Synopses & Reviews
Elizabeth George, award-winning author of For the Sake of Elena, has earned acclaim and a standing with the masters of psychological suspense. In this three-hour abridgment of her sixth novel. George plays out the tangled, intimate relationships that bring men and women together with passion, with grief, or with the intent to kill.
Missing Joseph
Chance and bad weather led forensic scientist Simon St. James's wife, Deborah, and the vicar of Winslough to London's National Gallery. While viewing Leonardo da Vinci's study for his painting Virgin and Child, the vicar comments that Joseph is missing from the picture. which strikes a chord with Deborah, whose inability to bear a child has caused her much pain and widened the growing rift in her marriage. Comforted by the vicar's words and affected by his description of the solitude surrounding his northern village, Deborah persuades Simon to take her on a country holiday in Lancashire to regain her peace of mind and see the vicar again. Only one detail mars their plans -- the discovery that the vicar is dead.
His death is ruled "death by misadventure," a case of accidental poisoning. But as Simon quickly realizes, accidentally ingesting this particular poison is nearly impossible. With the assistance of his old friend Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley, he intends to find out why no charges were brought against the mysterious, sensual woman who met with the vicar on the night he died and fed him a dinner laced with death.
The answer lies hidden among the gloomy moors and winter mists of a rural northern village and in the dark, complex relationships among those who live there.
About the Author
Derek Jacobi won a Tony award for his performance in Much Ado About Nothing on Broadway. On Television, he played the title role I, Claudius, His film credits include Little Dorrit and Henry V.