Oundle Crime January

Sharpe’s Storm by Bernard Cornwell*
A new Richard Sharpe adventure, which takes place in 1813 and slots neatly into the series between Sharpe’s Regiment and Sharpe’s Siege. The Duke of Wellington is advancing into France, closing in on the heavily fortified town of Bayonne. It’s winter, the weather is abominable, and Marshal Soult’s forces are well dug-in and outnumber the British, so Wellington must use all his skill and guile. And that’s where Sharpe comes into his own! Cornish Eskimo said it was full of energy and humour, and a vivid portrayal of war in that age based, as always, on sound historical facts. A great read. 4 Stars.

The Meadows of Murder by Paul Doherty*
The latest Brother Athelstan mystery and only published this month, so it really is hot off the press. Set in London in 1383, Pussycat said she’d never read anything set as far back in history as this and it was fascinating. She loved the fact that many of the locations are still recognisable, so she really got a sense of place. The story itself is about retribution, tracing the aftershocks that follow one particular event, but it’s absolutely compelling. And although she worked out the mystery, there was nothing to explain the motive until the end, so it was a good read. This series is so well-established that many of the characters must appear in earlier books too, but she said that didn’t detract from the story or her enjoyment. She’ll be keeping an eye out for more of these. 4+ Stars.

Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess
Freyja received this as a Christmas present, so it’s not yet available at the library. She says it sits firmly in the cosy crime category, but it’s still pretty good. There’s no murder in it, no thriller element, hardly even a crime … just a mystery, which is easily solved. It’s set in a small village in the Peak District, where Cath has travelled from America for a murder mystery week. Cath’s mother has recently died and she’d found the tickets (already paid for) in her mother’s papers. The fictional murder mystery unfolds and is an intriguing story of murder, wayward aristocrats, thwarted lovers and much more. And at the same time Cath finds her own mystery. Why are some village residents looking at her as if they recognise her, and why do some locations seem so familiar from stories her mother told her when she was a child? There’s even a romance thrown in. Both mysteries get solved in an entirely satisfactory fashion. Freya didn’t expect to enjoy this, but she did and she gave it 3+ Stars.

The Killer Question by Janice Hallett*
High praise for this from Freyja, who said she thinks it’s almost Janice Hallet’s best book so far. Set in the world of pub quizzes it’s the story of a couple who run a fairly remote and rather run down pub. As always, the novel is written as a series of WhatsApp messages, notes and emails, and begins with a young man sending documents about his missing uncle and aunt to a true-crime series creator. Through these the reader can picture the goings-on in the pub some years before, meets the people who form the various quiz teams and learns something about the landlords. When a murder occurs, the reader comes to suspect that several other killings might also have taken place in the past. Freyja said it was huge fun to read – a clever, convoluted, and well-thought-out story, with lots of beautifully described characters. In places it’s laugh-out-loud funny and although the various crimes seemed impossible it’s so well-plotted that everything hangs together perfectly. 5 Stars.

Legacy by Chris Hammer*
The latest instalment in the Martin Scarsden series and it’s a good one. Scarsden flees to the Outback after a bomb explodes at his book launch and the secret service tell him there’s a contract on his head. He ends up in a remote town called Port Paroo on the border between New South Wales and Queensland and, while trying to lie low, stumbles on a long-running family feud between two cattle stations. Water is at the heart of it, but there’s also a 20-year-old murder and missing suspects as well. Cornish Eskimo really enjoyed this and said that Chris Hammer, as always, has made the Australian landscape and weather an integral part of the plot. Well-written, with a story that pulls you in, this earned 4 Stars.

A Killer of Influence by J.D. Kirk*
Eight social media influencers are kidnapped after a conference in the Scottish Highlands and their fate is being broadcast from an underground hideout. After one of them is shot dead on a live broadcast, DCI Jack Logan and his team are in a race to find the others. Meanwhile, the kidnapper has pitted the remaining hostages against each other, making them compete for the most “likes”. Norfolk Gal says the story is chilling and the characters well-drawn, although not all of them are likeable. The previous story in the series is mentioned occasionally, which left her wondering if she should have read that before this. Nonetheless, she enjoyed this and gave it 3+ Stars.

The House of Lamentations by S.G. MacLean*
A Damien Seeker novel, set in July 1658 in Bruges, where Seeker is working undercover as a jobbing carpenter, watching Royalist sympathisers. After recent military defeats in Flanders the King’s cause should be finished but plans to restore the monarchy are still being made by his followers, and Bruges is awash with intrigue, plots and crime. Granny Weatherwax said the historical detail in this was wonderful and it’s full of characters who are playing a double-game, so it’s hard to work out who are the villains and who the heroes. She loved reading this and gave it 5 Stars.

The Knight’s Pledge by Scott Mariani*
Set in 1191, this is another rip-roaring adventure about Will Bowman, who is bound up in Richard Lionheart’s crusade in the Holy Land. Will has been ‘spotted’ by the King and is now one of his trusted men, but he’s having doubts about where his loyalties lie as the siege of Acre continues and the campaign is becoming increasingly brutal. And then Will is sent off on a secret mission, which looks as if it might be doomed before it even begins. MadDog says this isn’t the sort of thing she’d usually read but, yet again, Scott Mariani has produced an adventure that was difficult to put down. 4 Stars.

The Midwinter Martyr by S.J. Parris*
This novella is set in the year 1576 in Venice. Giordano Bruno has arrived in the city having fled Naples and the Inquisition, only to find that Venice is not the safe haven he’d been hoping for. The killing of an aristocrat and the arrest of his wife and secretary for the murder is causing unrest; and when an anonymous letter arrives, proclaiming the woman’s innocence, Bruno is asked by the city’s chief of intelligence to find the writer. Mo said this was a great story, combining history and intrigue, and painting a fascinating picture of Venice at that time. In fact, she would have liked the book to have been longer so she could have found out more! Accordingly, she’s now planning to read this series in the correct order from Book 1 (this is Book 8). 4 Stars.

The Rebel’s Mark by S.W. Perry*
This story takes place in 1598, the time of the Irish rebellion and Spanish wars. Nicholas Shelby (a doctor) and his Italian wife, Bianca, have been ‘persuaded’ to spy for Robert Cecil and are sent to Ireland with the Earl of Essex. Meanwhile, back in Southwark, where they own a pub, there’s corruption and shady dealings with local officials who are working to obtain money and have no worries about killing to keep it. Even though she found this on the crime shelves, Norfolk Gal wasn’t sure this could be described as crime fiction but she enjoyed it, saying it was well written and the author manages to convey the fears and tension of the time, particularly around the threat of invasion by Spain. 3+ Stars.

In case it helps, the Star system we work with at Oundle Crime is as follows:

• 5 Stars: Outstanding and unforgettable. A book you can’t wait to tell others about.
• 4 Stars: A good book with an interesting, layered story that you’ll still remember after a month.
• 3 Stars: Not good or bad, just an average story and characters. You enjoyed reading it, but might not remember it after a month.
• 2 Stars: Poorly written, superficial and probably a bit of a yawn. Forgettable.
• 1 Star: Rubbish through and through. A book you wish you hadn’t read and don’t want to remember!

If you’d like to meet other crime fiction fans and chat about the books and authors you enjoy, why not come along to an Oundle Crime meeting? It’s relaxed and friendly, and anyone can drop in. Email join@friendsofoundlelibrary.org.uk and we’ll send you the details.