Newman's Notes

In this story, a caretaker discovers a dead body in one of the vestries of the local Methodist Church, yet no weapon can be found and no motive is evident. Dennis Newman, the Conductor of the Coatham Choral Society, is disturbed by something he noticed subconsciously when he entered the hall that night and decides to make a few jottings in his notebook to help him clear his mind. There are various subplots running through this story. There is the story of the Choral Society and its run up to a successful concert. There is the troubled life of Newman himself, and Fred Randle, the Society's only boy treble and his underprivileged family, and Elspeth Drew (Fred's tutor) and her family. The story is told partly through the investigating officers, partly through local gossip and partly through the reflections of Newman himself. Ken Gorman, the author of this novel, is a native of Tyneside and a retired Art Teacher who enjoys writing, usually murder mysteries.