First published in 1944 Fell Murder sees E.C.R. Lorac at the height of her considerable powers as a purveyor of well-made, traditional and emphatic detective fiction. The book presents a fascinating `return of the prodigal' mystery set in the later stages of the Second World War amidst the close-knit farmerfolk community of Lancashire's lovely Lune valley. The Garths had farmed their fertile acres for generations and fine land it was with the towering hills of the Lake Country on the far horizon. Garthmere Hall itself was old before Flodden Field, and here hot-tempered Robert Garth, still hale and hearty at eighty-two, ruled his household with a rod of iron. The peaceful dales and fells of the north country provide the setting for this grim story of a murder, a setting in fact which is one of the attractive features of an unusual and distinctive tale of evil passions and murderous hate in a small rural community.

E.C.R. Lorac is a pen name of Edith Caroline Rivett (1894-1958). A Londoner born and bred, she settled in Lunesdale in her fifties. Sound craftsmanship and compassion for the underdog characterise her writing, and these qualities, much in evidence in Fell Murder, ensure that her work has an enduring appeal. Her books include Bats in the Belfry, Murder in the Mill Race, Fire in the Thatch and Murder by Matchlight, all available as British Library Crime Classics.