Who is the victim, and how did he come to meet this untimely fate? Detective Constable Charlie Peace and Detective Superintendent Mike Oddie's search for answers soon leads them to Ashworth, a nearby artists' colony, where young Irishman Declan O'Hearn had recently sought work as a handyman.
No ordinary place, Ashworth is something of a shrine to once-renowned painter Ranulph Byatt, an egotistic man who craves adulation from his inferiors and resists the judgment of his peers. To the surprise of all and the jealousy of some, Declan O'Hearn is one of the rare people Byatt welcomes into his studio and allows to watch him paint.
Charlie Peace, an experienced police officer and always a favorite among Barnard's readers, has rarely encountered such tense undercurrents as he finds at Ashworth, and he's perhaps never been among a group of people so ill-matched. They live in supposed community but lead uniquely warped lives. How does young Declan, inexperienced in the ways of the world, seeking his first great adventure, fit into this dangerous mix?
Charlie suspects Declan found more than adventure at Ashworth. Following in Declan's footsteps, he searches for the incredible story behind the body in the parking lot and the sad facts behind the destroyed hopes of a youthful wanderer.
With the kind of classic twist that only Barnard can provide, "The Corpse at the Haworth Tandoori" evokes memories of such Barnard masterpieces as "Death by Sheer Torture" while claiming its own place in the Barnard body of work as a powerful, insightful, witty, and always superbly entertaining novel of suspense.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
The body of a young man, almost naked, in the car park behind one of Haworth's many eating establishments marks the beginning of the case, and it is his identity that is the first puzzle for DC Charlie Peace and his superior Detective Superintendent Oddie.
But before long the puzzle that most concerns them is the nature of the close-knit artistic community where Declan O'Hearn had acted as odd-job boy. The little knot of people seem to be united less by their ability as painters than by a common worship of the distinguished artist Ranulph Byatt, who has not only brought them together, but seems to prefer the adulation of his inferiors to the judgement of his equals. Peace, searching for clues, soon starts to wonder if there isn't a sinister reason for this. And as the search for the killer gathers pace, Peace and Oddie uncover a series of dark secrets on the harsh Haworth landscape.
Atmospheric, witty and perceptive, 'The Corpse at the Haworth Tandoori' is vintage Robert Barnard.
Praise For ROBERT BARNARD
"Robert Barnard is always original, never repeats himself and has a delectable wit."
JESSICA MANN, 'Daily Telegraph'.
NO PLACE OF SAFETY
"A fine example of the neatly packaged, traditional English whodunit."
MICHAEL PAINTER, ' Irish Times'
"An observant and skilful writer."
JAMES MELVILLE, 'Ham & High'
THE BAD SAMARITAN
"Robert Barnard's talent is fascinatingly on show in 'The Bad Samaritan'."
JOHN COLEMAN, 'Sunday Times'
"Barnard is a dab hand with his peppermint and prayer-book bitchery."
PHILIP OAKES, 'Literary Review'
THE MASTER OF THE HOUSE
"Barnard never disappoints. The psychological suspense is chilling."
MARCEL BERLINS, 'The Times'
"The suspense is delicious."
NEW YORK TIMES
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