*"She came to me for help, Andrew, and I failed her. I failed her living, but I promise to God I won't fail her dead!"* Richard Arbuthnot is convinced that a crime will be committed. The odd behaviour of a man who shares his train to work in Kingsley raises suspicions - suspicions which soon drive Arbuthnot to contact detective Anthony Bathurst. The next day, Bathurst is approached by Kathleen Regan to investigate the disappearance of her artist brother. When Bathurst discovers that Regan also lives in Kingsley, it seems that trouble is afoot in that parish. *The Grim Maiden* was first published in 1944.