Holy Treasure!
David Williams
02 February 2012
9781447215387Synopsis
Hardly anyone attends St Martin's Church, Kengrave Square, in West London, and it's very nearly falling down. But when news gets out that it's to be closed, and possibly sold, there's a significant flurry of interest. The site is worth millions. Aziz Developments are after it, and so is the Community of Investors for Jesus - a curious American group of televangelists. Enter Kengrave Square resident, the Honourable Mrs Monica Lodey, whose grandfather built the church. The venerable Mrs Lodey is determined to save St Martin's. She's not only rich but she can also exert huge influence: her brother is Chairman of Grenwood, Phipps, the merchant bankers, where Mark Treasure is Chief Executive.
When the vicar's wife launches a fund to repair St Martin's, there's a rowdy parish meeting where Treasure's actress wife Molly is the first to promise money. Treasure hopes that can be the extent of his involvement. But when a sudden death follows, spawning more dramatic events, both he and Molly find themselves gradually drawn into yet another investigation, and this time very close to home.
As cleverly plotted and wryly funny as ever, Holy Treasure! is another thrilling escapade from fiction's best banker-detective.
Anyone who regrets the passing of the old-fashioned detective story could do much worse than turn to Mr Williams, with his astute but wry characterisation of English social life and his adept plottingSunday Telegraph
As nifty a puzzle as clever Williams has yet devised, redolent with the reddest of herringsSunday Times
As usual, the writer salts his tale with humour: but, also as usual, you leave the book with the sensation of having read more than just another thrillerFinancial Times
