The Weapon and the Fruit: Any Body Can Murder

Synopsis

A serial killer with a taste for classic crime. Murder scenes staged all over West London. An invitation to play.

Private Detective Lance Pomegranate has received an amusing email. At first it appears to be a typical scam. But unlike every other fraudster sullying his inbox, this one isn't asking for his bank details. The sender knows exactly who Lance is and is demanding that he play a dangerous game.

Taking inspiration from Agatha Christie's The ABC Murders, unhinged emailer Malcolm Dombattu has meticulously constructed a pattern of deaths designed to confuse and mislead. The victims don't realise they're playing, but Lance, barefoot as always and unwilling to abide by anyone's rules but his own, wades towards the deep end.

As the bodies mount, the case turns personal, and when the killer strikes at Lance's deepest vulnerabilities, the detective is forced to question not just the nature of the game, but whether solving the case will cost him more than he can afford to lose.

Beloved characters make a welcome return to assist Lance - some more willingly than others - in this sharp, suspenseful sequel to Four and Twenty Blackboards. Any Body Can Murder is a gripping crime novel where fiction meets reality, secrets refuse to stay buried, and every step closer to the truth comes at a price.