“…the aeroplane was hung suspended in a world of its own. Below, a white sea of cloud rippled. Around it other clouds flew past, tattered, ragged, and allowed frequent glimpses of the sun which, when it appeared, painted the vague blue of shadow from the aeroplane in fantastic magnification on the grey screen of the more solid cloud-banks below. Lady Laura looked round her, drinking in the sense of solitude which is one of the profound experiences of flying....”

I found this an enjoyable romp of a novel, though I was a little disappointed that the Bishop didn’t feature for much of the middle of the book - I’d expected him to be working alongside the police a bit more. I liked the relationship between the Scotland Yard detective Bray, and the local inspector Creighton, and there are an array of wonderfully eccentric characters.

As a newly-qualified pilot, I also appreciated the descriptions of flying - I can sympathise with the Bishop! - and it’s interesting to see how much the world of aviation has changed since the 1930s, and how much in some respects has stayed the same.