A daisy chain for Satan

Mr. Ravensden was not really elderly - at least he certainly did not want to be referred to as a "nice old gentleman" - but he had all of the curiosity and all of the time to indulge it that a recently widowed senior citizen of unremitting energy and private means might be expected to have.

Especially since he had a raft of relatives and friends eager, it seemed, to relieve him in his loneliness. Which gave him a kind of hunting license to putter in and out of people's lives, mildly and goodheartedly getting the lowdown on who was sleeping with whom and other kinds of gossip of which Mr. Ravensden was inordinately fond.

Fortunately Mr. Ravensden was not only kind and curious, he was also astute. So when his nephew's absolutely gorgeous wife turned out to be an absolutely Grade-A bitch, Mr. Ravensden's interest in the human condition became acute.

Which was fortunate for all concerned. Otherwise no one might even have suspected they had a murderer in their midst.