Off With His Head

When the pesky Anna Bunz arrives at the village of Mardian to investigate the rare survival of folk-dancing, still practised there, she quickly antagonises the villagers. But Mrs Bunz is not the only source of friction; two of the other enthusiasts are also spoiling for a fight. When the sword dancers' traditional mock beheading of the Winter Solstice becomes horribly real, Superintendent Roderick Alleyn finds himself faced with a case of great complexity and of gruesome proportions.