Three years later, in 1969, Silbury remains fundamentally the same as it was: a small town in the west of England with a broad High Street, a major independent school, five banks, eleven public houses, and a police station led by Inspector Fatima Dieng. But, as we first discovered in Silbury 1966, this small town stubbornly refuses to live up to its sleepy reputation.
Aspects of the completion and sale of houses on a new affluent estate raise suspicions among Fatima and her friends. But do they actually warrant official police attention?
There is a spate of vandalism in the town, raising the ire of some prominent citizens, as well as highlighting problems faced by young people, and deeper social issues.
In the course of what was supposed to be a pleasant outing to Sarum racecourse, Fatima and her friends are witness to two suspicious deaths, with significant repercussions back in Silbury.
As Fatima’s daughter enters her final year at Silbury Grammar School, the Headmistress is rushed to Forest Hospital with a mystery illness, a suspicious package is discovered in the school’s staffroom, and two of its leading teachers are the subject of homophobic abuse.
And towards the end of the year, Fatima is the subject of multiple attacks, both physically and through the press, and she almost loses her life.
Is there a common thread behind this strange series of events?
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