With no sound at all, she pitched forward head first into the punch bowl, scattering canapés and glasses in all directions.

By all accounts, Mike Parsons is a paragon: considerate, loyal and devoted to his awkward wife - rumoured to be an alcoholic. But now he has done a vanishing act. Was he killed - and who would murder such a kind individual anyway?

Rising young actress Tessa Crichton is unwittingly set a real puzzle in investigating the case of a man she knew and liked - but who turns out to be a more mysterious character than previously thought. Needing all her detective skill to find out what has really happened to the saintly husband, Tessa uncovers evidence that increasingly puts herself in danger.

Killing with Kindness was originally published in 1974. This new edition features an introduction and afterword by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans.

'Anne Morice has a gift for creating intelligent, affection-generating characters, set in light and entertaining atmospheres.' Spectator