In Bloomsbury Magistrate s Court, one

man reigned supreme -- Donald Ferney,

the stipendiary Magistrate. By aiming his re-

marks, as well as his judgments, at the local

reporters present in court, Ferney hoped to

achieve the public image of "the kindly magis-

trate." Instead, he succeeded in making many

enemies in all areas of his life -- in particular,

among the permanent staff who served his

court. It was hardly surprising when threaten-

ing letters started to arrive, suggesting that

Ferney mend his ways . . . or else.

Here is one man with power, and many

enemies with their own individual reasons for

wanting him dead: a setting for a classical

whodunit - but nothing develops as expected,

and many things are not what they seem.

Michael Underwood is an acknowledged