27 MAY 1978, Page 19

Missing clue

Sir: Readers of my review (20 May) of Harriet Waugh's novel Mother's Footsteps must have been puzzled by the last sentence of my penultimate paragraph. It should have concluded: 'Whereas the police might accept that a man might have murdered his mother-in-law, they would refuse to believe that he had murdered her and stuffed her into the bargain.' (Omitted words in italics). Perhaps I should add that by 'stuffed' I did not mean that the hero was proposing to mount her as a sporting trophy.

Francis King 19 Gordon Place, London W8