The Fordhamton Trilogy Box Set - The Fordhamton Trilogy, #4 - E-book - ePub

The three books in the Fordhamton Trilogy focus on the events in a small English town following the death of businessman and local councillor Alan Price. Price's death unleashes a series of petty crimes, vandalism, arson, sexual and business relationships, a threat to the survival of the local Football Club and a by-election that no one wants. The detectives assigned to the town include a cockney Inspector and a cold hearted Constable who suspects everyone.
In the first book, A Little Local Affair Alan Price is killed when his car hits a lorry in a country lane. Although his death was actually the result of a fatal heart attack the post mortem revealed the discovery of an unknown drug in his system which caused his unusual actions. Suspicion falls on the woman he had lunch with but as DI Steve Harley and DC Miles Davis start interviewing those close to Price they find that although no one actually liked him, no one actually wanted him dead.
His life and now his death affects everyone in town. The Bank Manager plots a devious fraud with Price's ex-wife, two councillors begin an affair under cover of electioneering and a faded rock star is tempted back into the limelight. When Harley is recalled to London Davis tries to make sense of the various conspiracies if they actually exist, and finally unmasks the most unlikely villain. The second title Return to Fordhamton follows the journeys of Tim Rose.
He is stranded in the countryside on the last day of a management training course. Unable to access funds, new clothing or transport he is accidentally arrested and released for a string of offences some in the company of a young woman who has a personal background of which some details are genuine, most not. Despite all efforts he keeps ending up in Fordhamton and not the company's training centre.
His arrival in town and residents attempts to help him adds to the problems some of its more respectable citizens are trying to suppress following a series of sexual revelations in Arthur Brown's will. The ethical Bank and Investment Company that employs Rose tries to extricate itself from the scandal and his mistreatment but an infection spread by bats at the training centre adds to their inability to contain any hint of wrongdoing.
The trustees of Alan Price's will continue their affair under the obfuscation afforded by the fact that no one understands what form a memorial to be funded by a bequest in his will should take. Acting Detective Inspector Miles Davis is sent to unscramble the confusion and manages to keep all the scandals under wraps. In the third title The Last Resort the inaugural Fordhamton Arts Festival intended to rid the town of the title 'most boring' gets off to a bad start when the stand-in for the school production of The Real Inspector Hound is found dead, very probably poisoned at the dress rehearsal.
More accidents occur and suspicion falls on the teaching staff especially the one-time student rebel Jay Hawkins. DI Miles Davis now working with the American secret service is sent to investigate as the murder victim was an undercover CIA agent stationed nearby at a intelligence gathering centre. The Arts Festival includes some bizarre acts and performances which act as a cover for a burgeoning political party.
Davis falls in love, finally understands how small English towns work and takes on the role of Inspector Hound in the play to solve the case.