DAVID STAFFORD

Shortlisted for the CWA Sapere Books Historical Dagger 2021.January 1929. When Arthur Skelton won the legal case of the century, he went from being an unremarkable barrister to front-page sensation. Now he faces a new challenge. Mary Dutton is accused of poisoning her husband and the police are utterly convinced she is guilty. Even her supporters think she did it. Skelton agrees to take on what many consider an unwinnable case, a decision wholly unconcerned with the defendants resemblance to a beautiful actress.With an army of women set to vote for the first time in history, the fate of Mary Dutton will have a significant impact on Britains political future. Skelton faces mounting pressure to find the truth, but will that be enough to save a young womans life?

A womans dismembered corpse is discovered in a suitcase, and police quickly identify her husband, Doctor Ibrahim Aziz, as their chief suspect. Incriminating evidence is discovered at his home and his wife was rumoured to be having an affair, giving him clear motive.With his reputation for winning hopeless cases, barrister Arthur Skelton is asked to represent the accused. Though Azizs guilt does not seem to be in doubt, a question of diplomacy and misplaced larvae soon lead Skelton to suspect there may be more to the victims death.Aided by his loyal clerk Edgar, Skelton soon finds himself seeking justice for both victim and defendant. But can he uncover the truth before an innocent man is put on trial and condemned to the gallows?

Guy Fawkes Night, 5th November, 1930. Bonfires are blazing, rockets burst. In a country lane, revellers discover a car that has been set on fire. At first, they assume that this is the work of vandals taking the Guy Fawkes spirit a little too far, sitting at the wheel is a body, charred beyond recognition. The initial assumption is that the owner of the car, Mr Harold Musgrave, a successful travelling salesman has taken his own life in a particularly grisly act of self-immolation. The post-mortem, however, reveals that Mr Musgrave was either unconscious or dead before the fire was lit. When Tommy Prosser, a local criminal, is charged with the murder, barrister Arthur Skelton believes him to be innocent, so sets out to ensure justice is served.

El desembarco de Normandía relata la cuenta atrás del desembarco de Normandía desde los puntos de vista de sus protagonistas. Una interesantísima crónica que describe un momento clave de la historia, escrita con el estilo de un relato de intriga.