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Dalgliesh
Chief Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh investigates the death of Alice Liddell who ran a home for unwed mothers. One of those residents is Sally Jupp who was a witness in a drugs smuggling and murder investigation in London. Sally works at the local manor house for the Maxies and it is apparent that eldest son Stephen has more than just a passing interest in her. The night after they announce their engagement, Sally is found strangled in her bed. The question is whether her death is related to the London investigation or a completely different reason altogether. Her engagement created a good deal of ill feeling among the Maxies and several guests in the house with any one of them having a motive to kill her.
Unwed mother Sally Jupp meets Dalgliesh when her friend Stavros is murdered. Dr. Stephen Maxie makes his mother hires Sally as housemaid, but the rest of the household hates her. Dalgliesh tracks the drug ring Stavros was part of.
Sally blackmails her uncle for airfare to Venezuela. Stephen's engagement to Sally shatters the family. Dalgliesh narrows the suspects down to the one person missing when the victim was found.
Dalgiesh learns of Sally's attempt to blackmail Victor and her letters from Venezuela. Deborah is attacked. The Maxie family and guests start suspecting each other.
Adam Dalgleish has found circumstantial evidence involving the Maxie's daughter, Deborah, in the drugs and murder case he is investigating. Her brother is one of the suspects in another murder that took place in the Maxie's manor.
Deborah Maxie suspects her brother of killing his fiancee Sally and tells their mother. Dalgleish learns that Sally has been getting letters from Venezuela; her uncle confesses that he had been in her room the night she was killed.
Martha's venom spills out, and she admits having put sleeping pills in Sally's cocoa. A surprise arrives from Venezuela, and the two murderers of Dalgleish's two cases are brought to justice.
