The Dirty Duck

Published in 1984

"Aunt Agatha" has relatives from the US visiting......the Randolph Biggets from Milwaukee, Wisconsin......and to avoid having Ardry End besieged, Melrose agrees to take Auntie to Stratford to meet the family.......he books the Falstaff Hotel for his stay -- he books the whole hotel, all of the rooms, just so that he can ensure his privacy LOL!!!

DS Jury is in town because he's heard that Jenny Kennington is here.

There is an exclusive tour group in town also.....and James Carlton Farraday, a young but resourceful member of he group has disappeared.....now one of the tour members is found murdered in a public washroom down by the river.

While Plant is avoiding the visitors ,Vivian Rivington shows up and drops the bombshell that she's getting married -- to an Italian Count no less!

"No one just happens to be a count." All Melrose could visualize was this black-caped stranger. "Can he see his reflection in a mirror?"

Later on Count Franco Giapinno shows up, Vivian finally bumps into Jury (Melrose doesn't tell either one of them that the other is there) everyone is obviously uncomfortable.

Jury finally spoke through a haze of smoke rising upwards. (speaking to Melrose)

Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world -- she had to walk into mine."

Seems to me that both of these guys have a little something going for Vivian....

Although Jury's original reason for visiting Stratford was to look up Jenny Kennington, he gets involved in the murders, and by the time he has the courage to knock on her door........

Well, you'll just have to read the book.

Happy Knitting