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Wolf to the Slaughter - 1967

When a woman goes missing and the Kingsmarkham police receive an anonymous not alleging that she was murdered, Wexford and Burden launch an investigation into the seedier side of English market town Kingsmarkham. (Burden feels, with his conservative outlook, that an unmarried woman who sleeps around should expect trouble.) A human side to the story is provided by the romance which develops between one of their junior subordinates, hitherto strongly focused on his career, and the daughter of a local villain.

A Guilty Thing Surprised

The Best Man to Die - 1969

Inspector Wexford and his crew get involved when, on the eve of a wedding, the best man is found bludgeoned to death. His investigation of the life of Charlie Hatton, a combative and not entirely honest man, turns out a number of unappetizing secrets, plenty of animosities, but no clear suspects. It takes guesswork, painstaking police procedures and several puzzling coincidences before the motivation becomes clear.