"Fans have waited two years for another of Aird's Calleshire County police procedurals, and if you like golf, this well-crafted whodunit was especially worth the wait….Full of poetical, biblical and Shakespearian references, this fun read delivers a denouement that finishes the game well under par. Nicely played."

–Publishers Weekly on Hole in One

"Trust mystery writer Catherine Aird to add her own special twists and lots of biting wit to murder…the settings are classic, the characters delightfully quirky, and the words of wisdom many." –Boston Herald on Amendment of Life

The dramatic theft of an 18th Century painting is discovered just moments before the old manor house from which it was stolen – and is uniquely depicted in the background of the portrait — is set on fire. Making matters more grisly even is the pile of bones that is sighted in the blazing inferno moments before the roof collapses. What started as simple, if surprising, theft has quickly escalated to arson and, possibly murder, and now Detective Inspector Sloan and Detective Constable Crosby have to piece together, a puzzle which has its roots deep in Berebury’s history. Although Tolmie Park, the property on which the manor house sits, has had a somewhat checkered and mysterious past there are those in the community who would fight to preserve it. There are also a number of factions within the area who have differing plans to develop the property, shrouding the fire in further suspicion. It is up D.C.I. C.D. Sloan to sift through this assortment of characters and, finally, illuminate the truth.

"The theft of an 18th-century portrait of one of the owners of Tolmie Park in Berebury, Calleshire, just before flames destroy part of the historic house sparks British veteran Aird's 20th mystery to feature Det. Insp. C.D. ('Seedy') Sloan (after 2005's Hole in One). Bones are spotted amid the fire moments before the ceiling comes crashing down. Are they human remains? Will Sloan and his longtime sidekick, Detective Constable Crosby, be investigating murder, along with theft and arson? A local development firm has plans for Tolmie Park, but the county preservation society is up in arms against them. A rival construction company is also interested, and a rich pop singer is in the market for a country estate. Who among them might have started a fire and why? In his inimitable fashion, Sloan investigates all the angles, and Aird once again showcases her sly wit and deft plotting in a book English mystery fans will relish. (June 24)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

When an 18th-century painting is stolen from an old manor house moments before the entire house is engulfed in flames, Detective Chief Inspector Sloan and Detective Constable Crosby are called in to investigate.

Catherine Aird is the author of some twenty crime novels and story collections, most of which feature Detective Chief Inspector C.D. Sloan. She holds an honorary M.A. from the University of Kent and was made an M.B.E. She lives in Sturry, Kent in England.