The Keeper of Secrets

Parson Tobias Campion has just travelled to his new vicarage, but unfortunately his possessions have not made it, so he has to impose on a distant cousin, Lady Elham, for his first night in the community.  Thefirst friend he makes is Doctor Edmund Hansard.

Shortly after Campion arrived, his cousin’s husband drowns.  As Justice of the Peace, Hansard has to investigate the cause of death.  Due to the wealth of Lord Elham, the inquest was held in his home, with members of the household making up the jury, and returning a verdict of a natural death.

The new Lord wants a stone monument installed in the church and he wants the parishioners and his tenants to pay for it.  Campion is against them paying for it, as is Hansard.  The young Lord threatens the pair of them.  Hansard confides in Campion that there are rumours that the son is responsible for his father’s death, and his mother is covering for him.  It is not long after this that Campion is attacked by someone unknown.

Later, the following spring Campion comes across the body of the young woman who had been a maid to his cousin.  Hansard tells him that her throat had been slashed.  Hansard calls in another doctor to examine the body.  It is agreed that the young woman could have been killed at Christmas time and the cold preserved her body.  If that’s the case, they need to find out why Campion’s cousin lied about her whereabouts.  

Campion and Hansard travel to Bath in search of the killer however, they find that the killer has returned home.  They return post-haste in order to protect loved ones, but will they arrive in time?  Although, author Judith Cutler’s historical murder mystery seems to drag on, the concluding chapters are fast paced and full of terror and action.  This was quite a good read, for the beginning of a trilogy.