Robin Pagham is dead - drowned in a sailing accident. The reaction of everyone in the village on hearing this tragic news is that Robin must have been drunk. After all, that was what he did best - that and drug-dealing and breaking his former girlfriend's nose, with a bit of TV acting on the side. Surprisingly, newspaper reports of the inquest state that no alcohol was found in Robin's blood. It was accidental death, with no clear cause. At the funeral however Robin's latest girlfriend - to whom he has just got engaged - stands up and, lifting back her veil, announces that somebody in the congregation has murdered Robin and that she's going to have their arse. Although estranged, Elsie and Ethelred begin simultaneous investigations into Robin's death - as ever with some comical results.

'A clever plot, with lots of laughs along the way' Daily Mail

Robin Pagham is dead - drowned in a sailing accident. Everyone's reaction is that he must have been drunk, after all, that was what he did best. But while attending Robin's funeral, crime writer Ethelred Tressider sees the whole village accused of murder by the deceased's latest fiancée, and finds himself personally invited to take up the investigation. With Elsie Thirkettle, Ethelred's ex-agent, 'assisting' while consuming half the town's biscuit supplies, the duo soon have ex-girlfriends, environmentalists and drug smugglers lined up as suspects. Under the guise of a murder mystery dinner party, reluctantly hosted by Ethelred, Elsie hopes to goad the murderer into a confession . . .