The Scarlet Circle

2 September 2025

Territory Rights — Worldwide.

Jonathan Stagge (Author)

With an Introduction by Otto Penzler

Description

A Golden Age mystery featuring a sleuthing small-town doctor who’s out of his depth as a killer haunts a waning New England summer

On holiday on the New England coast, Hugh Westlake is enjoying the sun, the sea and the fishing. It being September, the inn where he’s staying is almost empty. The peace is shattered when a woman’s body is found strangled on the beach, with a red circle drawn around a mole on her face. The morbid scene becomes more so when she’s identified as the governess of a family staying at the inn. Hugh gets drafted by local police to help with the investigation. He uncovers dysfunctional parents, a creepy mortician, a handsome lifeguard and a woman painter—all with secrets to hide. Not to mention local legends. When another woman is murdered, with a mole circled, Hugh realizes he must tie up the loose ends of crimes past and present to net a most diabolical killer.

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Paperback

9781613167137

133 x 203 mm • 264 pages

£11.99

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