Blood From a Stone

Dr. Mountford is making a regular visit to a patient when he is met at the door by a dishevelled housekeeper.  The mistress of the house isn’t answering the door of her room.  Mountford has to break the door open.  Inside the woman is found sitting in her chair, quite deceased.  It appears that she had taken a full bottle of a sleeping draught.  Accident, suicide or murder?

After the police begin their investigation, they find a will dated only three weeks earlier leaving everything to the deceased’s nephew, who disappeared the same night she died.  Dr. Mountford swears that the will is a forgery because both witnesses to it have been dead for some time.  Also, the brandy decanter contained evidence of a sleeping draught.  A warrant is issued for the nephew.

A couple of months later, a man is found murdered in a compartment on a train to London.  At his feet is a sapphire necklace.  Inspector Bill Rackham meets the train as it gets into London.  He is accompanied by Arthur Stanton, husband of the Isabelle who was in on the discovery of the body.  She is cousin to Jack Haldean, who also awaits the train.  Isabelle suggests that the jewels could be connected to the aforementioned murder, which was near the place where she and the victim had gotten on the train.

When Rackham and Haldean examine the body, they discover a French trench knife in the ribs, which would have gone directly into the heart.  Gloves with blood on them are found in the compartment of the train coach.  They have a potential identity for the victim; a man known as The Vicar, who was a well known thief prior to the war.  Could he have been bumped off by an accomplice?

Later, Isabelle is pushed into oncoming traffic in London.  The same thing happens to her co-witness.  Fortunately, both survive.  Who wants them dead?

Author Dolores Gordon-Smith has a real conundrum ahead for Haldean to solve.  Who can he trust beyond his cousin Isabelle, Rackham and Inspector Ashley?  People are not who they seem to be.  The reader will have a real tough time trying to solve this mystery ahead of Haldean.  A good, quick read.