The village of South Mardian always observes the winter solstice with an ancient, mystical sword dance, complete with costumed performers. But for one of them, the excitement proves too heady, and his decapitation turns the fertility rite into a pageant of death. Now Inspector Roderick Alleyn must penetrate not only the mysteries of folklore but the secrets and sins of an eccentric group that includes a surly blacksmith, a domineering dowager, and a not-so-simple village idiot.
From her first book in 1934 to her final volume just before her death in 1982, Ngaio Marsh's work has remained legendary and is often compared to that of Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, and Dorothy L. Sayers. So sit back, draw the curtains, lock the doors, and put yourself in the hands of the Grande Dame of detective novels.
