The Ely Testament

Alexander Lye has just died in his law office.  His partner David Mackenzie shows Tom Ansell Lye’s strong box, which should have contained his will, but surprisingly it doesn’t.  Mackenzie decides to send Tom to Ely in search of the will, where Lye has family.  Tom invites his wife Helen to travel with him.

Just after arriving at Liverpool Station Tom and Helen were almost run down by a carriage.  Although shaken, Helen insists that they continue with their planned journey.  Tom wonders why the driver of the carriage had his face covered, and he is sure that he recognised the passenger.

Once in Cambridge, Tom receives an envelope containing an enigmatic quote from Macbeth.  The following day, they are to meet with the half-brother of Lye and his wife for a meal.  Just before sitting down for the meal, the local police inspector arrests Lye for the murder of his wife’s cousin.

As his investigation progresses, the inspector is not so sure that Lye is the killer.  A local doctor, after examining the body, tells the inspector that the wounds on the body weren’t enough to kill the man.  So, what did?

The inspector’s suspicions of the Ansells is raised two days later when another body shows up.  This dead man was known to the couple.  Then too, Lye is in the picture as he had been released just before the latest killing.

However, author Philip Gooden has the real killer lurking in the background.  At this point, the story of the killer comes to light, yet Gooden doesn’t give the killer a name, leaving the reader to discover that in the later pages of the novel.  This was a very enjoyable and quick read.