Unholy Dying

About the book

Robert Barnard is always original, never repeats himself and has a delectable wit Jessica Mann, Daily Telegraph

Cosmo Horrocks was over the moon. This was the juiciest story hed had in years. In his job as an investigative journalist he spent his working days grubbing through the garbage bins of other peoples lives (undeterred by the fact that his own wouldnt bear too much investigation), but this one seemed to have everything: religion the man was a Catholic priest; sex he was accused of impropriety with a teenage unmarried mother; money he was thought to have channelled parish funds in her direction. All the story lacked was mystery, but when it acquired that too Cosmo soon found himself out of his depth.

The parish of St. Catherines in Shipley is torn apart by the scandal, and by the secretive processes of its investigation which reveal dysfunctional families, shady doings in high places, and the brittle shell that respectability hides itself behind. When the truth is finally learned about Pardoes supposed sins, and about the murder which they have brought in their wake, both parish and town have the wraps whipped away from their apparently happy and respectable existence.