Kent, 1796: shocked to discover a dying man on his doorstep--and lucky
to avoid a bullet himself--Reverend Hardcastle finds himself entrusted
with the victim's cryptic last words. With smuggling rife on England's
south-east coast, the obvious conclusion is that this was a falling out
among thieves. But why is the leader of the local Customs service so
reluctant to investigate? Ably assisted by the ingenious Mrs. Chaytor,
Hardcastle sets out to solve the mystery for himself. But smugglers are
not the only ones to lurk off the Kent coast, and the more he discovers,
the more he realizes he might have bitten off more than he can chew.
Changed from Romney Marsh Mysteries to Hardcastle and Chaytor Mysteries
with second in series.