Tessa Crichton

'For God's sake don't get the idea that you're Miss Marple. It could quite conceivably lead to your being whacked on the head.' The narrator of this classic mystery is fashionable young actress, Tessa Crichton-obliged to turn private detective when murder strikes in the rural stronghold of Roakes Common. Leading hate-figures in the community are Mr. and Mrs. Cornford - the nouveaux riches of the local Manor House - suspected by some of malicious dog killing. Tessa however has other things on her mind when she goes to stay with her cousin Toby and his wife Matilda. There's her blossoming career, for one thing, not to mention coping with her eccentric cousins. Also the favourable impression made by a young man she meets under odd circumstances in the local pub. If it wasn't for that dead body turning up in a ditch . . . The murder mystery will lead Tessa to perilous danger, but she solves it herself, witty, blithe and soignée to the last. The story is distinguished by memorable characterisation and a sharp ear for dialogue, adding to the satisfaction of a traditional cunningly-clued detective story. Death in the Grand Manor was originally published in 1970. This new edition features an introduction and afterword by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans. 'A charming whodunit . . . full of unforced buoyance . . . a remedy for existentialist gloom.' Edmund Crispin 'It provides a modern version of the classical type of detective story. I was much taken with the cheerful young narrator . . . and I think most readers will feel the same way. Warmly recommended.' Francis Iles 'Entrancingly fresh and lively whodunit . . . Excellent dialogue.' Observer

'Stabbed?' she repeated, in horror. 'Was he really?' 'I'm afraid so. From behind. He was sitting at his desk.' The soignée actress Tessa Crichton would rather be shopping and generally luxuriating in the pleasure of being newly married. However, she is soon embroiled in a plot involving an old acquaintance (murdered) and a friend (blackmailed). Being as shrewd as she is mischievous she begins to draw various conclusions, not all of them correct. Many of the encounters in the story take place during Tessa's visits to a London department store, the top floor being a bar open to any customer who spends over twenty-five pounds. Here lies part of the secret which is bedevilling Robin, Tessa's husband, at Scotland Yard - who hates blackmailers more than any other criminals. But will Tessa get a bit too knowing, and will her own life then be at stake? Murder in Married Life was originally published in 1971. This new edition features an introduction and afterword by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans. 'Miss Morice has an acute ear for dialogue and a pretty, slightly acid, wit. Every page is amusing - and there are not many books of which that could be said.' Tablet 'Relaxing, polished entertainment of high order.' Daily Telegraph

'You'll be the death of me one of these days. I'm telling you.' 'I'll be the death of myself first,' I replied. The soignée young actress Tessa Crichton is in dazzling form when Robin, her husband and Scotland Yard detective, suggests sleuthing in the Sussex village of Burleigh. The area has recently seen a number of art thefts, but the stakes are raised considerably when murder most foul occurs at a local party . . . Tessa of course cannot resist a mystery. Her investigations run parallel with her husband's, and although she is soon on the right track, there will be bizarre and dangerous consequences. Strange and brilliant characters, odd birds of paradise, are among the suspects in this cleverly-plotted whodunit. Here are character, action, humour - and a very high likelihood of being deceived (despite fair clues) about the identity of the murderer. Death of a Gay Dog was originally published in 1971. This new edition features an introduction and afterword by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans. 'An ingenious plot and good entertainment value - the type of whodunit that can safely be read late at night without fear of nightmares.' Woman's Journal 'Certain to the add to the reputation of Tessa . . . entertainingly and cheerfully written.' Manchester Evening News

'What if he'd done it in reverse? Supposing the murder had already been committed by the time you saw him?' The elegant actress Tessa Crichton is starring in a film to be made in Paris. Her husband Robin (otherwise Detective Inspector Price of Scotland Yard) and her cousin Ellen travel with her but the trip is off to a peculiar start when Tessa's jewel case disappears - and mysteriously turns up again; no jewellery missing. She and Robin go racing at Longchamps, attend an evening of Indian folk music, and get invited to lunch by a chance acquaintance. Their social activities seem perfectly innocent and enjoyable - before murder is committed and Tessa finds herself in possession of some very dangerous knowledge. Anne Morice's talents for characterisation and humour are well displayed in a classical whodunnit with elements of espionage and kidnapping. Murder on French Leave was originally published in 1972. This new edition features an introduction and afterword by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans. 'Anne Morice has a gift for creating intelligent, affection-generating characters, set in light and entertaining atmospheres.' Spectator 'Relaxing, polished entertainment of high order.' Daily Telegraph

'Going somewhere nice for lunch?' he enquired. 'No,' I said. 'As a matter of fact, I'm going straight back to the country. Something tells me there isn't a minute to lose.' The scene of the crime is a large Victorian Rectory. An aged and famous opera singer dies; she has been ill for some time and initially her death would appear to be natural. But her will, signed on the day she died, causes both astonishment and considerable ill-feeling among her kin. Then two more sinister deaths occur at the Rectory ... Tessa Crichton, soignée actress and inadvertent sleuth, is an old friend of the family. Under the circumstances, she can't resist investigating, while her detective husband, Robin Price of Scotland Yard, works on another case nearby. Tessa's imagination and powers of deduction are brilliant as ever. By twists and turns, she reaches the solution, but not without a measure of danger to herself, and just a little help from the local police.

She lay on her back, her head and shoulders at an unnaturally curved angle, as though she had arched herself in a last tremendous convulsion as death overtook her. The grass around her was stained with blood and a dart was sticking out above the neckline of her dress. This is a sparkling whodunit in the best Anne Morice style: the action takes place in and around an ostentatious stately home where murder strikes at the garden fête. The gala is being thrown by a millionaire tycoon in aid of the local conservation society. Noted actress Tessa Crichton has been given the job of declaring the event 'open'. While not expecting open season on murder, Tessa is unable to resist the chance to do some on-the-spot investigation, especially as the police are building a damaging case against someone she considers to be innocent. There are plenty of suspects and plenty of motives; nobody shows much inclination to tell the whole truth and Tessa's involvement becomes more personal and more dangerous when another corpse is discovered soon afterwards. Death of a Heavenly Twin, originally published in 1974, is a crime story of ingenuity and wit, with a cast of sharply-observed eccentrics and a final surprise revelation. This new edition features an introduction and afterword by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.

With no sound at all, she pitched forward head first into the punch bowl, scattering canapés and glasses in all directions. By all accounts, Mike Parsons is a paragon: considerate, loyal and devoted to his awkward wife - rumoured to be an alcoholic. But now he has done a vanishing act. Was he killed - and who would murder such a kind individual anyway? Rising young actress Tessa Crichton is unwittingly set a real puzzle in investigating the case of a man she knew and liked - but who turns out to be a more mysterious character than previously thought. Needing all her detective skill to find out what has really happened to the saintly husband, Tessa uncovers evidence that increasingly puts herself in danger. Killing with Kindness was originally published in 1974. This new edition features an introduction and afterword by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans. 'Anne Morice has a gift for creating intelligent, affection-generating characters, set in light and entertaining atmospheres.' Spectator

When she turned round I saw that she had a carving knife in her hand. Why has Pelham Hargrave returned to his childhood home after twenty-five successful years in Canada and the United States, and is his beautiful and neurotic young American wife quite what she claims to be? Why has a celebrated Hollywood director chosen to retire to a remote English country house, and why does one young woman covet the house and another loathe it? Above all, what is the secret of old Nannie's power, which allows her to dominate the household from her rocking chair? These are some of the questions which confront the soignée Tessa Crichton, actress wife of Scotland Yard detective Robin Price, when she arrives to spend a quiet weekend with her godmother in Herefordshire. One by one the puzzles are unravelled, thanks to Tessa's spirited and irrepressible curiosity, plus a little help from her husband, but not before two people have died and Tessa herself has narrowly escaped the same fate. Nursery Tea and Poison was originally published in 1975. This new edition features an introduction and afterword by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans. 'Anne Morice has a gift for creating intelligent, affection-generating characters, set in light and entertaining atmospheres.' Spectator 'Relaxing, polished entertainment of high order.' Daily Telegraph

'Poor woman, how she must wish she had never come!' Prophetic words, if ever I heard any. The actress Tessa Crichton's cousin Ellen is engaged - but to someone she has known only a fortnight. The man appears rich, presentable and mad about Ellen, but Tessa is worried about the reaction of his former amoureuse, and indeed about that of Ellen's own ex-boyfriend, a bibulous and self-pitying actor. Plans go ahead for a splendid white wedding, and the scene is set for a gathering of various eccentric and tiresome relations - foremost in tiresomeness the bride's mother.Just before the speeches one of the guests collapses and dies; and a host of clues, suspects and possible motives appear. The elegant Tessa investigates with her usual mixture of observation and intuition, helped by her Scotland Yard detective husband Robin. Another murder is in the offing before we reach the surprising yet plausible conclusion to an entertaining matrimonial whodunnit. Death of a Wedding Guest was originally published in 1976. This new edition features an introduction and afterword by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans. 'As always, a bright and amusing style . . . a general air of sophisticated writing.' New York Times 'Relaxing, polished entertainment of high order.' Daily Telegraph

'He wants to see you, personally. He's Detective Meek, he's from Homicide, and chances are he's come to report a killing.' Tessa Crichton, actress and unwitting private detective, joins the cast of Host of Pleasures-a hit West End play opening its American run in Washington D.C. All is not well backstage. Artistic temperament, old hates and new jealousies combine to create an explosive atmosphere among the cast. When one of the actors is found dead, he is initially thought the victim of street violence-then the possibility that he was murdered by someone closer to home starts to seem horribly likely. Tessa, mixing intuition, charm and unassailable curiosity, is convinced this is no ordinary killing. Risking her own safety, and with help from Washington cop Inspector Meek, she slowly discovers the truth amongst a maze of suspects and motives. Tautly written, witty, and firmly plotted, with a stunning surprise ending, this is among the best mysteries Anne Morice has written. Murder in Mimicry was originally published in 1977. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans. 'Anne Morice has a gift for creating intelligent, affection-generating characters, set in light and entertaining atmospheres.' Spectator 'A nice lively book saturated with show business.' New York Times

I had detected no sound or movement, but her eyes were open and, as I approached, she fixed them on me with an agonized stare. Tessa Crichton, actress, wife of Scotland Yard Inspector Robin Price, comes to Storhampton to star in the local drama festival ... and finds her most challenging role in a masquerade ending in murder. It begins when the insufferable Edna Mortimer sees her exact double at the races-and is literally scared stiff. Somebody has played a nasty practical joke on the wealthy dowager. But, one look at Mrs. Mortimer's terrified eyes and some indecipherable pencil squiggles tell Tessa this is no laughing matter. Could the grim prankster be one of Edna's greedy heirs? When the will is finally read, it only raises more questions. Someone is not getting their just deserts. But, can Tessa find out who before the deadly double strikes again?

"I am absolutely certain that someone is trying to kill me," she announced, which was pretty run of the mill compared to most of her ghastly secrets over the years. Tessa Crichton is appearing in a West End play when her old school friend Anne reappears in her life. Anne and her baby daughter are living in her lover's family manor, while the latter's wife and teenaged daughter inhabit a cottage on the grounds. Pregnant again, possibly with a much desired son, Anne complains to Tessa about attempts on her life. But when, Tessa investigates, aided in part by the only dimly enthusiastic Uncle Toby, she finds a number of people who don't care for Anne. When the murders begin, first signs point to suicide, though the coincidences seem to Tessa to be a little suspicious ... Murder by Proxy was originally, published in 1978. This new edition features an introduction and afterword by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.

Dangerous secrets score high at an exclusive girl's school . . . but top marks belong to murder. Actress Tessa Crichton has mixed reactions to being on the panel of judges at the annual inter-house competition of the Waterside Drama and Ballet School, her alma mater. When she arrives on campus, the headmistress is having an affair with the founder's husband, a kleptomaniac is on the loose among the budding thespians, and the beloved and bewildering foundress is suffering from a most mysterious illness. When a student with a penchant for drawing compromising caricatures is found dead, the picture is one of murder most academic. Is it illicit love among the staff? Stealing among the students? Espionage among the alums? Or a scheme so beastly that Tessa's search for a killer becomes an education in the elusive evil one might find behind the most friendly facade. Murder in Outline was originally published in 1979. This new edition features an introduction and afterword by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans. 'Anne Morice has a gift for creating intelligent, affection-generating characters, set in light and entertaining atmospheres.' Spectator

'So what tips do you need of a criminal nature?' 'Oh, nothing complicated. Just the basic rules for committing the perfect murder will do to be going on with.' The Rotunda in Dearehaven has a reputation as one of the most distinguished theatres in the country. Its success is due to its owner, Elfrieda Henshaw, a strong-willed woman whose character and methods have moulded a professional and happy company. Tessa Crichton joins the cast of the new play, only to find the company has been upset by Elfrieda's protégée. Melanie, a young woman with a wayward past who has bewitched the old lady. As rehearsals get under way, Melanie disappears and everyone except Elfrieda is convinced she has absconded with the theatre's cash. Elfrieda is found dead, in puzzling circumstances which sharpen Tessa's acute antennae for the mysterious. It is then discovered that the famous Rotunda is nearly bankrupt - and the small residue of the once great fortune is bequeathed to Melanie. In splendid form Tessa ferrets her way to the truth in a most satisfying dénouement. Death in the Round was originally published in 1980. This new edition features an introduction and afterword by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans. 'Actress Tessa Crichton is just the girl to have in the wings when disappearance and death take the stage at a seaside rep. On cue.' Evening News

'I'm assuming that you want to see a murderer caught and getting what he deserves?' 'You bet I do. In fact, I hope he gets worse than he deserves.' When a young American girl disappears from her flat and usual London haunts, her friends and family aren't frantically worried. She is over twenty-one, of independent spirit - the type who might conceivably vanish in search of greener grass. But, Sandy Thurloe is also an heiress and a disappearance can often mean kidnapping. So her aunt by marriage is despatched to London to try to find out the circumstances of her disappearance. Her first move is to enlist the help of Tessa Crichton, soignée actress and amateur sleuth extraordinaire. Although some puzzling and contradictory facts quickly come-to-light there is really nothing concrete for Tessa to get her inquisitive teeth into. Then a ransom note arrives in America. From that point events move with menacing rapidity. This cleverly constructed mystery has all the ingredients of Anne Morice at the peak of her form: a delightful array of characters, a fast-moving plot and a truly ingenious dénouement. The Men in her Death was originally published in 1981. This new edition features an introduction and afterword by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.

Some fast thinking would be required, if I were not to get my head chopped off on the coming Friday. When Mrs Trelawney, a much-married Australian of considerable fortune, bought the big house at Sowerley, the locals hoped her money would help enrich the locality and the community. Instead they found themselves in a cold war. When Tessa Crichton arrives in the neighbourhood to stay with some old friends, there is a tense atmosphere as the established inhabitants mount guard over the oak tree threatened by the Trelawney axe. But almost before Tessa can catch up on the local news - eviction of tenants, dogs caught in gin traps, fortress fences round the big house - a murder occurs which makes all that has gone before pale into insignificance. Hollow Vengeance was originally published in 1982. This new edition features an introduction and afterword by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans. 'The fun lies in the style, light and sweet as a soufflé.' Daily Telegraph

He was confronted by the sight of his wife sagging full length on the sofa, where she had been since approximately half past six, when she was strangled to death with one of her own silk scarves. Death isn't in the script of the comedy slated to open in London's West End. But bloody bad luck during rehearsals has convinced actress Tessa Crichton that the first night of Elders and Betters will be its last. Even a charming plot can't help the doddering old star, Sir Philip Mickleton, who is dying in every scene . . . or the indecisive director, who's killing the timing; the producer, who's fatally fouling up the financing; and the leading lady and her lover, who are battling it out in the dressing room. But the finishing touch comes with anonymous letters predicting murder. Fear suddenly takes centre stage as Tessa switches roles from ingénue to detective. A theatre goes dark . . . and somebody dies. Sleep of Death was originally published in 1982. This new edition features an introduction and afterword by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans. 'The fun lies in the style, light and sweet as a soufflé." Daily Telegraph

"I should warn you that it is not a pretty story." "Stories about murder rarely are." Nobody knows who started the rumor that James McGrath murdered his wife Rosamund. Certainly, no one had seen her in a while, and she had gone off to visit a sick cousin without mentioning a trip to the neighbors. Still, everyone was inclined to accept the story, that is, until one of the neighbours meets the cousin in town, in excellent health and eager for news of country cousin Rosamund. Tessa Crichton, a guest in the Oxfordshire locale, is fascinated by this series of events. Fascination soon turns to a neat bit of detection when someone comes to her with a very strange confession. Dipping into the case with relish, Tessa soon suspects there's murder mixed up in the mystery. But, until she comes up with a body, or two, no killer can get just deserts. Murder Post-Dated was originally published in 1983. This new edition features an introduction and afterword by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.

'Not complaining, are you? Right up your street, I should have thought. Solving the odd murder between professional engagements is your forte.' When the rare chance occurs for Tessa Crichton and her policeman husband, Robin, to have a three week holiday together it is with some misgivings that Tessa agrees to spend the time at a luxury hotel in the West Country. Her misgivings are confirmed when she realises that Robin's insistence in going to Mattingly Grange is due to an unsolved murder which had taken place in nearby Chissingfield two years previously, when a young woman had been killed near the racecourse. The link between their hotel and the death naturally gives full rein to Tessa's natural inquisitiveness. There is also the added enigma of a birthday party at the hotel involving characters who were connected with the dead woman. Getting Away with Murder? was originally published in 1984. This new edition features an introduction and afterword by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans. 'What makes Tessa Crichton such good company are her shrewd eye and quick tongue for people and situations.' Daily Telegraph 'A lovely idea for your fictional murder, occurring at provincial arts festival and nearby racecourse. Lots of good old larger-than-life characters.' The Times 'Anne Morice's books are frothy and light, a welcome sorbet to refresh the palate between ponderously significant blockbusters.' The Tablet

'Ever heard of the Alibi Club?,' Robin asked when he was driving me home after one of the most disastrous first nights in theatrical history. When Tessa's Scotland Yard husband Robin is invited to speak at the renowned and respectable Alibi Club, she is excited to be surrounded by the members - all mystery writers of the first rank - although one is missing. Crime novelist and playwright William Montgomerie has died, leaving behind a widow and a lost manuscript. His former spouse, Gwen, suddenly blossoms into literary fame after years of struggling in the shadows. The splendidly eccentric Myrtle Sprygge, whose clairvoyant powers and old relationship with Montgomerie further complicate the situation, and lead Tessa to wonder whether Gwen is taking credit for something she didn't write. When Gwen is found murdered, everyone wonders what - and who - could have triggered such revenge. Dead on Cue was originally published in 1985. This new edition features an introduction and afterword by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans. 'A light hand, an engaging ease, and an inventive mind: all welcome qualities in the writing of crime novels.' Financial Times 'What makes her such good company - and the whole point of Miss Morice's book is to converse, as it were, with Tessa Crichton - is not her deductive skill but her shrewd eye and quick tongue for people and situations.' Daily Telegraph

'I don't give much for Baba's chances. Her days as an authoress must be numbered.' It is well known that the celebrated playwright, Sheridan Seymour, had three children by his mistress. The copyright to his plays was left to his legitimate daughters, but over the years Baba, the youngest, has gained sole control. Now Sheridan's work is enjoying a popular revival on the West End stage. Baba is rich and planning to write a biography of her father, promising salacious revelations. When Tessa Crichton is asked to help prevent the biography's publication, she needs no encouragement. With all of her customary curiosity she burrows deep into the family secrets. But she is brought to a halt by the disappearance of a family member, identified as the body found in a burnt-out house - but who reappears from an impulsive visit overseas. So who died in the fire? Publish and be Killed was originally published in 1986. This new edition features an introduction and afterword by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans. 'A light hand, an engaging ease, and an inventive mind: all welcome qualities in the writing of crime novels.' Financial Times 'What makes her such good company - and the whole point of Miss Morice's book is to converse, as it were, with Tessa Crichton - is not her deductive skill but her shrewd eye and quick tongue for people and situations.' Daily Telegraph

'How was she killed?' 'Strangled, I gather, with her own silk scarf.' A murder involving a group of Americans on an English 'Mystery Tour' has actress Tessa Crichton investigating members of the group, including a young lady recently released from a psychiatric hospital who claims she is seeing ghosts. When a woman is found strangled, Tessa is on the case, along with detective husband Robin. But, it will be Tessa's insight that helps Robin to solve the case as events reach a suspenseful climax. Treble Exposure was originally published in 1987. This new edition features an introduction and afterword by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.

'Rotten news, isn't it?' 'Rotten,' I agreed, taking it that he referred to the state of the national economy, 'but I daresay it will come all right in the end.' He stared at me as though I were either raving mad or drunk, which was excusable, since it turned out that he had been talking about the untimely death of Eliza Deverell. The renowned Deverell theatrical family, gathers to celebrate the 80th birthday of its matriarch, actress Evadne Proctor, on a TV show specializing in celebrities' lives. An unexpected guest is daughter Eliza, a former actress now married to an anthropologist and living on a Pacific island. Always a source of tension in a bickering family, Eliza is soon found in her hotel room, dead from a mixture of pain-killers and alcohol. Actress Tessa Crichton and her husband, chief inspector Robin Price, become involved, and while Evadne angles for a suicide verdict, Tessa finds that Eliza had a lot to live for. Soon other members of the Deverell clan excite Tessa's suspicions. This final 'Tessa Crichton' mystery shows Anne Morice's dry wit and keen observations in full effect. Fatal Charm was originally published in 1988. This new edition features an introduction and afterword by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans. 'A light hand, an engaging ease, and an inventive mind: all welcome qualities in the writing of crime novels.' Financial Times 'What makes her such good company - and the whole point of Miss Morice's book is to converse, as it were, with Tessa Crichton - is not her deductive skill but her shrewd eye and quick tongue for people and situations.' Daily Telegraph