Death and the Joyful Woman

Death and the Joyful Woman begins when sixteen-year-old Dominic Felse falls in love with Kitty Norris, a young heiress he meets in his English hometown. Soon afterward, wealthy businessman Alfred Armiger is found murdered. When Inspector George Felse investigates the crime, the evidence leads him to arrest Kitty, placing Dominic in direct conflict with his father for the first time. Convinced that Kitty is innocent, Dominic sets out to uncover the truth himself.

As Dominic pursues his own investigation, he becomes entangled in the complicated relationships surrounding Armiger's family, fortune, and estate. The case grows even more puzzling when questions arise about a valuable painted inn sign known as "The Joyful Woman," a seemingly unrelated object that may hold the key to the murder. While George Felse follows the evidence through official channels, Dominic risks increasingly dangerous actions in his determination to clear Kitty's name and identify the real killer.