Sky High
In the village of Brimberley, the worst thing on the horizon seems to be the chance of being outshone by the rival village choir of Bramshott. But that is until Brimberley’s lead tenor is blown up in his home by an explosion that rocks the whole community. As an amateur coalition of the motorcycling choir leader Liz, her ex-commando son and a retired general begins to piece together this strange crime, mystery upon mystery compounds in a case involving dark secrets buried in the turmoil of the Second World War, parochial grudges, a burglar whose reputation borders on the mythical, and a volatile killer poised to strike again.
First published in 1955, this classic village mystery with elements of WW2 spy fiction showcases Gilbert’s ingenious plotting and ability to blow the reader’s assumptions sky high.
Michael Gilbert (1912-2006) wrote thrillers, police procedurals and espionage novels that rank among the highest and most varied achievements of British crime writing in the second half of the twentieth century. A founding member of the Crime Writers' Association, Gilbert was for many years partner in a London law firm and drew on his knowledge of the law and his service in the Second World War to write with an appealing authenticity.