Crook o’ Lune: A Lancashire Mystery

Back in print for the first time since 1953, this bucolic novel from Lorac (a.k.a. Edith Caroline Rivett, 1894–1958) is an atmospheric mystery. Gilbert Woolfall inherits Aikengill, a remote farmhouse in northwest England, from his uncle. He finds the area so peaceful, he’s contemplating an early retirement there. But his stay is interrupted by several people: the creepy rector, who is upset that Gilbert’s uncle didn’t leave anything to the church; Daniel Herdwick, the owner of a nearby farm, who would like first chance at buying Aikengill; and a young couple who would like to move in and tend to the house. There is only one thing disturbing the tranquil atmosphere: local farmers are complaining of the theft of sheep. When Robert Macdonald, chief inspector with Scotland Yard’s C.I.D., arrives on vacation, he’s only mildly interested in the thefts, until there’s a fire at Aikengill, and someone dies. Suspecting that the thefts and fire are connected, Macdonald works with the local police and sets a trap to catch a killer.