Helen Goddard knows her husband is sleeping with Marion Walsh. She hasn't done anything about it because she's not sure what she wants to do. But there's gossip - mainly between the charwoman for Marion and the milkman's wife. And everyone in town knows about it. Marion's char, Betty Hartley, isn't above making a snide remark or two to Marion, and also not above stealing a pint or two of milk, figuring she won't notice.

But Little Henge is about to change: Betty steals a pint of milk from Marion - milk that's tainted with cyanide, and was more than likely meant for Marion. Now the police are called, and Chief Inspector John Morrissey travels to Little Henge to question, search, and discover what he can. What he discovers is that Betty's cohort, Ida - the milkman's wife - has a lot to say about the murder and who might be suspect - namely, Helen Goddard, whose husband was having an affair with Marion.

But Morrissey doesn't expect to find that he's attracted to Helen; mostly because she reminds him of his wife, and he doesn't want to believe she's capable of murder. After all, Marion is an unlikable woman, and he decides right away there's more to the murder than she's saying. But it's not until Marion is also murdered - brutally - that he begins his investigation in earnest, and what he finds isn't at all what he expected...

This is the first in a short series of books by Kay Mitchell. I can only say after reading it I wish she would have gone on with the series. It is that good. Really. The mystery starts almost immediately with the death of Betty, and we learn that Marion doesn't want anyone involved in her life - so much so, she destroys evidence. But it is what comes after that which is so fascinating to read.

Morrissey is very thorough, and keeps his emotions in check while he investigates. He uses his logic at every step of the way, and even when it leads him down one road, if he's not positive it's the right one, he begins again until it leads him down another. In this he differs from his sergeant, Barrett, who is not only ruled by emotion, he's convinced the murderer is Helen's husband Robert. He rankles at being dismissed by Morrissey, because he thinks he's smarter than him. But Morrissey is no fool. He knows what Barrett is about - and he also knows Barrett has more on his mind than a murder case.

But then Morrissey's wife Margaret tells him of something that's bothering her - it seems on one of her committees they were discussing the disappearance of several boys from their son's school - more than would be expected, and asks him to look into it, which he promises to do when the case is settled. However, when everything seems to be wrapped up nice and tight, Morrissey has questions...and those questions lead him down another path again...one he discovers quite by accident and ties both cases together.

The book is written very well, with characters who are believable and animated; you are drawn into the story almost immediately and waiting for the next piece of information to fall in your lap. Morrissey is quite interesting and I enjoyed watching him put the pieces together as he gleaned information from various sources. Small things discovered had him chasing clues that lead to something else to add to the puzzle. Red herrings abound, and it is up to the reader to decipher them along with the Inspector.

It is by chance that I discovered this book and I liked it so well that I have been searching out the rest in the series. This book is a British police procedural of the finest and should be read by anyone who enjoys the same. Highly recommended. ( )