The Skull Beneath the Skin

Review“A fine novel . . . from its very first pages you feel you are in marvellously sure hands.” —The Times“Irresistible.” —Winnipeg Free Press“Original, suspenseful, ingenious. . . . A whacking great whodunit by the reigning Queen of Mystery.” —Calgary Sun“Her concern with the psychological reality of her characters is complemented by a scrupulous attention to physical detail, an easy ear for dialogue and a concise voice for description. Taken together, these are an unfailing combination.” —The Hamilton Spectator"The reason it takes me so long to write is because it takes a long time for the characters to reveal themselves to me. My ambition as a writer is to make even the minor characters come alive." —P. D. James"James pulls out all the stops ... an overlay of lust; midnight apparitions; hairbreadth escapes." *—New York Magazine"A masterly version of the clue-and-alibi game ... five star." —The GuardianFrom the Trade Paperback edition.Product DescriptionFading star Clarissa Lisle plans a spectacular comeback in a private performance of Webster’s bloodcurdling tragedy The Duchess of Malfi, to be staged in an island castle owned by the eccentric collector Ambrose Gorringe. When she begins to receive poison-pen letters — bearing death threats couched in Shakespearean quotations — her husband hires young private detective Cordelia Gray to ensure her safety.But before the curtain rises, one of the party will fall victim to a murderous blow, and as the suspense builds, it becomes clear to Cordelia that everyone confined within the walls of the castle seems to have an excellent motive for sending Clarissa Lisle “down, down to hell.”From the Paperback edition.