Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Perfect Gallows: A Crime Novel
Perfect Gallows: A Crime Novel
Perfect Gallows: A Crime Novel
Ebook316 pages4 hours

Perfect Gallows: A Crime Novel

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook

The twisted circumstances surrounding an unspeakable crime, an old man’s fortune, and a production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest come to light four decades on in this masterful tale of greed, deception, and murder by CWA Gold Dagger winner Peter Dickinson

Behind his practiced facade of cheerful sophistication, the renowned actor Adrian Waring is a haunted man. The ghost that torments him is from an earlier era, when a world war raged and Adrian was still Andrew, the guest and possible heir of his rich uncle, Arnold Wragge. Wragge had returned from the diamond mines of South Africa with a fortune and a loyal servant named Samuel Mkele, and when his own son vanished, presumably in the smoke of combat, the old man looked to his poor relation as a potential replacement. Andrew’s true interests lay elsewhere, however, in applause and the attentions of eager young ladies, both of which he realized he could have by starring in his cousin’s amateur production of The Tempest. But young Andrew’s fledgling theatrics would prove merely to be the opening act of a horrific human tragedy, forcing him to keep a terrible truth locked inside himself—even four decades after a body was discovered hanging from a perfect dovecote gallows . . .
 
A master practitioner of the literary art of mystery and murder, author Peter Dickinson stands tall alongside P. D. James, Ruth Rendell, Reginald Hill, and other luminaries of contemporary British crime fiction. A brilliant innovator unafraid to tamper with the rules of genre, he is at the very top of his game with this gripping, twisting, and altogether remarkable psychological thriller.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 5, 2015
ISBN9781504004909
Perfect Gallows: A Crime Novel
Author

Peter Dickinson

Peter Dickinson is one of the most acclaimed and respected writers of our time and has won nearly every major literary award for his children's novels. THE KIN, his first book for Macmillan, was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal in 1999, as was THE ROPEMAKER in 2001. Peter is currently writing the sequel to THE ROPEMAKER, due October 2006. His most recent book for Macmillan, THE GIFT BOAT, was described by Books for Keeps as 'a masterpiece, gripping, the work of a major writer at his very best.' Peter was one of the three shortlisted candidates for the first Children's Laureate. He lives in Hampshire.

Read more from Peter Dickinson

Related to Perfect Gallows

Related ebooks

Thrillers For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Perfect Gallows

Rating: 3.8214285 out of 5 stars
4/5

14 ratings0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    Perfect Gallows - Peter Dickinson

    ˟dbook_preview_excerpt.html}|ےG寤4k[۱V)f(Rb7W@PY1;?_LTQmbȸq~ǡ߾7O7c?}z˧7o=lwy=Yy[}P}|{?~g>^}ݻ?<pe/__ß~:soO)zϹ?~glSb]}K? }{qv4;Ty=SvCjj/olc? )τ/qU}5r0~~[.W;|GOqc`؅Sv4.c^2u,9 mUu!=qx[1ݱjCEcO/r)5q$++K3MƪJQxJ9mLi79Cme[), ]G _~v]?⭡~LXqS~Ľ ~7#HJsn/zVyshFŠ^ϥz[S[.ɥB.IH3v5%eo_=;3`cKC\&u;B3opGiPsf|)lcŲ U]@1cϵƜ#|Y2[o;DyÄpzͧP_>Bzq 0ǡ ӆrՐ'Xpg6u\%ZwM4_BUCtlU9'5sL-`i &Qh$U!;|Y?55jNr/|6Ek.m᤹"7Oۡ,cm(Eq^ǩ"s9gy^6*Ӕ| Q*fTpVie17۪X(q5GNnp0%L6”g6%s>2 H灗;quŮig[_}W:A; #s5M4'(=I ՛Phq~CGQ` ['3<t|m6y%()}Z.}ƉTӠSҰ8m__pO(N8kpGNG)~ڄd"wzd̄i!oc G -> _WqizB!B^!. MچNbQ] n1k*"1g# 8CNFӞHF^ TlSg[Oh݉':ÖN0,Efe58Nˆex(- rv?bƶu{Yս2.. 0BNvcՔ^o^ud5}2nGjqW@w rb){R{\Y%3Z9 3/~-D+ 9dNuգ| HyG]sDE wV\bWi(Vo1ul=)O8O3F׽1x ?fK6BT{q5 *{[pM#u6͙-f@Xꏃ6D f II0G٥CWa x>j!.u_|cS?&Dc 8\Z̴> #8JճNԙ˺=vE7rWѳf'~0;{^b6nYWffFM84? 8H7&0&Ls+p">)J]BUQ@Y9"[6+ȆϾ[@a->N<2UC+JPopZ/J_ L:GŹR'_¿֘׽ʦ]I jWAZZ@U%Y:~#6r! N!*I%|!R5c)O V[ yJOZ΁H7vN4Imcj' X \lxc8ٱX}0?Ѐ0nQ/38qKui p= H~00vyGF 용8߾=K-NaSҘ&0' ={q)|{ ?$crv:+i.@J-A_R05F빝~JaxCT{7F]!; gj.עIai4^}MCe +xNtJvw;"S/>RS8-`~ <"\x9͚!-@D:b f Zd~T',FY{,3CRs;<}ɗbpz1ܾDv9\M&հdiîb,<\17|/GFτ'`ރ O H@zOR扈Ɍ$ch8eNGu;Q:Ϊ={Uedi*:w- ]`ZpU#/]l;nxL*T:}͟O瑜߽zX5N0 Ȏ߄f WA*պqwInv~. m"1׶实k:uzSlM!f0)YD<(|ucI (W╙r0jd 1k0;u'xl{pƩN%α/ɂ,f.~Z \ac-Gzcb5(D'h޵P[p-\zؽ҇dڠ#Y}C!vS禇6x6E?t—:9kL lҚGz/ƶ%+ɐ爐0-C(71/ՏCa_}bݒVWh +'+7dh[`LpO5^aCI0fbJw9њTQi܁Y0Uh'qωZ%}d^ʧ 3Vw_%|xLʦR1Y(O: ]Zִm~\Q9ϱj5?N6s̪ޥ'yfke75M`}GD]z ne>;Jo9wDR_pVY[%_!}"9)Ri^\[>e z%9(5>n[yx)hTgj&&c"WcE*UEi.0Xm-Ct[hq6YY!סs`^BVNTAZW9UQ"Hﮜ˗U}oV/2W-F.=9ᢸC!3ezeNsݾzs}&1Pj< 2:_nQ|>K ó])"D>҉!v/Tyl3gajP%bF>J iVǹfHz[xˠBŽ|wQyװPcfu~ nfkKD|qP㰴dQEV ?auSs-WԃQA= B0vvڊr) qRG~Ҕ-SW8+Y4`[TxDdנM{\>Zi;0<bOmuw )qQ_|z/BU8a-nǰ"){=O5?'XfЅE&j u~cd?zF&5|V>LJ[6ΈwT\7!T%8잎g?G߿-?0w=u3TSGom?Az{{% ?ࡠA5T sj~;\j/9eYdW-I3:7pY蠸)jV_XNnabWſT5h۲d c±T1~8{]l^2ﶨᕖfyu_*烺2~51d/沯XK@kܯ,щ`3{^>,ITRʄ/~`jANHq|4zt :ah]*^yFia?^(4*5EQ[24;gYx%m*u(3L?h߈e7%1YAŢ0N3fI_+֘;#rМ'm5Z1k՛IkMiHp׳F9C%`XClS_o7Ljv*BSj+0c)Nwls;&;B3OS6|iW󉋞-gfS6,f>`Di._,m*U>VW,n;u&˒ O@'PGHZۍB{ǻ:i~% %J˥^W8]@Sj)OBY~`)i8=D!Y%ǾLm0\EjQGϔ5qb m݀Ķ"(;"<ےn|q8SM)+Ӭ_+E23͊v.4Yw?re+gf_z !ùɥ $.h:p1drI[uN" O^btE@0۵Jq/YOo u3&;,r '3SB0E5Fo|XNāWCQR$5sf|[L|$l=]JB풲U&^CF1`W}c~ZJe9nWdo\=!G5K*#Xn[husUqc]RER`{ih#ruknJI оJtK.aQ)Ҹo-82^bB6\;]Co`pYW^YyTڭ#$2p"7SOogĉ1HUUw#GL{+ScOD:kI ^erXb9i]r)f*/#Cmԛoni}n[G5(B*Y_SkI\I,^[DDWz&Ԟ۞wزQ*n q?{ RӔrsB5fD&KoT 8Cmfid]<ΐ.VTkj2ղ[IA=LSfe3?Ѡ΅W!ËylR֏OϿ;ܦi~R"f.j j݌~jX#>AyUl^ĜOs*A``bZRR>XP:EBF|rB5jjTc}2wmLga 2C7p sTwEFsWaJ]xflC8GK=+8bJOe]zr8\h%| Qi & Gl7^C#Rs5ds_i\ CzRωFTt& xr_HzS~-Pp063fJz+63Qj_S[/ZZc_=w֡߫nAVLQQVaUꦁr\ꛯlHE]9ZKתtЭp)dw?{8vNY8EK|v~4Zח=Y=\Mn z6 |jVtfpUrVd"o65k-7mi>98ϓeQ=4~=-褽c|7ǟ];2؇(m?/tuLdxa[!P PJʞ}n~~⍷ITY??Ҍc
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1