Bat Out of Hell: An Inspector Clay Mystery

Wealthy estate agent Geoffrey Stewart is murdered by his younger wife, Diana, in partnership with her lover, Mark Paxton. But their plan to secure his fortune and make a new life together is thrown wildly off-course when Geoffrey's carefully stored body disappears and Diana receives a phone call asking her to meet her deceased husband... This story formed the basis of the successful 1966 BBC TV series of the same name, starring John Thaw and Sylvia Syms. Francis Durbridge (1912-1998), most famous as the creator of Paul Temple, also wrote several non-series thrillers, of which this title is one of the best examples.