Man of Blood

The plight of a young man who works for a secret London police unit infiltrating a gang of criminals forms the core of this well-wrought mystery. Young Piers Ashley, released from prison after serving six months on a robbery conviction, returns to his family estate in Sussex against the wishes of his aristocratic father and his younger brother Giles. He is welcomed back, however, by his sister Thea, who hopes to rehabilitate him, and by his mother, who seeks protection from mysterious threats that turn out to be blackmail. Piers, his police work still secret, investigates the blackmail while continuing his operation against a notorious but elusive gang leader. Shot and nearly killed, Piers doesn't know whether he's the target of the gangster or of the blackmailer. Soon he is arrested for the murder of his childhood enemy, son of the family estate manager and a suspect in the attack on Piers. Duffy ( Rook-Shoot ) contrasts a rosy view of English village life with a darker, grittier take on crime and deception. paints an at tractive, rosy picture of English village life and peoples it with civilized and charming characters. (Oct.)