The innocents at home: A Superintendent Kenworthy novel

Inspector Kentworthy #16

by John Buxton Hilton

The rural town of St. Botolph's Fen End may have a pervert in their midst. Did Henry Gower, the very enthusiastic schoolteacher, carry the demonstrations in his sex education classes just a little too far? So claim four "innocent" schoolgirls. But the weakest of the four buckles and confesses to her parents that they made the story up-but why? Was it boredom, revenge, or just a pure evil in the leader of the group? After all, she's been seen consulting the town's ancient herbalist, a local witch of sorts.But when Henry Gower's body is found mangled in a pond, the unanswered questions grow even more complex. Only Superintendent Simon Kenworthy, with the help of the sexy but hard-nosed young cop Polly Parrott, can sort through the slander and find the true murderer.

Genres: Cozy Mystery

180 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

John Buxton Hilton was a British crime writer. After his war service in the army he became an Inspector of schools, before retiring in 1970 to take up full-time writing.

He wrote the Superintendent Simon Kenworthy series and the Inspector Thomas Brunt series, as well as the Inspector Mosley series under the pseudonym John Greenwood. Hilton died in Norwich.

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

"There are more questions than answers when four schoolgirls point fingers at their teacher with some serious charges: Is Henry Gower the malicious man they claim? Or is their story designed to spread scandalous rumors throughout their small town? When Gower turns up dead, Inspector Kenworthy is no longer in the mood for guessing games. Now a hasty confession from one of the girls will lead the Inspector to unravel an innocent ploy -- filled with deadly intent ..."
~~back cover

A typical Kenworthy plot: convoluted, involved, deceptive. The reader feels from the beginning that four young girls couldn't contrive such an intricate plot, but ... could they? Perhaps, and murder ensues.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is the best paperback I’ve read in awhile; The others have bored me nearly to tears.