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A Lesson in Dying

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What to expect

A Lesson in Dying is the first mystery novel in the Inspector Ramsay series by Ann Cleeves, author of the Shetland and Vera Stanhope crime series.

Who hung the headmaster in the playground on the night of the school Halloween Party?

Almost everyone in Heppleburn either hated or feared the viper-tongued Harold Medburn. Inspector Ramsay is convinced it was the headmaster’s enigmatic wife but Jack Robson, school governor and caretaker, is determined to prove her innocence.

With the help of his restless daughter Patty, Jack digs into the secrets of Heppleburn, and uncovers a cesspit of lies, adultery, blackmail and madness . . .

Continue the classic whodunit series with Murder in My Backyard.

Ann Cleeves Classic Crime - engaging mysteries to savour, beloved characters to meet again.

Praise for Ann Cleeves:


'Ann Cleeves is a stone cold genius' – Marian Keyes, author of My Favorite Mistake

'Everything Ann Cleeves writes is incredible' – Richard Osman, author of The Thursday Murder Club

'Ann Cleeves’s elegance as a wordsmith, the ingenuity of her plots, and the depth of her characters can be matched by few writers' – David Baldacci, author of The 6:20 Man

Critics Review

A fine writer
Sunday Telegraph
Cleeves is quietly carving out a reputation as the new Queen of Crime
Sunday Mirror
Ann Cleeves is a skilful technician, keeping our interest alive and building slowly up to the denouement. Her easy use of language and clever story construction make her one of the best natural writers of detective fiction
Daily Express
Nobody does unsettling undercurrents better than Ann Cleeves
Val McDermid
Ann Cleeves has an enviable talent . . . I love these books
CrimeSquad

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