The Discourtesy of Death

An anonymous letter sent to Larkwood's Prior accuses Peter Henderson, an academic celebrity renowned for daring ideas, of a grotesque murder: the calculated killing of Jenny, his disabled partner, believed by everyone to have died peacefully two years previously from a sudden attack of cancer.

But for this letter there is no evidence, no suspect and no crime. Time has moved on. Lives have been rebuilt. Grief and loss are tempered by a comforting thought: a paralysed woman, once an acclaimed dancer, had died quickly and painlessly, spared a drawn out illness; a life marked by agonising misfortune had come to a merciful end.

But now Anselm has been told the truth behind the soothing lie. He must move cautiously to expose the killer and the killing. He must think of young Timothy, Jenny and Peter's son. A boy who is still learning to live without his mother.

And so Anselm begins his most delicate investigation yet, unaware that Jenny's adoring father is also thinking of Timothy's future; that this urbane former army officer is haunted by the memory of torture and shoot-to-kill operations in Northern Ireland; that he remains capable of anything, if he thinks it's for the best; that he has set out to execute Peter Henderson.

Death, dying and killing, however, were never so complicated.

“Brodrick writes with great elegance, his style unhurried, dialogue intelligent, polite yet full of meaning.”

Complex and psychologically intriguing Good Book Guide
-- Marcel Berlins The Times
a reflective novel -- Joan Smith Sunday Times
Brodrick is amongst the greatest contemporary crime writers, and his novels cannot be dismissed as mere 'thrillers'. Thought-provoking and philosophical, they never hinge on a gory slaying, but on ethical dilemmas that are central to our changing moral landscape... my crime book of the year. -- Victoria Cross The Lady

William Brodrick was born in Bolton, Lancashire in 1960. Aged ten the family moved first to Australia and then Canada. He studied philosophy, theology and law, worked with homeless people in London, and then became a barrister, joining a set of chambers in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

He is the author of six Father Anselm novels. The Sixth Lamentation, was a Richard and Judy Book Club Selection, A Whispered Name won the CWA Gold Dagger for 2009 and The Day of the Lie received the Granice Crime Fiction Award at the Krakow Book Fair in 2012. Forced Confessions, the third book in the Benson and de Vere series, was shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger in 2021. He is married with three children. The family live in Normandy, France.

An ingenious, gripping thriller for readers of P. D. James and William Boyd A chilling letter An anonymous letter accuses the prominent academic Peter Henderson of a grotesque murder: the calculated killing of Jenny, his disabled partner, believed by everyone to have died peacefully two years ago. An impossible position Time has moved on. Grief and loss are tempered by a comforting thought: Jenny was spared a long and painful illness. Knowing the truth behind the soothing lie, Father Anselm must move cautiously to expose the killer and the killing without harming young Timothy, Jenny and Peter's son. A dangerous protector But Jenny's father is looking out for his grandson. He is capable of anything, if he thinks it's for the best. He has set out to execute Peter Henderson. Death, dying and killing were never so complicated. 'William Brodrick's crime novels have the great (and unusual) merit of being unlike anyone else's, not least because his series hero, Father Anselm, is a Gray's Inn barrister turned Suffolk monk' Spectator 'William Brodrick has established his reputation with an unusual series of novels that focus on moral dilemmas . . . a reflective novel' Sunday Times

An anonymous letter sent to Larkwood's Prior accuses Peter Henderson, an academic celebrity renowned for daring ideas, of a grotesque murder: the calculated killing of Jenny, his disabled partner, believed by everyone to have died peacefully two years previously from a sudden attack of cancer.But for this letter there is no evidence, no suspect and no crime. Time has moved on. Lives have been rebuilt. Grief and loss are tempered by a comforting thought: a paralysed woman, once an acclaimed dancer, had died quickly and painlessly, spared a drawn out illness; a life marked by agonising misfortune had come to a merciful end.But now Anselm has been told the truth behind the soothing lie. He must move cautiously to expose the killer and the killing. He must think of young Timothy, Jenny and Peter's son. A boy who is still learning to live without his mother.And so Anselm begins his most delicate investigation yet, unaware that Jenny's adoring father is also thinking of Timothy's future; that this urbane former army officer is haunted by the memory of torture and shoot-to-kill operations in Northern Ireland; that he remains capable of anything, if he thinks it's for the best; that he has set out to execute Peter Henderson.Death, dying and killing, however, were never so complicated.

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