Witting's second Inspector Charlton mystery, first published in 1937, is
set in Paulsfield (clearly a fictional Petersfield in Hampshire).
It is a market day and there is much noise and bustle. A bull decides it
is time to liberate itself and goes on the rampage. As this is
happening, a cleaner working on the statue in the middle of the square
is shot dead, straight through the head. Inspector Charlton has very few
leads on this case. There is no obvious motive for the cleaner's death,
and when two further murders are committed within the same day, both
taking place in the market square, the mystery has obviously deepened
exponentially.
Midsummer Murder is another Clifford Witting that will delight all his
fans.