Michael Gilbert was born in a village in Lincolnshire in 1912. He worked as a lawyer and wrote his novels exclusively when commuting by train between Kent and Lincoln's Inn, 500 words a day in 50-minute stints. He was made a CBE in 1980, awarded a Diamond Dagger for the Crime Writers Association for lifetime achievement, and named a 'grandmaster' by the Mystery Writers of America in 1988. He died in 2006.
Discover the new Penguin Crime and Espionage seriesFor two secret agents, there's no such thing as a quiet life in the countryside...In a peaceful Kent village, Mr Behrens lives with his aunt at the Old Rectory, where he plays chess and keeps bees. His friend Mr Calder lives nearby...
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