The Superintendent's Daughter

Julie Mayo and Kathryn Conolly have been the closest of friends since their schooldays… So when each girl finds herself in a spot of trouble, it’s only natural they should turn to each other in confidence, their letters winging their way around the world and offering reassurance that they are not alone. But when one girl is found brutally murdered in a luxurious country house hotel, and the other goes missing, it seems that their friendship, and correspondence, might be hiding a deadly secret. Although desperate to be involved, Superintendent Gil Mayo is excluded from the case because Julie is his daughter. Unable to officially take charge of what might be the most important investigation of his career, Mayo begins his own unofficial inquiry, aided by regular updates from Inspector Abigail Moon, who carries on with the murder investigation. The two officers, in their individual investigations, discover that Kat seems to have been playing dangerous games with powerful people — and it is possible that Julie became deeply involved. What’s more, there is also reason to believe that the murdered girl was mistaken for her childhood friend. The murder inquiry centres not only on Kat’s colourful and complex love life, but also delves into the past. In the process, local people are drawn into the case, their success and importance making them anxious about the past indiscretions that are inevitably coming to light. Who was the intended victim? And, more importantly, where is the missing girl now? It is imperative that she be found — not only for the help she might offer for solving the case, but for her own protection. The Superintendent’s Daughter is a complex and intriguing crime thriller, filled with mystery and suspense. Marjorie Eccles was born in Yorkshire and spent her childhood there and on the Northumbrian coast. She later lived for many years in the Midlands, where her crime novels are set. She has written more than twenty books and short stories for broadcasting and serials, and is the recipient of the Agatha Christie Short Story Styles Award. The Superintendent's Daughter is her eleventh crime novel to feature Detective Superintendent Gil Mayo.