A Day on the River — Peter Sinclair

James Connaught and William Berger meet in a rehabilitation clinic after major surgery. One day, pedalling side by side on their exercise bikes, they began talking as strangers do who think they will never meet again.William learns that James is being ruined by his high-maintenance wife, Phyllis, and James learns that William's flourishing business is about to be destroyed by his ruthless sex-mad boss, Cory Wisdom.Then James makes the suggestion; you murder my wife and I'll murder your boss ... hardly an original plan.Imagine their surprise when the two intended victims are murdered ... but not by them.Those of you who have already met Edgar Hodgkiss in the many volumes of The Hodgkiss Mysteries now available, will recognise the main players in A Day On The River; Detective Inspector Donald Burke, his pedantic assistant, Sergeant Sanderson and Donald's wife Esme, Hodgkiss' daughter.In this first Hodgkiss novel the sharp no-nonsense senior devises some highly original ways of helping his son-in-law solve the two murders without damaging his frail ego.