosperous. Although their windows were less elegantly dressed than those of Edinburgh's Princes Street, their prices for the goods on display were considerably lower. In the Wellgait he bought some twist tobacco for 3 ...
Alarmed that this was another of Kate’s sleepwalking activities, I jumped out of bed and opened the door to see a dim figure emerging from Hubert’s room. It was Collins, shouting at him angrily and tearfully, for all the house to hear. The door banged shut behind her and I...
Inspector Faro Mystery No.8 Chapter 15 Every available constable was out searching the area for the missing 'Lady Killer'. There were no new incidents, no further attacks, only some very frustrated policemen praying that she would be apprehended before their family Christmas plans were ruined. ...
It was as uninviting as the proprietor. Dingy and depressing with a preponderance of dark brown walls and dark brown tables and chairs, a room which had never seen the gesture of a woman’s hands in a cheering vase of flowers. A warning notice read, ‘No Alcohol or Spirits S...
But after a week of unexpectedly intense activity with the Orkney Constabulary rather than a holiday, it would seem tame indeed to pick up the threads of his life at the Central Office. He might now summon up courage to ask Lizzie to marry him, although he was no longer wh...
At the Linn of Muick, a crowd had already gathered to greet the Queen and her party in their conveyances. Riding Steady alongside the fast-flowing river, Faro saw that the floor of the glen was in deep gloom, the sun dipping behind the tops of the mountains. The air was suddenly chilly. Cheers ro...
He decided that an informal call on Mrs Shaw might prove worthwhile, especially as the bait he had to offer as excuse for the visit, was calculated to gain her confidence and promote further agreeable and sympathetic acquaintance. When Vince asked if he had found a companion for the Neruda concer...
Consulting the scrap of paper - was this the right address, I thought? - I parked in the stone corridor and climbed the twisting stone stair to the fourth floor.Two bleak doors facing one another. A name: 'Bourne'.No reply. I knocked again. A flurry of footsteps, children's shrill voices as a doo...
I was bending over him as minutes later Jock and the lads with cart and stretcher arrived. As I had feared, just one look, and I knew he was dead. His head at a queer angle told a grim tale. He had been thrown and his neck was broken.As the lads gathered him up, Jock, shaking his head sadly, look...
Impossible, a figment of his overactive imagination. But here she was, walking towards him, her light footsteps on the polished floor. She was smiling, holding out her hands in welcome.‘Jeremy Faro! What on earth are you doing here?’Taking those warm hands in his own, his power of speech returned...