Cet auteur est célèbre pour ses romans policiers et ses récits du "gentleman crook" (gentilhomme cambrioleur). Il a créé une galerie de personnages mémorables, dont le rusé Richard Verrell, alias Blackshirt, et son fils Anthony, qui a perpétué la tradition familiale. Ses œuvres mettent également en scène l'astucieux Inspecteur Auguste Jantry du XIXe siècle et le Sergent Détective Robert Mather. Par ses intrigues complexes et ses protagonistes pleins de charme, son travail offre un mélange sophistiqué de suspense et d'esprit, plongeant le lecteur dans un univers d'intrigues et de justice.
Theodore Terhune finds the body of a policeman in the road one evening, run over by a lorry. The inquest delivers a verdict of accidental death, but the police and Terhune are suspicious. Investigations suggest smuggling is alive and well on Romney Marsh and the dead constable was on their track. The seventh novel in the Theodore Terhune series.
The narrative explores the theme of posthumous recognition through the character of Pierre, who remains unaware that his death will lead to a legacy of fame. The phrase "the second corpse" hints at a deeper connection or contrast between Pierre and another figure, suggesting a layered exploration of identity, mortality, and the complexities of how individuals are remembered after they are gone. The story delves into the intricacies of life, death, and the often ironic nature of fame.
On a trip to Yorkshire, bookseller Theodore Terhune investigates a suspicious accidental death that might be murder.
Bookseller Theodore Terhune investigates an old homicide case after he stumbles on the freshly murdered corpse of seaman Frank Smallwood, a man thought to have been killed nearly twenty years previously during a houseboat party on the Thames. An entertaining blend of detective story and courtroom drama.