Wycliffe and the Schoolgirls
 Two very different women, a nightclub singer and a nurse, have been strangled in their own homes, under the same efficient modus operandi, within the space of one week. Although the media and police are unanimous in the belief that these murders are the work of a psychopath, Wycliffe believes the solution may be a bit more complex. When another attack is suddenly aborted for no earthly reason, the detective feels his theory has been proved; this is no ordinary killing spree. But his colleagues are entirely uninterested, and he knows he will be on his own this time. In the course of his solo investigation he uncovers a connection with an old school trip, a youth hostel and a cruel practical joke played on a lonely student.