The Twelve Saints of Christmas

Murder, mystery and a dog of distinction. Heathcliff Lennox investigates.

Book 12 in the Heathcliff Lennox series

Twelve Saints, who are not true saints at all. They are the great and the good, although none are entirely great, nor good - indeed one is a murderer.

Temple House near Bath is built upon an old Roman Temple, the house bequeathed many centuries before to a secret order of old aristocracy. The 'Saints' are not true saints, they are remnants; the last of their line, they have wealth, but no heirs.

The Order may invite any such relict to join them. They will come to live in Temple House, they will become a revered and venerable Saint, and when they die all their wealth must go into the saints coffers.

Each Christmas these coffers are opened and the Saints - after much debate and contemplation - will donate a proportion of their wealth to a good and deserving cause.

This fine philanthropic task has followed the same line for hundreds of years - until now. It is Christmas 1923 and a Saint is found dead, murdered, and the killer is from within Temple House itself. The Order of the Saints is shrouded in secrecy and this dreadful deed cannot be allowed to expose them. And so their keeper of the books - the Dead Reckoner - suggests they call in Major Heathcliff Lennox and ex-Inspector Jonathan Swift to uncover the killer.

Major Heathcliff Lennox - ex WW1 war pilot, 6feet 3inch, tousled dark blond hair, age around 30 - named after the hero of Wuthering Heights by his romantically minded mother - much to his great annoyance.