A Strange Desire — Kay Mitchell

When the young town-planner was found dead after his car careered into a canal, the Coroner's verdict was that he had had a heart attack. But why won't the widow accept the verdict? And why, when she takes her worries to Chief Inspector Morrissey, is an attempt made to frighten her into silence? Morrissey's investigation uncovers a darker side of Malminster. Finally, when the mistress of a powerful town official is the victim of a sadomasochistic murder, the shocking solution rocks the community.