Wycliffe and the Three-Toed Pussy (1968) is a crime novel by Cornish writer W. J. Burley, the first in his acclaimed Wycliffe series.[1]
The village of Kergwyns is baffled by the bizarre shooting of an attractive local woman; the only thing stolen from the scene being her left shoe and stocking, exposing her foot deformity. As Wycliffe investigates, he becomes acquainted with the life of a deeply unhappy woman who routinely manipulated the men around her. When it becomes apparent that she left clues regarding her murder imbedded in crossword puzzles, the detective wonders why, if she knew about her impending death, did she do nothing about it? And, perhaps more importantly, is somebody of power carefully stage managing the case's progress? [2]