Novel by Alan Conway

In 1955, the funeral for Mary Blakiston is underway. She was the housekeeper, and was found dead at the bottom of the stairs at Pye Hall in Saxby-on-Avon. Villagers suspect Mary’s son, Robert as the murderer, rather than accepting an accidental death. After the funeral and due to the gossip, Robert’s fiancé, Josie “Joy” Sanderling tries to hire famed detective Atticus Pünd and his assistant, James Fraser. Pünd demurs, mainly because his mind is on the news from his own doctor.

The next day, newspapers report the murder of Sir Magnus Pye. Pünd sees his role and travels there, where he and Fraser are greeted by Detective Inspector Chubb.

The murdered man has done much to anger people in the village. He was selling Dingle Dell to developers, angering Reverend Robin and Henrietta Osborne who live near it. His sister, Clarissa Pye resents her twin brother for inheriting Pye Hall and the money.

Investigation at the home of Sir Magnus reveals a burnt scrap of paper in the fireplace, a typewritten threatening letter with a handwritten envelope, and a paper in Sir Magnus’ handwriting saying “Ashton H /Mw / A Girl”, likely a telephone message.

They question Lady Frances and her son, Frederick Pye, and learn that the telephones do not work upstairs. They then question others including Brent; Clarissa; Dr Redwing; Dianne Weaver, Dr Redwing’s cleaning lady; pawnshop owners Johnny and Gemma Whitehead who purchase old silver; the Osbornes; and Robert and Joy.

Joy mentions that Mary disapproved of Joy and discouraged their marriage. They also tell the story of Tom, Robert’s brother, who was found drowned in the lake twelve years prior during a treasure hunt arranged by Sir Magnus, and Tom’s body was found by Brent.

The three investigators find Lady Frances is having an affair with a man named Jack Dartford. They question both about the murder. Lady Frances talks about a car that exited the road minutes before she discovers Sir Magnus’ body.

Some secrets are revealed: Johnny Whitehead had been in prison for theft; the silver was sold to him by Brent, who found it on the lawn; Dianna Weaver wrote the threatening message to Sir Magnus; a bottle of poison was stolen from the doctor’s office by Clarissa when she was considering suicide.

The doctor reveals that Clarissa was the firstborn of twins. The entail of Pye Hall is to the first born child, not first born male child. Their father forced the doctor to record the boy as first born. This explains the cryptic phone message Sir Magnus left behind; the doctor called him from Ashton House, and said that the girl was born first, his sister.

Matthew Blakiston, Mary’s husband living in Wales, mentions to Atticus Pünt about Tom’s dog, Bella having been killed soon after Tom was found dead. Matthew assumed Sir Magnus did that.

At the end of Part Six, Pünd says to Fraser that “Matthew Blakiston killed his wife”.

Susan Ryeland investigates

Susan Ryeland, an editor for Cloverleaf Books is about to read “Magpie Murders”, the first complete version from Alan Conway, of this novel in the Atticus Pünd series. Susan notices the last chapter is missing, therefore, the mysteries are not solved. She suspects several characters as the murderer — Brent, Robert, Matthew, Robin — of Mary Blakiston and Sir Magnus Pye, in the novel by Conway, lacking the author’s solution.

Her boss Charles Clover tells her that Alan Conway is dead. He shows her a letter from Alan Conway, suggesting suicide. Oddly, the letter was handwritten yet the envelope was typed. Conway fell or was pushed off a tower that is part of his house, Abbey Grange.

Susan goes to Alan’s home village to look for the last chapter, titled “A Secret Never to Be Told”. She talks with Alan’s boyfriend, James Taylor; Alan’s sister, Claire; Alan’s neighbor John White. Alan’s solicitor, Sajid Kahn found the body. Detective Superintendent Locke suspects suicide.

Susan sees how people in Conway’s village are models for characters in his last novel, or their names are used.

Her boss Charles offers her the job as head of Cloverleaf Books as Charles is retiring. Andreas asks her to run the hotel in Crete with him.

Susan thinks that someone murdered Alan and begins investigating. She asks Charles about his dinner with Alan when Alan gave Charles the manuscript. He mentions a waiter dropping a bunch of plates. Susan talks to the waiter. He is Donald Leigh who believes Conway stole his murder mystery plot for an earlier Pünd novel at a writers workshop.

She and Charles attend Alan’s funeral. Susan makes a list of potential murderers of Conway, including Claire, James, and Alan's ex-wife Melissa, a list she never shares. She sees a man with a fedora at the funeral; he wants to make a television adaptation of the Atticus Pünd mysteries.

Later Susan is given an envelope with a photo of John White and Alan in a fight on the tower. White denies killing Alan.

Upon returning to London, she meets recently fired secretary, Jemima, who says that Charles received "Magpie Murders" on Wednesday in the mail, a day before the dinner at the restaurant.

At the office of Cloverleaf Books, she finds that last chapter on paper. Charles appears. Alan would not change the title to "The Magpie Murders" because the first letter of the titles of the nine books spell out "AN ANAGRAM": Atticus Pünd Investigates; No Rest For the Wicked; Atticus Pünd Takes The Case; Night Comes Calling; Atticus Pünd's Christmas; Gin and Cyanide; Red Roses for Atticus; Atticus Pünd Abroad; Magpie Murders.

Charles learns at the dinner that Conway always planned nine novels, and that the detective dies in the last novel, leaving no chance for another author to continue the series. This angers Charles, as the publishing house makes most of its profit from the Pünd novels.

Susan realizes that Charles killed Alan. The photo of John and Alan arguing was taken by Charles. He then used the handwritten version of the last chapter to make that letter from Conway suggest suicide.

Charles knocks Susan out with a heavy object, kicks her while she is down, and sets the office on fire. Andreas saves Susan, and the last chapter.

Susan finishes reading the chapter of Conway's last novel. The book is published by another firm, as Cloverleaf Books is ended, with Charles arrested for murder. When she is sufficiently recovered, she goes to Crete with Andreas to run the hotel.

That last chapter by Alan Conway: A Secret Never To Be Told

Pünd writes a letter to James Fraser explaining his plans. Using the poison from Clarissa Pye, Pünd plans to kill himself, in view of his dire medical prognosis.

Afterwards, Pünd meets up with James, Detective Inspector Chubb, Robert Blakiston and Joy Sanderling and explains that Mary Blakiston’s death was accidental. Matthew Blakiston called his wife at Pye Hall that day. In her effort to answer the phone downstairs, Mary got tangled in the vacuum cleaner cord on the upper floor, resulting in her tripping, falling down the stairs, and dying.

Then Pünd reveals the murderer of Sam and Sir Magnus. Robert had murdered his brother and his brother’s dog 12 years prior due to his jealousy of Sam. Mary knew that and feared her remaining son, telling no one why she became so protective, not even her husband, resulting in their separation. She wrote a letter for Sir Magnus in the event of her death by suspicious circumstances and told Robert that she did this. This is the same reason she did not want her son to marry anyone, his violent ways.

Robert jumped during the funeral when the Reverend said "We must remember what she [Mary Blakiston] left behind". Robert tried to find that letter at Pye mansion after his mother died. He broke in, but could not retrieve the letter. He took some ancient silver items and then tossed them in the lake for the appearance of burglary. These items were later retrieved by police divers.

When confronted by Sir Magnus who has read Mary’s letter, Robert kills Sir Magnus and burns the letter written by his mother. Robert picked up the wrong envelope, explaining what Pünd found on first examining the Pye mansion. Matthew arrived, talked with Sir Magnus at the door and drove off; he returned shortly hoping for a more complete meeting. He looked in through the mail slot, saw the body and drove off. His car leaving is what Lady Frances Pye witnessed, before she entered her home. Chubb arrests Robert for the murder of Sir Magnus Pye.

Later, James Fraser posts an item in the Times newspaper explaining Pünd’s brain tumor and his manner of death, attests the high quality of Pünd, and states that he has given Pünd′s papers and partly completed book to a professor at Oxford University.