Review: THE CORPSE ON THE COURT, Simon Brett

• Published 2012 by Severn House Publishers
  
• ISBN 978-1-78029-032-4
• 217 pages
• #13 in the Fethering series
• Read an extract 

Synopsis (Amazon)


The genteel game of Real Tennis takes a murderous twist in Simon Brett’s witty and entertaining new Fethering mystery. 

 Jude’s life has been turned upside-down thanks her new man, Piers Targett, who’s keen to get her involved in his hobby – or obsession – of Real Tennis. But when one of Piers’ friends dies on the court in suspicious circumstances, Jude finds herself caught up in the police investigation.

Meanwhile, Jude’s neighbour Carole is trying to identify the human remains known locally as the ‘Lady in the Lake.’ As the two investigations become intertwined, Carole and Jude’s efforts to find the truth look set to lead to more murders.

My Take

Reading THE CORPSE ON THE COURT brings my reading of the Fethering series up to date. This was always on the cards after my recent completion and enjoyment of GUNS IN THE GALLERY.

Following the pattern of recent titles in this series the two sleuths Jude and Carole undertake independent investigations at the same time as occasionally collaborating and comparing notes.
The story is narrated largely from Jude's point of view. The main action of the story, the death of an elderly man on a real (royal) tennis court, is connected to her. She has recently become involved with a real tennis player whose past provokes the actions leading to the death. The dead man's wife requests Jude to find out why her husband was on the tennis court at the time of his death.

Once again this is substantially a cozy, no blood in evidence. A relatively quick read and underlying the story are again Simon Brett's astute observations of society. And you even learn a little about real tennis. For the first time that I remember in this series, both Jude and Carole have to make decisions about what to do with their knowledge about the mysteries they solve.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read and reviewed (on this blog)
BLOOD AT THE BOOKIES
THE POISONING IN THE PUB
4.4, THE SHOOTING IN THE SHOP
4.3, SO MUCH BLOOD
4.2, A DECENT INTERVAL
4.5, BONES UNDER THE BEACH HUT
4.2, GUNS IN THE GALLERY

My recommendation - read the titles in order.

The Fethering series
1. The Body on the Beach (2000)
2. Death On the Downs (2001)
3. The Torso In The Town (2002)
4. Murder in the Museum (2003)
5. The Hanging in the Hotel (2004)
6. The Witness at the Wedding (2005)
7. The Stabbing in the Stables (2006)
8. Death Under the Dryer (2006)
9. Blood At the Bookies (2008)
10. The Poisoning in the Pub (2009)
11. The Shooting in the Shop (2010)
12. Bones Under the Beach Hut (2011)
13. Guns in the Gallery (2012)
14. Corpse on the Court (2012)
15. The Strangling on the Stage (2013)