MURDER ON THE OLD ROAD

Marsh & Daughter set out on yet another exploration of past misdeeds.

A visit to a pub on the Kentish North Downs is the start of a new project for Georgia and Peter Marsh, a daughter-father team well known for solving and than writing up true crimes. A large gathering at the Three Peacocks pub turns out to be the Chillingham Drama Group, who are about to re-create a pilgrimage to publicize their upcoming play Becket. The same pilgrimage, 40 years before, led to the unsolved murder of Hugh Wayncroft. Now his son Julian and Julian’s half brother Valentine Harper and their families are re-creating the original with the hopes of putting the village of Chillingham on the tourist map. Long associated with Saint Thomas, the Wayncrofts are an old Catholic family whose estate is rumored to be the resting place of Thomas’ bones. Georgia and Peter’s research and interviews unveil a massive split in the community between those who want the area developed and those who don’t. When the vicar who is on the anti side is murdered, even more bad feelings and many a motive for murder are revealed. Now it only remains to pick the right one.

This is not the most exciting of Myers’ Marsh & Daughter mysteries (Murder Takes the Stage, 2009, etc.), but the tried-and-true formula of mystery plus history makes for a pleasant read.