Death prone

Hadrian Bascombe is an elderly, unconventional bachelor who lives in seclusion. He calls his surviving relatives together to say that he is about to die. Some come out of greed, others out of plain curiosity. They are told that his large fortune will go to one heir, whom he will name that very evening. He questions each of them in turn, and his cruel, mocking humor leaves each guest feeling like the butt of a joke. When they leave, however, his remarks have been so vague that no one knows what he intends.

On the drive home, the two youngest guests are involved in a serious crash. The Thames Valley Police suspect foul play, and when more violence cuts the number of possible heirs, Superintendent Mike Yeadings and his team conclude that the family is cursed with a run of deaths. The killer must be one of these sophisticated, eloquent, and self-assured people. Yet greed may not be the only motive worth examining. As each person in turn falls under suspicion, hidden secrets surface, along with odd personal quirks and betrayals. Through this grim sequence of deaths, Hadrian alone appears untouched, laughing at the cruel twists of fate.

Yeadings is drawn into the case more than he should be, as an old and painful love affair comes back to him, nearly breaking his rule against becoming emotionally involved. Refusing to dismiss what seems unthinkable, he follows a hunch that leads to a confrontation with an embittered killer.