The only person worse than Martyn's abusive alcoholic dad is his Aunt Jean. A Think of the worst person you know, then double it, and you'll be halfway to Aunty Jean. But living with Aunt Jean seems inevitable when Martyn accidentally kills his father with a self‑defensive shove, causing the drunken man to fall and hit his head on the fireplace. Years of reading Sherlock Holmes and watching Inspector Morse on television inspire a fearful Martyn to hide his father;s death. He disposes of the body with the help of his neighbor and secret love‑interest, Alex, who is full of ideas for how to handle the details. It’s a tricky situation that’s about to get worse when Martyn discovers his father was about to receive an inheritance. Just as the suspense becomes almost unbearable, another unexpected plot twist strikes without warning. Despite its macabre content, Martyn's compelling tale contains moments of inspired comedy, as when he and Alex must convince Aunt Jean that his father's dead body is actually just a sleeping one. Moral questions that plague Martyn are seamlessly integrated with the entertaining and engrossing mystery. (Ages 14 and older)