Wycliffe and the Beales (1983) is a crime novel by Cornish writer W. J. Burley [1] featuring his series detective, Charles Wycliffe.
The Beales, a strange, reclusive family living on the edge of Dartmoor in Ashill House, consist of Simon, an old man entirely withdrawn from active life, Nicholas and Gertrude, perpetually hitting the bottle and playing war games, and the painter Edward, who takes long walks along the moors in search of artistic inspiration. The only one with any drive or ambition is Gertrude's husband Frank Vicary, and all of his time is absorbed by the task of running the family business.
When a murder rocks their local community, no-one has any reason for suspecting one of the Beales, until Wycliffe arrives on the case and finds his investigation leading him up the Beales's garden path.