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A bizarre clause in an elderly woman’s will exposes a dirty secret—and a murder—in this “intricate, witty, and thoroughly delightful” mystery (Publishers Weekly).

It was an odd request, but when Octavia Garamond passed away, she left explicit instructions in her will: The police must be present at her funeral, and the coroner should be exceptionally thorough when examining her body.

Amelia Kennerly is perplexed to find herself the sole executor of her great-aunt’s will, as she barely knew her. Further questions arise when the local parson, Mr. Fournier, is anything but happy to conduct Octavia’s service. Then someone breaks into Octavia’s home and tears the house apart. It seems the old lady’s words may have been eerily prescient: “Hell is empty, and all the devils are here.”

From a winner of crime fiction’s prestigious Diamond Dagger, this twisting mystery featuring Detective Inspector C. D. Sloan of the Berebury CID is “a literate, surprising treat” (Publishers Weekly).