Death of a Wine Merchant
The father of the groom, Randolph Colville, is murdered just after his son’s wedding, apparently by his brother, Cosmo, who is found sitting by Randolph’s body holding a gun. As Cosmo refuses to say a word in his defense, his barrister, Charles Augustus Pugh, hires investigator Lord Francis Powerscourt to find reasons to cast doubt on Cosmo’s guilt. Is Cosmo protecting someone? With a trial no more than six weeks away, Powerscourt, convinced that Cosmo is innocent, conducts a thorough investigation into the Colvilles’ personal lives and their wine business. After a more leisurely step-by-step investigation, the pace picks up as Powerscourt, who proves an appealing hero, races to solve the crime before the trial ends. The early 1900s are nicely delineated, and details of the wine business add to the story. --Sue OBrien