A Hearse for a Joker: a Peverell Wood Mystery

It’s 1967, and Peverell Wood is something of an anachronism. Whilst the youth of the day were becoming enthralled with flower power and the permissive society, 23 year old Peverell felt more at home with his suit and tie, his battered old Wolseley 6/90, and his passion for the works of Agatha Christie. The latter had inspired him to set up business as a private detective in Durham. Thankfully, he has a private income, as the residents of the county seem to have neither the inclination nor the money to employ his services.As such, he is more than happy to accept any work that comes his way, including the mundane task of snooping upon the activities of a teenage girl on behalf of her concerned parents; and a challenging commission to determine the reasons for a man’s suicide.But both these concerns were to be eclipsed by the activities of a warped killer, seemingly hidden within the confines of Durham’s student population. Detective Inspector Murphy acknowledges the scale of the challenge to identify the murderer, and being cognisant with Peverell’s deductive skills and his history as a Durham University graduate, requests his assistance.So can Peverell find the killer before he strikes again?