Murder by Degrees

A severed pig’s head bought from an abattoir is the prelude to a series of murders. First comes the bludgeoning of a professor of English literature ... It seems at first to be an isolated crime. Then comes another - and another - and more. The dons are in an unseemly panic. The media can hardly conceal their delight. Detective-Inspector Hooligan is baffled. Obviously the killer `has it in’ for professors of English literature, and is intelligent, resourceful, elusive. Furthermore, he displays intimate knowledge of the university world. But, until he is caught, his motive remains a mystery. And without knowing a motive, where do you start to look? Dogged investigations and intuition are the quirky detective’s only weapons. And will the killer overlook some essential detail? Killers usually do ... A murder mystery indeed - but also a comedy. Hooligan’s quest brings him into contact with many absurd dons - vain, bumbling, unethical, idle ... `Murder by Degrees’ might have been subtitled `Bloodshed With a Laugh’.