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by David J. Staniford (Author)
MURDER AT WIMBLEDON is set in London in the early 90's. Jack Hardigan, Australian university student and tennis player spends several summers at the University of London and trying to qualify for Wimbledon. He tells his story of this time when London had several ruthless underworld factions fighting for the rights to smuggling of anything to bootleg liquor, cheap cigarettes, illegal gambling, extortion, prostitution and exploitation of young women. Set against a vivid background of Wimbledon with its class distinctions and traditions and with the threats from the Irish bombings almost every week.
Jack quickly makes new friends in all levels of London society. He takes us on his personal tour of London and the qualifying tournaments for Wimbledon. He meets sports entrepreneur and promoter Frank Brown at Frinton-on-Sea who leads him through a labyrinth of various characters from a lonely rich diamond heiress to several crime bosses. Sicilian nightclub owner Dom Gloriosos becomes a supporter and friend, taking he and Frank out on his luxury yacht on weekend cruises. He meets the beautiful sexy Mirium during a weekend at her country estate. She watches him playing a tennis exhibition that weekend and finds she is in love with him. The story, as told by Jack in his own words comes to a disastrous sudden climax with a murder at Wimbledon.
Jack tells his story of that warm summer in London with great authenticity and empathy. He draws on all the grandeur and tradition of Wimbledon and tells of the great differences of class and stature of a society going through change. There is love, violence, sex and death in this story of a young man coming of age in a new world.
