Unholy Dying - Hardcover

Barnard, Robert

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0007102925 ISBN 13: 9780007102921

Publisher: Collins Crime, 2000

Synopsis

‘Robert Barnard is always original, never repeats himself and has a delectable wit’ Jessica Mann, Daily Telegraph

Cosmo Horrocks was over the moon. This was the juiciest story he’d had in years. In his job as an investigative journalist he spent his working days grubbing through the garbage bins of other people’s lives (undeterred by the fact that his own wouldn’t bear too much investigation), but this one seemed to have everything: religion – the man was a Catholic priest; sex – he was accused of impropriety with a teenage unmarried mother; money – he was thought to have channelled parish funds in her direction. All the story lacked was mystery, but when it acquired that too Cosmo soon found himself out of his depth.

The parish of St. Catherine’s in Shipley is torn apart by the scandal, and by the secretive processes of its investigation which reveal dysfunctional families, shady doings in high places, and the brittle shell that respectability hides itself behind. When the truth is finally learned about Pardoe’s supposed sins, and about the murder which they have brought in their wake, both parish and town have the wraps whipped away from their apparently happy and respectable existence.

About this title

Review:

‘He plots a mystery as well as any writer alive’
Time Magazine

‘Barnard never disappoints. The psychological suspense is chilling’
The Times

‘Robert Barnard retails this finely suspenseful tale, incorporating the Hitchockian awkwardness of disposing of a body, with spellbinding step-by-step matter-of-factness’
Sunday Times

From the Back Cover:

Cosmo Horrocks was over the moon. This was the juiciest story he'd had in years. In his job as an investigative journalist he spent his working days grubbing through the garbage bins of other people's lives. ( undeterred by the fact that his own wouldn't bear too much investigation), but this one seemed to have everything: religion – the man was a Catholic priest; sex – he was accused of impropriety with a teenage unmarried mother; money – he was thought to have channelled parish funds in her direction. All the story lacked was mystery; but when it acquired that too, Cosmo soon found himself out of his depth.

The parish of St. Catherine's in Shipley is torn apart by the scandal, and by the secretive processes of its investigation. The men, cynically, assume Father Pardoe is guilty, while the women mount a campaign to have his side of the story heard. The investigation, which becomes a police one, reveals dysfunctional families, shady goings – on in high places, and the brittle shell that respectability hides itself behind. When the truth is finally learned about Pardoe's supposed sins, and about the murder which they have brought in their wake, both parish and town have the wraps whipped away form their apparently happy and respectable existence.

About this edition

• Publisher: Collins Crime
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0007102925
• ISBN 13: 9780007102921
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240