When Falcons Fall

Viscount Devlin and his wife, Hero, are in Ayleswick, Shropshire to deliver a gift to an old woman, courtesy of her now deceased grandson.  The young justice of the peace, Squire Rawlins, has approached Devlin to have him investigate an apparent suicide, which Rawlins feels isn’t a suicide.

The young woman was only twenty-seven, and travelling throughout Shropshire sketching various scenes.  It doesn’t take Devlin long to state that she had been murdered.  To get to the body, both he and Rawlins had muddy boots.  There was none on hers.

Hero helps Devlin by going through the victim’s room.  The only thing missing seems to be her reticule.  They also discover her sketch book, which contains many portraits of the local community members.  However, her sketchbook containing drawings of local buildings is also missing.

The victim’s maid had only been with her for a short time, and when questioned stated that she felt the victim really wasn’t who she said she was.  The local doctor confirms what Devlin had noticed, bruising around her mouth.  The victim had been smothered.

Later that evening, while talking with a man in the employ of Jarvis, a shot is fired at the pair, killing the man.  Was the shot intended for Devlin?  The man had been watching Lucien Bonaparte, brother to Napoleon and now held hostage by the British government.

When young Lord Seaton returns to the village, he is able to identify the young woman.  As thought, she was not who she claimed to be.  As Devlin sets about investigating the background of the young woman, Hero delves into the deaths of two young women a couple of decades earlier.  Could those deaths be tied into the current case?  As Devlin and Hero discuss their cases, they come down to two suspects.

Author C. S. Harris has woven a fabric so tight that it is impossible for the reader to determine who the killer is.  A definite surprise for the reader at the conclusion.  Another thoroughly enjoyable read by this author.