Perlycross: A Tale of the Western Hills

by R. D. (Richard Doddridge) Blackmore

"Perlycross: A Tale of the Western Hills" by R. D. Blackmore is a three-volume novel published in 1894. Set in eastern Devon around 1830, the story follows the scandal that erupts when Squire Sir Thomas Waldron's body is stolen from his grave on the night of his funeral. Dr. Jemmy Fox, who loves the squire's daughter Inez, becomes the prime suspect in the desecration, threatening both his reputation and his hopes for marriage as the mystery divides the village.