‘M’ was for murder: Oundle Crime’s reading theme in November
In November we read books with the word ‘murder’ in the title, which were actually harder to find in our library than we’d thought. Maybe it was just the wrong day! Whatever the case, we all ended up reading something unexpected and we had a great discussion around our chosen books. Here are our recommendations – with murder, or not – listed alphabetically by author.
Darkside by Belinda Bauer
Book 2 in Bauer’s Exmoor trilogy and a dark, gritty police procedural featuring village policeman Jonas Holly. In the dead of winter an elderly woman is murdered in her bed in a village called Shipcott. It’s an extraordinary happening because Shipcott is the sort of place where no-one can move without being noticed, and the killer left no trace. Senior cops are drafted in to lead the investigation but someone in the village doesn’t want Holly to be side-lined and he starts to receive taunting notes blaming him for what’s happened. Calendar Girl found this completely absorbing, although she said she’d kicked herself for not working out who the villain was before the end! 4 Stars.
The Sussex Downs Murder by John Bude
Originally published in 1936 and now one of the British Library’s Crime Classics series. Two brothers live together on their farm on the Sussex Downs but they don’t get on. When one of them goes missing and his car is found later, abandoned and bloodstained, the police are called. But without a body Superintendent Meredith, a methodical and patient detective, must consider a number of different theories. Has the man been kidnapped; or maybe he’s been killed because he was having an affair with his brother’s wife? Mo says this is definitely a book from the Golden Age of crime – carefully plotted but fairly straightforward. 4 Stars.
The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves
The latest instalment in the Matthew Venn series, which is set in North Devon. Jem Rosco, a local hero famed for his sailing exploits, returns home and then disappears. During a major storm the local lifeboat is called out and finds his body in the boat they have been sent to rescue. Matthew and his team have to unravel Jem’s complicated past, with its connections to Matthew’s own childhood. Norfolk Gal felt the plot was rather weak and she found most of the characters unpleasant, so this just wasn’t as believable or gripping as she’d expect from Ann Cleeves. 3+ Stars.
Murder at Crime Manor by Fergus Craig
Billed as a ‘Roger LeCarre crime fiction parody’ this does exactly what it says on the tin. Detective Roger LeCarre is known to his colleagues and the public as the ‘scourge of crime and guardian of Exeter’. His many policing successes lead him to be invited to a party at Powderham, a manor house owned by a billionaire tech genius called Eli Quartz. The other guests include a bishop, a radio star, an impoverished aristocrat, an aging butler and the butler’s daughter. Stranded by a snowstorm the group are trapped, and one of them is killed. It should be simple for LeCarre to solve, except he’s the one found standing next to the body holding the murder weapon. Calendar Girl enjoyed this but found the parody a bit wearying at times. 3 Stars.
Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter
An unsolved, 20-year-old murder is being reviewed on a new True Crime TV series by a panel of experts: a retired DCI from the Met, a KC, a criminal psychologist, a journalist and a retired NYPD detective. The series is being directed by the stepson of the murder victim. The rest of the family want nothing to do with the series and the victim’s widow has dementia, so remembers nothing. Each chapter takes the form of a transcript of a different episode of the TV series, with the experts discussing different aspects of the case and agreeing what each of them should investigate next. Freyja says this has a good, convoluted plot and the characters are interesting. If there’s a fault it’s that there are several plot giveaways early on. But it’s well worth reading, so 4 Stars.
The Murder Box by Olivia Kiernan
A clever, fast-paced police procedural set in Dublin. DCS Frankie Sheehan is investigating the disappearance of a young woman, when she receives through the post what she thinks is a murder mystery game. On studying the contents of the box, however, she realises it contains items and clues which link it to her case, and it’s not long before other boxes are sent to different people are found to be connected to other crimes happening across Dublin. MadDog says this is a really gripping story – exciting, with lots of twists and some brilliant characters. She’d never read anything by Olivia Kiernan before this, but she’s looking for more by this author now. 4+ Stars.
The Murders at Fleat House by Lucinda Riley
A straightforward murder mystery about a series of deaths in North Norfolk. The first is a pupil at a select private school, who has ostensibly died of anaphylactic shock. The headmaster is desperately keen that the death is deemed accidental but the police are called in nonetheless. Then a younger boy at the school goes missing and an elderly master commits suicide. As bodies pile up DI Jazz Hunter and her sergeant have to untangle messy lives to get to the truth. Freyja says this offers few challenges for the reader, even though there are lots of different strands to the story and a lot of red herrings. But on the plus side it was a very easy read and pretty enjoyable. 3 Stars.
Skelton’s Guide to Suitcase Murders by David Stafford
The cover notes describe this as jovial and jocular, and that’s a pretty accurate description. It’s not laugh-out-loud-funny but it’s a lot of fun. A legal mystery rather than a courtroom drama. It’s November 1929 and barrister, Arthur Skelton, is asked to defend an Egyptian-born GP who’s accused of murdering his wife and trying to dispose of her dismembered corpse in a suitcase. It looks like an open and shut case (ha ha!) but Skelton and his clerk Edgar have to track down the real villain because they are convinced the GP is innocent. Cornish Eskimo really enjoyed this and is looking for more in the series. 4 Stars.
The Kind Worth Saving by Peter Swanson
Henry Kimball is a private detective, and former high school teacher. One day a woman, a former pupil, asks him to find out if her husband is cheating on her. As he begins his investigation the husband and his girlfriend are found dead (supposed murder/suicide) and he soon realises these are not the first deaths to happen around the wife, Joan – some of them dating back to her schooldays. Freyja says this is a very decent read and the characters are well-drawn, although she wishes she’d read the first book featuring Kimball to fill in some of the background gaps she found in this. Nonetheless, even being read as a standalone novel it’s definitely worth 4 Stars.
Murder at the Village Church by Victoria Walters
A Cosy Crime mystery that’s pretty well-paced and has likeable protagonists. Nancy and her grandmother, Jane, run her late father’s crime book shop and have developed an accidental side-line investigating crime. Nancy’s mother left them many years earlier, so when she’s told she’s been seen locally Nancy decides to try and find her. At the same time an ex-con, Sebastian Holmes, has moved into the village which leads Nancy into contact with some very unpleasant characters. This is a light, easy-going story that stretches the realms of believability and Norfolk Gal said that while she might not search for another book by Victoria Walters, if she found one by chance she’d probably read it. 3+ Stars.
If you’d like to attend a meeting of Oundle Crime to meet other crime fiction fans and chat about the books and authors you enjoy, email join@friendsofoundlelibrary.org.uk and we’ll send you the details.