« The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross » Lisa Tuttle

“Witch!” cries the young man after stumbling unexpectedly into the London address of the consulting–detective partnership of Mr. Jasper Jesperson and Miss Lane. He makes the startling accusation while pointing toward Miss Lane … then he drops dead. Thus begins the strangest case yet to land — quite literally — on the doorstep of Jesperson and Lane. According to the coroner, Charles Manning died of a heart attack — despite being in perfect health. Could he have been struck down by a witch’s spell?

The late Mr. Manning’s address book leads Jesperson and Lane to the shrieking pits of Aylmerton, an ancient archaeological site reputed to be haunted by a vengeful ghost. There they sift through the local characters, each more suspicious than the last: Manning’s associate, Felix Ott, an English folklore enthusiast; Reverend Ringer, a fierce opponent of superstition; and the Bulstrode sisters, a trio of beauties with a reputation for witchcraft.

But when an innocent child goes missing, suddenly Jesperson and Lane aren’t merely trying to solve one murder — they’re racing to prevent another.