An Unforeseen Murder

In a sleepy village in North Yorkshire a tower was built in 1390 and according to the current residents nothing much has happened since. This is about to change. The local vicar has been found dead in front of the church, apparently murdered by someone using a high velocity rifle. The village is in shock. As the investigation by two local detectives begins, the story reveals a rich cast of village residents and their associates, all of whom come under scrutiny. The detectives struggle to find a credible suspect or any obvious motive, yet the killing looks like the work of a professional.

As the case unfolds several possibilities arise. Could it be the local builder and councillor involved in a lucrative development which impacts the local church and is being blocked by the vicar? Rumours in the village abound and there is a suggestion that the vicar was having an affair with the wife of a jealous and insecure local accountant. The accountant has connections with the underworld who owe him a favour. Perhaps the GP, who has been accused of inappropriate behaviour with a young boy is involved. After all, the boy voiced his accusations to the vicar who, as a matter of due process, had to report it to the authorities for investigation. Eventually interest turns to a homeless man who sleeps in the nearby woods. He has a mysterious past in the military and suffers from PTSD. It also transpires that a local artist and sculptor has a history of previous involvement in an unsolved murder case down in London.

Perhaps the killing was accidental? Some locals are known to go shooting rabbits in the nearby woods, including two friends who involve themselves in low level drug using and dealing. Even the pub landlord likes to shoot, and the local gossips suggest that he may have a motive, given that the vicar has complained to the council about the unruly behaviour outside the Old Plough. His license could be at risk. Could it be the local witch who lives in a cottage on the outskirts of the nearby woods?

The detectives follow the leads and each time run into a dead end but are under pressure from their superiors to get a result. The story eventually leads to a climatic end revealing the killer and the motive, but keeps the reader guessing to the very end.