Plans to build a new bird sanctuary in a small English village are interrupted by murder most fowl in this delightful British whodunit. When Alan Tewkes decides to convert the wetlands he inherited from his father into a protected reserve for endangered migrant birds, his altruistic gesture winds up ruffling more than a few local feathers. The tiny Northern English town of Talbot has no interest in hosting the many tourists who would flock to such an attraction. Alan soldiers on despite resistance from Talbot's self-styled "squire," DeLacey Thornley, and even from his own brother, Jeremy. But when shooting down Alan's plan doesn't work, someone shoots down Alan instead. Homicide is a rarity in Talbot, and some wonder if the local police are up to the task. But Detective Inspector Hole and his wife, the local schoolmistress, are more resourceful than they might at first appear. As they dig for clues, a web of dark secrets and bitter feuding...

What goes on in dog shows, even those as well covered by the media as Crufts, is a mystery to many people. It certainly was to Detective Chief Superintendent Grant but, fortunately, not to his former CID colleague, now transferred to Fraud, who is diverted to a suspicious death – of a human; no animals are harmed in this book! – at just such a Show. That the deaths took place before the public was admitted helped to limit the list of suspects; that all of them were engrossed in their own dogs' activities and keen to move onto the next competition once over, provided a testing time scale. 'Find the killer by closing time' became a challenge in itself. You don't have to be a dog lover to enjoy this tale of intrigue, jealousies and fierce competition, set in the crowded, busy and colourful day of a national dog show. Just like the good Manager Trott, whose efficient organisation is imperilled by the police procedure and the nuisance of an unwanted corpse on the...