One Foot in the Grave

by Peter Dickinson

James Pibble (6)

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CWA Gold Dagger winner Peter Dickinson is back: Now-retired Scotland Yard superintendent James Pibble isn't about to go quietly into the night--not when there's a murder case or two (or three) to solve At Flycatchers, a well-to-do nursing home watched over by no-nonsense nurse Jenny, one-time detective James Pibble shuttles between his nothing-to-live-for present and memories of the crimes he's solved--or failed to. He's roused from his listless existence when he discovers a dead body on top show more of the water tower. Security guard George Tosca isn't the only one at Flycatchers who has met his maker a bit too abruptly. There have been other suspicious deaths in the last three years, including those of military man Sir Archibald Gunter and Bertie Foster-Banks, an inveterate gambler and shareholder in the home. The arrival of a woman in black sets off a sinister chain of events, and before he knows it, Pibble is on the case. As he travels down a twisting path of blackmail and escalating violence, Pibble finds that his life is suddenly filled with purpose again. He will bring a cunning killer to justice--or die trying. But the real reason he went up to the tower on that stormy winter night is linked to a secret he'll carry to his grave. One Foot in the Grave is the 6th book in the James Pibble Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order. show less

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109+ Works 10,500 Members
Peter Dickinson was born in Livingstone, Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia on December 16, 1927. He served in the British Army before receiving a B.A. in English literature from King's College, Cambridge in 1951. He was an assistant editor and reviewer for Punch Magazine for seventeen years. His first book, The Weathermonger, was published in 1968. He show more has written over 50 books for adults and young adults. His works for adults include Death of a Unicorn, Skeleton-in-Waiting, Perfect Gallows, The Yellow Room Conspiracy, and Some Deaths Before Dying. His works for young adults include The Iron Lion, The Ropemaker, Angel Isle, and In the Palace of the Khans. He has won several awards including the Boston Globe Horn Book Award in 1989 for Eva, the Carnegie Medal in 1979 for Tulku and in 1980 for City of Gold, the Whitbread Children's Prize for Tulku, and the Crime Writer's Golden Dagger for Skin Deep in 1968 and A Pride of Heroes in 1969. In 2009, he was awarded the OBE for services to literature. He died after a brief illness on December 16, 2015 at the age of 88. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

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Common Knowledge

Canonical title*
Mit einem Bein im Grab
Original title
One Foot in the Grave
Original publication date
1979
People/Characters
Jimmy Pibble (Former Detective Superintendent); Mike Crewe (Chief Superintendent); Ted Cass (Detective Superintendent); Jenny; George Tosca; Maisie (show all 9); Toby Follick; Wilson; Dickie Foyle
Important places
England, UK
First words
Her kiss burnt on his forehead.
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"We can't let Lady Treadgold be right about everything," he said.
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.

Classifications

Genres
Fiction and Literature, Mystery
DDC/MDS
823.914Literature & rhetoricEnglish & Old English literaturesEnglish fiction1900-1901-19991945-1999
LCC
PR6054 .I35 .O5Language and LiteratureEnglishEnglish Literature1961-2000
BISAC

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260,109
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Languages
English, French, German
Media
Paper, Ebook
ISBNs
13
ASINs
4