Unholy Writ

Description

When Arthur Moonlight, a financially troubled aristocrat, has second thoughts about selling the family mansion to the fanatical 'Forward Britain' movement he calls in his friend, London financier Mark Treasure, to stop the sale. But the situation is far more complicated than it first seems and when evidence comes to light that a valuable Shakespearean manuscript is hidden at Mitchell Hall, the Moonlight family's former country seat becomes a centre of death and intrigue.In the space of a few short days, an old lady has died of fright, a grave-digger has suffered a fatal fall, and linked to these strange incidents are a menacing American posing as a clergyman, a power-hungry MP, and a famous antiquarian supervising a team of Filipino labourers.This, the first of Mark Treasure's investigations, will lead to even more startling revelations - and unexpected rewards.

Stuart David Williams was a writer best known for his crime series featuring the banker Mark Treasure and police inspector DI Parry. After serving as a Naval officer in the Second World War, Williams completed a History degree at St John's College, Oxford, before embarking on a career in advertising. He became a full-time fiction writer in 1978. Williams wrote twenty-three novels, seventeen of which were part of the Mark Treasure series of whodunits, which began with Unholy Writ (1976). His experience in both the Anglican Church and the advertising world informed and inspired his work throughout his career. Two of Williams' books were shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger Award, and in 1988 he was elected to the Detection Club.

Extremely accomplished ... thoroughly enjoyable Financial Times By far the best written detective story I have read for months The Spectator Lots of characters and plot ... salted with fun Northern Echo A lively, imaginative debut Sunday Times