CHANNILLO
Series Description:
Dr Diana Foster had never been north of Nottingham in her life. Now she was about to start a new role as Educational Psychologist at a school for gifted children in West Yorkshire. Founded in the late 19th century by local philanthropist Sir Templeton Taylor (known locally as ‘TT’), the school has been run by the Brotherhood of St Saviour, a small, esoteric Anglo-Catholic monastic order, ever since. The School, and the Brotherhood, are housed in Templeton Towers, the mock-medieval castle built using the huge profits from the family textile mills in Hartleydale.
Diana will be working for the new Headmaster, János Szabo, recently retired from the British Royal Navy. Though born in Hartleydale, Szabo comes from a long line of Hungarian aristocrats, dispossessed after the First World War, and forced to flee the homeland after the 1956 Uprising against the Communists. Szabo and Foster are to work together to develop ten exceptionally gifted autistic children, one of whom just happens to be Freddie May, fifteen-year-old son of Detective Chief Inspector May, of Hartley CID.
May and Szabo are soon in conflict with the Head of the Order of St Saviour, William Clair, who believes that he should direct the children’s education and not Szabo or any of his ‘experts’. Father Clair’s micro-management of the school is supported by Andreas Day, well-known former Vice-Chancellor of Hartley University and noted philosopher. The argument is not just about the establishment’s educational strategy; TT’s bequest is insufficient to cover the school’s costs; Szabo sees an opportunity to sell valuable land to developers as a way of re-capitalising. Clair and Day have other ideas.
The evening before a crucial board meeting, Freddie May and his fellow classmates, identical twins Vanessa and Camilla Matlock, see a ghostly apparition appear at the window of Clair’s office. The following morning, Clair is found dead in the School Chapel, kneeling in his stall as if in prayer. There is no sign of a struggle, no obvious cause of death, no clear motive, other than the disagreements with Szabo and Foster and the dispute over the sale of land.
DCI May, DS Charlie Riggs, and recently promoted DC Georgie Ellis, are assigned to the case. As they investigate, dark truths emerge about the Order of St Saviour, its founder, the genius students and Szabo, the Headmaster. As the investigation proceeds, May has to contend with Assistant Chief Constable Jean Samson, his new boss and old acquaintance. The tensions between them rise alongside the failure to catch the murderer. Then there is a second murder at Templeton Towers, seemingly committed with the greatest of ease. How many more will take place before the killer is apprehended?
Category/Genre(s): Mystery/Thriller, Adult FictionUpdated: Weekly
Status: Completed
Series Description:
Dr Diana Foster had never been north of Nottingham in her life. Now she was about to start a new role as Educational Psychologist at a school for gifted children in West Yorkshire. Founded in the late 19th century by local philanthropist Sir Templeton Taylor (known locally as ‘TT’), the school has been run by the Brotherhood of St Saviour, a small, esoteric Anglo-Catholic monastic order, ever since. The School, and the Brotherhood, are housed in Templeton Towers, the mock-medieval castle built using the huge profits from the family textile mills in Hartleydale.
Diana will be working for the new Headmaster, János Szabo, recently retired from the British Royal Navy. Though born in Hartleydale, Szabo comes from a long line of Hungarian aristocrats, dispossessed after the First World War, and forced to flee the homeland after the 1956 Uprising against the Communists. Szabo and Foster are to work together to develop ten exceptionally gifted autistic children, one of whom just happens to be Freddie May, fifteen-year-old son of Detective Chief Inspector May, of Hartley CID.
May and Szabo are soon in conflict with the Head of the Order of St Saviour, William Clair, who believes that he should direct the children’s education and not Szabo or any of his ‘experts’. Father Clair’s micro-management of the school is supported by Andreas Day, well-known former Vice-Chancellor of Hartley University and noted philosopher. The argument is not just about the establishment’s educational strategy; TT’s bequest is insufficient to cover the school’s costs; Szabo sees an opportunity to sell valuable land to developers as a way of re-capitalising. Clair and Day have other ideas.
The evening before a crucial board meeting, Freddie May and his fellow classmates, identical twins Vanessa and Camilla Matlock, see a ghostly apparition appear at the window of Clair’s office. The following morning, Clair is found dead in the School Chapel, kneeling in his stall as if in prayer. There is no sign of a struggle, no obvious cause of death, no clear motive, other than the disagreements with Szabo and Foster and the dispute over the sale of land.
DCI May, DS Charlie Riggs, and recently promoted DC Georgie Ellis, are assigned to the case. As they investigate, dark truths emerge about the Order of St Saviour, its founder, the genius students and Szabo, the Headmaster. As the investigation proceeds, May has to contend with Assistant Chief Constable Jean Samson, his new boss and old acquaintance. The tensions between them rise alongside the failure to catch the murderer. Then there is a second murder at Templeton Towers, seemingly committed with the greatest of ease. How many more will take place before the killer is apprehended?
Category/Genre(s): Mystery/Thriller, Adult FictionUpdated: Weekly
Status: Completed