3. The Franchise Affair Grant is called into a baffling case in the quiet English town of Milford. Fifteen-year-old Betty Kane accuses two reclusive women—Marion Sharpe and her elderly mother—of kidnapping and beating her in their isolated house, “The Franchise.” The Sharpe women insist she is lying, but public opinion and the press quickly turn against them. With little physical evidence, Grant must rely on careful questioning, old-fashioned legwork, and his insight into human motives. As the trial looms, he pieces together inconsistencies in Betty’s story that point to a calculated hoax. Tey turns the detective novel into a study of mass hysteria, class prejudice, and the vulnerability of the innocent. 4. To Love and Be Wise At a literary party Grant meets the dazzling American photographer Leslie Searle, who soon vanishes while on assignment in a rural village. Did Searle drown, flee, or was he murdered? Everyone connected to him has reason for secrecy. Grant investigates amid a community of writers and broadcasters where vanity and jealousy abound. Slowly he uncovers the truth behind Searle’s disappearance—a twist revealing hidden identities and motives. The novel blends mystery with sly satire of the postwar cultural scene and showcases Grant’s understated persistence.
