A suitable vengeance

About “A suitable vengeance”

It was meant to be a festive engagement weekend, but Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his fiancée, Deborah Cotter, arrive at Howenstow, Lynley's family home, to find an atmosphere thick with tension. Lynley's friend, forensic scientist Simon Allcourt-St. James, is troubled by the loss of Deborah and his sister's involvement in a bad relationship. Helen Clyde offers him some comfort. Lynley, estranged from his mother and dealing with his younger brother's return to drug use, is haunted by painful memories. A journalist is found murdered in the nearby village of Nanrunnel, ending the engagement party. Though the crime is outside his jurisdiction, Lynley becomes involved as evidence points to his family. More deaths and a betrayal follow. St. James helps Lynley examine the forensic evidence, revealing the motives behind the murders. However, St. James cannot fully understand the deep ties that bind the Howenstow aristocrats and their servants, who will protect their secrets at all costs.