The Franchise Affair - Intriguing mystery

Robert Blair, a solicitor living in the country town of Milford, is called on to defend Marion Sharpe and her mother, who are accused of kidnapping and beating a fifteen-year-old war orphan named Betty Kane. The novel opens with the Sharpes about to be interviewed by local police. Marion has telephoned Blair, who agrees to come out to The Franchise, their isolated home on the edge of town, during the questioning.