Sir Paul Berowne, a British MP, is an old school mate of Adam Dalgliesh. Berowne contacts Adam for a meeting where he shares his plans to pursue a "higher calling", leave government, and leave his old life behind As Dalgliesh's own father was a Church of England vicar, and Adam considered taking up a similar vocation at one time, it seems natural that Paul confides his plans in him.

However, hours later when the MP is found dead in a local church basement, Dalgliesh is exceeding troubled. Was Berowne apprizing him that he was about to end his life by committing suicide as part of a bizarre ritual associated with his new pursuit? He appears to have been slaughtered by his assailant but offered no resistance. And, what about the "tramp" who appears to have been killed by the same weapon? Did they struggle and kill each other? On the other hand, Berowne had mentioned casually that he had been receiving threatening letters (a not uncommon occurrence for an MP), and that he had a mistress, and that he had told his wife he planned to leave his job and her.

In A TASTE FOR DEATH the murderer kills and kills again. As Dalgliesh closes in, some of the victims experience terrifying moments. By the end of the tale, no less than six deaths are under investigation by New Scotland Yard, and the last few frames are horrifying for one member of Dalgliesh's police team.

The cast of this mystery is loaded with wonderful familiar faces including the late Dame Wendy Hiller, Simon Ward, Fiona Fullerton and Penny Downie.