This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author's and publisher's rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

 

First world edition published 2011

in Great Britain and the USA by

Crème de la Crime, an imprint of

SEVERN HOUSE PUBLISHERS LTD of

9–15 High Street, Sutton, Surrey, England, SM1 1DF.

Copyright © 2011 by Maureen Carter.

All rights reserved.

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

Carter, Maureen.

A question of despair.

1. Women detectives–England–Birmingham–Fiction.

2. Women journalists–England–Birmingham–Fiction.

3. Kidnapping–Fiction. 4. Detective and mystery stories.

I. Title

823.9′2-dc22

ISBN-13: 978-1-78010-103-3 (ePub)

ISBN-13: 978-1-78029-000-3 (cased)

ISBN-13: 978-1-78029-500-8 (trade paper)

Except where actual historical events and characters are being described for the storyline of this novel, all situations in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to living persons is purely coincidental.

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Palimpsest Book Production Limited,

Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland.