"What I read in your hand is tragedy-a horrible tragedy that doesn't
come to one in a million people."
Bookseller Theodore Terhune buys the substantial library of the recently
deceased James Strudgewick, a wealthy Yorkshireman who fell and drowned
at a local beauty spot. Though his death was deemed accidental by the
coroner, the locals remain suspicious and dislike Strudgewick's nephew
and heir. But Ronald Strudgewick has a cast-iron alibi-he was 30 miles
away visiting with friend Robert Shilling in Thirsk at the time of his
uncle's death, and the police have already picked over his movements.
But Terhune and his friend Julia have met Shilling before, and know
there is a mysterious accidental death in his past too...
Work for the Hangman is a classic blend of traditional detective novel
with "how-to-catch-'em" mystery, and showcases Bruce Graeme's use of
local geography and small details to build an intriguing puzzle.