It was common knowledge that David and Catalina Plesence's marriage was on the verge of collapse.
And nearly everyone knew David was seeing a lot of an attractive widow living nearby.
David longed for a divorce, but Catalina had other plans.
She adamantly refused to contemplate the idea: though she was prepared to obtain a judicial separation - provided the alimony was large enough.
When a man died after having had a drink in their house, the police establish that it was the work of poison and start looking to Catalina and David for answers.
Catalina finally sees her chance to exact terrible revenge against David.
She claims that the poison had been meant for her and that David had tried to kill her...
But who is the real murderer?
And will Catalina's allegation be held as truth?
Either way, their marriage is surely over...
A Deadly Marriage is a classic murder mystery from a master of the genre.
'A first-rate whodunit turning on the resourcefulness of a country gentleman who exploits the process of the law to delay its action. Author on the top of his legal and social form.' Francis Goff, Sunday Telegraph
'Tension builds up and there are two exciting court scenes. Roderic Jeffries established a very high reputation for himself in the field of the legal thriller with Exhibit No. Thirteen and Dead Against the Lawyers. Once again he has used a little known quirk of the law, and woven round it an enthralling story of immense intricacy.' Maurice Richardson, Observer
'The resulting legal intricacies make fascinating reading.' Hester Makeig, Spectator
'First-class, smoothly told, fine court scenes and sketches of lawyers entirely absorbing.' John Clarke, Evening Standard
'The most ingenious of Mr. Jeffries's exercises in legal trickery.' Julian Symons, Sunday Times
'Good court scenes; very competent.' Peter Dickinson, Punch
'...is for the mystery story connoisseur and particularly the man who can appreciate this ingenious exercise in legal trickery.' Police World
Roderic Jeffries was born in London in 1926 and was educated at Harrow View House Preparatory School and the Department of Navigation, University of Southampton.
In 1943 Roderic Jeffries joined the New Zealand Shipping Company as an apprentice and sailed to Australia and New Zealand, but later transferred to the Union Castle Company in order to visit a different part of the world. He returned to England in 1949 where he was admitted to the Honourable Society of Gray's Inn and read for the Bar at the same time as he began to write. He was called to the Bar in 1953, and after one year's pupilage practiced law for a few terms during which time there to write full time. His first book, a sea story for juveniles, was published in 1950.
Genre: Mystery
And nearly everyone knew David was seeing a lot of an attractive widow living nearby.
David longed for a divorce, but Catalina had other plans.
She adamantly refused to contemplate the idea: though she was prepared to obtain a judicial separation - provided the alimony was large enough.
When a man died after having had a drink in their house, the police establish that it was the work of poison and start looking to Catalina and David for answers.
Catalina finally sees her chance to exact terrible revenge against David.
She claims that the poison had been meant for her and that David had tried to kill her...
But who is the real murderer?
And will Catalina's allegation be held as truth?
Either way, their marriage is surely over...
A Deadly Marriage is a classic murder mystery from a master of the genre.
Praise for Roderic Jeffries
'A first-rate whodunit turning on the resourcefulness of a country gentleman who exploits the process of the law to delay its action. Author on the top of his legal and social form.' Francis Goff, Sunday Telegraph
'Tension builds up and there are two exciting court scenes. Roderic Jeffries established a very high reputation for himself in the field of the legal thriller with Exhibit No. Thirteen and Dead Against the Lawyers. Once again he has used a little known quirk of the law, and woven round it an enthralling story of immense intricacy.' Maurice Richardson, Observer
'The resulting legal intricacies make fascinating reading.' Hester Makeig, Spectator
'First-class, smoothly told, fine court scenes and sketches of lawyers entirely absorbing.' John Clarke, Evening Standard
'The most ingenious of Mr. Jeffries's exercises in legal trickery.' Julian Symons, Sunday Times
'Good court scenes; very competent.' Peter Dickinson, Punch
'...is for the mystery story connoisseur and particularly the man who can appreciate this ingenious exercise in legal trickery.' Police World
Roderic Jeffries was born in London in 1926 and was educated at Harrow View House Preparatory School and the Department of Navigation, University of Southampton.
In 1943 Roderic Jeffries joined the New Zealand Shipping Company as an apprentice and sailed to Australia and New Zealand, but later transferred to the Union Castle Company in order to visit a different part of the world. He returned to England in 1949 where he was admitted to the Honourable Society of Gray's Inn and read for the Bar at the same time as he began to write. He was called to the Bar in 1953, and after one year's pupilage practiced law for a few terms during which time there to write full time. His first book, a sea story for juveniles, was published in 1950.
Genre: Mystery
Visitors also looked at these books
Used availability for Roderic Jeffries's A Deadly Marriage