"Worchester, 1888, Nicholas Evelyn, the elderly cathedral librarian, has disappeared. A priceless medieval manuscript has been stolen. Its glass case smashed with a candlestick. Ravenscroft is sent from the grimy streets of Whitechapel to investigate. Murder in the cathedral. Aided by his trusty companion Constable Tom Crabb, Ravenscroft soon discovers that behind the cathedral's facade lurks a dark world of death and deceit. Could the murder relate to an unsolved mystery dating back nearly forty years? Meanwhile, in London, a mysterious woman in black is wreaking revenge in the dark alleyways of Whitechapel. In a spectacular climax, the two worlds of Worcester and Whitechapel meet." --
A CAPTIVATING HISTORICAL MURDER MYSTERY SET IN VICTORIAN ENGLAND This is a revised and updated edition of THE MALVERN MURDERS. Before Jack the Ripper terrorized London, <b>Police Inspector Samuel Ravenscroft</b> patrolled the grimy streets of Whitechapel – but he’s no Inspector Abberline. <b>Malvern, 1887.</b> Clever and hard-working, Ravenscroft nonetheless has the worst record in the force. He lets a murderer escape during a chase and is banished to <b>the spa town of Malvern</b> for a water treatment to cure his asthma. <b>MURDER FOLLOWS THE INSPECTOR</b> Ravenscroft accepts a dinner invitation from a new acquaintance, Jabez Pitzer. Before the dinner gong can sound, the maid finds Pitzer <b>slumped over his desk – dead</b>. Ravenscroft sees two glasses on a small side table. One has a powdery residue at the bottom and <b>the faint smell of bitter almonds</b>. <b>A BODY IN THE LIBRARY</b> <b>Ravenscroft immediately recognizes the signs – Pitzer has been poisoned.</b> But the local authorities are reluctant to believe there is a murderer in Malvern. He may be recovering his strength, but Ravenscroft has all his wits intact. He finds himself pulled into the investigation. Hungry to prove himself, Ravenscroft is determined to solve the case. But the bodies mount up. Someone is killing local luminaries. <b>WHO WILL BE NEXT?</b> A mysterious woman in black was witnessed speaking to each of the victims. Who is she and <b>why does death seem to follow her?</b> And does a local cartel of businessmen have anything to do with it? <b>RAVENSCROFT IS OUT OF THE SMOKE BUT MALVERN HAS ITS OWN DEADLY FIRES</b> THE MALVERN MURDERS is packed with delicious dialogue, sly humour and Victorian atmosphere. <b>Perfect for fans of M.R.C. Kasasian, E.S. Thomson, Oscar De Muriel and Karen Charlton.</b> <b>MEET THE DETECTIVE</b> Inspector Samuel Ravenscroft, unmarried and over forty, is a detective in the Whitechapel branch of the Metropolitan Police. Painfully asthmatic, he is often overlooked by his superiors in favour of his pushier colleagues. But Ravenscroft is keen to prove himself and strives to overcome his physical limitations. His tools are forthright questioning, close examination of the evidence and personal intuition. He often finds that the solution to many crimes is buried deep in the past. With his trusty Bradshaw, Ravenscroft and his colleague Constable Tom Crabb, travel around the Three Counties, overlooked by the Malvern Hills, bringing criminals to justice. <b>KERRY TOMBS</b> was born near Birmingham, but grew up in various locations in north Worcestershire. After a career teaching in both England and Australia, he moved to Malvern in 1982, where he became a local genealogist, lecturer and bookseller. <b>WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT KERRY TOMBS</b> “I found this story very <b>absorbing</b> and hard to put down.” Berys “<b>Kerry Tombs knows how to keep your interest until the very end.</b>” Delin “<b>Another great book</b> in the series. The author kept you guessing the entire time.” Jerry <b>INSPECTOR RAVENSCROFT DETECTIVE MYSTERIES SERIES</b> Book 1: The Malvern Murders Book 2: The Worcester Whisperers Book 3: The Ledbury Lamplighters Book 4: The Tewkesbury Tomb* Book 5: The Dr
