Carol Carnac (1)

Two young ex-Wrens start a business as interior decorators. Suffering from the usual housing problems of post-war London, they take on a place near Regent's Park which is recommended by their cleaner. However, this turns out to have its problems, including the facts that the owner has bypassed the usual bureaucracy when making the place habitable, and that the previous tenant may have been involved in a major art theft (his whereabouts are currently unknown). Finally a body is found in some nearby ground. Is it the ex-tenant? And where is the stolen artwork? This is an enjoyable read, with the young women Joe and Pen likeable characters who try to get on with their work despite all the setbacks. Chief Inspector Rivers works patiently at the case, together with his associate Henry Fearon, and the dramatic ending reveals some unexpected relationships between various members of the cast.… (mer)