Embroidered Corpse
By Brian Kavanagh

     When antique dealer Belinda Lawrence and her associate Hazel Whitney stop at Kidbrooke House to look for antiques, they see a tapestry depicting a section of the famed Bayeux Tapestry, which its owner, William deMontfort, mysteriously refuses to sell. Shortly after their visit, deMontfort is found murdered. At the sale of his estate, Hazel buys an antique desk and lo and behold, Belinda finds the tapestry in one of its drawers.

     When Belinda asks her knowledgeable pastor about the tapestry, he seeks further information from his former university mate, but on his return from that visit he, too, is murdered. Apparently, there are several men trying to find the bit of tapestry which seems to contain a hidden message. Belinda and her lover, Mark, attempt to find the connection between the tapestry and King Harold at the Battle of Hastings and the murders.

     Embroidered Corpse is a pleasant, fast-moving story with much local color, witty dialogue and historical background about the Bayeux Tapestry and English history. The characters are portrayed with all their eccentricities, their charm and even their sinister designs.