8 /10 1 Votes
Country Great Britain Media type Book ISBN 9780747246640 Originally published 1994 Preceded by Death in Disguise Genre Crime Fiction | 4/5 Goodreads Language English Pages 467 OCLC 32275512 Page count 467 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Followed by Faithful unto Death, Murder at Madingley Grange Similar Caroline Graham books, Chief Inspector Barnaby Series books, Crime Fiction books | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Written in Blood is a crime novel by English author Caroline Graham, the fourth book in her popular Chief Inspector Barnaby series, which has been adapted into the equally successful ITV drama Midsomer Murders.
Contents
Plot summary
The Midsomer Worthy Writer's Circle, a group of amateur novelists, invite celebrated author Max Jennings along as a special guest. However, host Gerald Hadleigh is vehemently opposed to the idea but refuses to explain why, so he is promptly overruled by his peers. After the somewhat uncomfortable event, Hadleigh's companion Rex St. John is tricked into departing, leaving Hadleigh alone with Jennings. The next morning Gerald is found savagely murdered with a candlestick, his corpse stripped and all his clothes stolen, with no sign of Max.
Major themes
A dark and compelling mystery with horrific overtones, Written in Blood explores several challenging themes, including child abuse, transvestism, insanity and the nature of unconditional love.
Publication history
Television adaptation
Written in Blood was adapted on 22 March 1998 as the second episode of Midsomer Murders, the first being The Killings at Badger's Drift. The two-hour film starred Anna Massey, Una Stubbs and David Troughton, alongside John Nettles and Daniel Casey in their usual roles of Barnaby and Troy.