Guy Fawkes Night, 5th November, 1930. Bonfires are blazing, rockets burst. In a country lane, revellers discover a car that has been set on fire. At first, they assume that this is the work of vandals taking the Guy Fawkes spirit a little too far, sitting at the wheel is a body, charred beyond recognition.

The initial assumption is that the owner of the car, Mr Harold Musgrave, a successful travelling salesman has taken his own life in a particularly grisly act of self-immolation. The post-mortem, however, reveals that Mr Musgrave was either unconscious or dead before the fire was lit. When Tommy Prosser, a local criminal, is charged with the murder, barrister Arthur Skelton believes him to be innocent, so sets out to ensure justice is served.

Allison & Busby has a very strong reputation in historical crime, from Edward Marston to Jacqueline Winspear. David Stafford looks set to carry on this success. David Stafford is a well known author and writer for Radio 4. He captures the period detail beautifully, with historical inspiration from barrister, politician and preacher, Norman Birkett QC, a renowned lawyer between the wars. Imagine Jeeves and Wooster with a nod to Miss Marple, perfect for fans of Sophie Hannah and Anthony Horowitz. The third title in Skelton's Casebooks' series draws you into the world of Arthur Skelton, esteemed fictional barrister of the 1920s and 1930s.