‘Good.’
They set down a spray of roses.
‘All these life stories,’ Martin said, as they moved on between the neat rows of tombs.
The new grave looked splendid and, at first, banalities on the performance of the mason were all that passed between them. And then they fell silent.
‘Where is she, Paul?’
He didn’t reply immediately. He was trying to make a connection with the experience, trying to feel some energy emanating through the cool, clean stonework.
‘I only know where she isn’t.’
He raised his eyes to the mountains. Memories of his mother lived in their every rise and fall, as they did in everything she’d loved. It was a commonplace thought but, somehow, it hit him as it never had before. He felt a surge of happiness, suddenly, a bubble carried on a wave that broke in him and rose deliciously through his whole being.
‘Actually, Papa.’ He put his arm around Martin. ‘I’ve just realised I know exactly where Mama is.’
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My wife Liz has been my rock during the writing of this third Darac mystery, Box of Bones. As always, our immediate family, Rob, Clare, Katey and Bryan, has been a great source of help and inspiration, too.
For her time and for her invaluable insights, my thanks go to Susan Woodall. For their many kindnesses, I’m indebted to Lisa Hitch, Richard Reynolds and David Gower. Special thanks go to Katherine Roddwell for her translation work both from texts and during in-situ interviews with the Police Judiciaire in Nice.
Finally, many thanks to my agent, Ian Drury at Sheil-Land; and my editor at Titan Books, Sam Matthews.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Peter Morfoot has written a number of plays and sketch shows for BBC radio and TV and is the author of the acclaimed satirical novel, Burksey. He has lectured in film, holds a PhD in Art History, and has spent thirty years exploring the life, art and restaurant tables of the French Riviera, the setting for his series of crime novels featuring Captain Paul Darac of Nice’s Brigade Criminelle, the first of which, Impure Blood, was named as Library Journal’s Pick of the Month. He lives in Cambridge.
AVAILABLE NOW FROM TITAN BOOKS
IMPURE BLOOD
A CAPTAIN DARAC NOVEL
PETER MORFOOT
In the heat of a French summer, Captain Paul Darac of the Nice Brigade Criminelle is called to a highly sensitive crime scene. A man has been found murdered in the midst of a Muslim prayer group, but no one saw how it was done. Then the organisers of the Nice leg of the Tour de France receive an unlikely terrorist threat.
In what becomes a frantic race against time, Darac must try and unpick a complex knot in which racial hatred, sex and revenge are tightly intertwined.
‘Engrossing… an auspicious debut for Darac.’
Publishers Weekly
‘A vibrant, satisfying read.’
The Crime Review
‘Glorious setting and taut writing – a real winner.’
Martin Walker, bestselling author of Bruno, Chief of Police
TITANBOOKS.COM
AVAILABLE NOW FROM TITAN BOOKS
FATAL MUSIC
A CAPTAIN DARAC NOVEL
PETER MORFOOT
A SHOTS MAGAZINE PICK OF THE YEAR
Captain Paul Darac of the Brigade Criminelle is called to a potential crime scene – an elderly woman found dead in her hot tub. At first it’s assumed that she died of natural causes, but once a motive to murder the woman is found, there is no shortage of suspects.
The investigation leads from the world of fine art to the desperate poverty of the city’s high-rises. But it is among the winding streets of his own neighbourhood in Nice’s old town, the Babazouk, that Darac faces his severest test yet.
‘Pulls you along like an iron bar to a magnet. Crime and mystery readers will consume every last morsel of this book.’ Criminal Element
‘A thoroughly satisfying novel… Morfoot brilliantly captures the sights, smells and attitudes of southern France as well as giving us an engaging hero.’ Shots Magazine
TITANBOOKS.COM
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Box of Bones (A Captain Darac Novel 3) Page 36