The Kemps, a Cornish Catholic family, have held on to their hometown of Kellycoryk for almost 500 years, but it is beginning to look as though the present century will be their last. Roger, head of the shrinking clan, is desperate to save the family's house and land. His second marriage to the shrewd and tough businesswoman Bridget seemingly offers a way out. But Bridget, prosperous head of her own company, has plans of her own—taking Kellycoryk over for development. Then suddenly, Bridget disappears, and old memories begin to be raked over. Hadn't Julia, Roger's first wife (also a wealthy woman) disappeared mysteriously as well, presumably in a boating accident? Did Roger, his sister, and his disturbed children know more about the past than had ever been revealed? Wycliffe, who is supposed to be recuperating from an illness at home, finds the Kemps' case too intriguing to ignore.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Charles Wycliffe's 20th case (after Wycliffe and the Dunes Mystery) begins as he is on holiday with his wife in Cornwall, where he becomes interested in the 500-year-old estate of Kellycoryk and its family, the Kemps. The manor at Kellycoryk has fallen into ruin and is barely habitable. To save it, Roger Kemp, to whom heritage matters above all else, must either sell outright or lease it to the company owned by his wealthy second wife Bridget, who plans to make it a tourist resort. Roger, with "a knack for turning misfortune into... calamity," becomes the prime suspect when Bridget goes missing and the evidence points to murder. Wycliffe's natural curiosity becomes official when he takes over the investigation and turns his attention to the boating death of Roger's first wife, all while sorting out the Kemp family's festering relationships. Intuition, experience and factual inconsistencies lead him toward the solution of both deaths, but not before an apparently guilt-induced suicide occurs. This skilled blend of mood, character and plot will likely be read in one sitting.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
'A Wycliffe mystery is a thinking person's crime novel.' THE OLDIE
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Determining whether a character needs a lawyer, a doctor, a priest,
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This review is from: Wycliffe and the House of Fear (Wycliffe Series) (Mass Market Paperback)
Julia Kemp dies in a boating incident and Roger marries Bridget three years later. The two children of the earlier marriage are Crispin and Isobel. Another member of the household is Roger's sister, Agnes. A brother, Francis, lives on the property. It is an ancient estate. Isobel has taken to attending seances and seeking messages from her mother's spirit.
Charles Wycliffe is vacationing with his wife, Helen, to recover from a bout of influenza. Isobel believes the Kemp family is dragged down by the house, Kellycoryk. Roger Kemp is ready to sell the estate. Bridget's empty car is found at an unusual location. The problem with the theory of suicide is that it doesn't fit her observed mental state. Crispin claims he saw his father Roger driving Bridget's car, and friends tell Crispin to keep his observations to himself. The fact that Bridget is missing causes the police to open a case and Wycliffe to terminate his vacation. A van is sent for Wycliffe's use until an incident room can be set up. In dealing with the solution to cases, Wycliffe tries to form patterns in his mind. He notes that the members of the family of Roger Kemp tend to live in mental isolation. This work is sufficiently mysterious and atmospheric to enchant crime novel aficionados.
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