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Review: THE SEA HOUSE, Louise Douglas

• 
  This edition a large print version from my local library
  
• First published in Great Britain in 2024 by Boldwood Books
• ISBN 978-1-83751-649-0
• 472 pages  

Synopsis (Publisher)

A mysterious bequest and the legacy of a tragic love – only one person can unravel the hidden secrets of the past before it’s too late…

When Elisabeth Quemener dies she leaves a small parcel with the instructions that it must only be opened by Astrid Oake. The trouble is, no one knows who Astrid Oake is…

Elisabeth’s family turn to Touissants detective agency for help but, when Mila Shepherd and Carter Jackson try to track Astrid down, their frustration soon mounts. Their only clue is a photo of two young women holding the hands of a tiny child. The women are smiling but Mila is haunted by the sadness in their eyes. Is this Astrid and Elisabeth and if so, who is the child? And why are there signs everywhere in Elisabeth’s home that the old woman was frightened despite her living a quiet life with no known enemies?

As Elisabeth and Astrid’s story slowly unfolds, Mila feels the walls of her home The Sea House closing in. And as the secrets finally begin to reveal themselves, she is ever more determined to carry out Elisabeth’s final wishes. Because what is inside that unprepossessing parcel might just save a life…

Louise Douglas is back in the Brittany seaside town of Morranez with a heart-stopping, heart-breaking, brilliantly written and utterly compelling mystery!

My Take

In many ways a romantic thriller.  I struggled at first to get my head around the background to this story. Mila Shepherd has come to Brittany to look after her niece Ani whose parents died mysteriously at sea two years earlier. Mila's sister's body was found soon after the disaster but her brother in law's body has turned up recently in a local cave. The evidence found in the cave raises questions about how he died.

Mila is working for her stepmother at the Touissants detective agency which specialises in tracking people down. 

When Elisabeth Quemener dies she leaves a small parcel with the instructions that it must only be opened by Astrid Oake. The trouble is, no one knows who Astrid Oake is… 

The search for Astrid Oake takes Mila to England where Astrid's family was killed in a tragedy nearly 20 years earlier.

The plot gets better as it goes on, and eventually I really became invested in working everything out. 

My rating: 4.4

About the author
Louise was born in Sheffield but has lived in North Somerset for the past 20 years. She has three beautiful sons, and lives with her partner, who works in construction. 

Review: THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS, Agatha Christie

• 
  this edition read as an e-book on my Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08XB5JYLR
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ AC Press, Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 16, 2025
• Originally published 1925
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 605 pages - this rather inflated, more like 400 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-9895623426
• Book 1 of 4: Superintendent Battle 

Synopsis  (Amazon)

Little did Anthony Cade suspect that an errand for a friend would place him at the center of a deadly conspiracy. Drawn into a web of intrigue, he begins to realize that the simple favor has placed him in serious danger.

As events unfold, the combined forces of Scotland Yard and the French Sûreté gradually converge on Chimneys, the great country estate that hides an amazing secret... 

My Take (heavily reliant on an earlier review)

I don't appear to have read this novel as often as many other Christie novels. There are elements that I feel are rather weak, lots of red herrings, and a huge number of characters.

I have re-read it this time for discussion with my U3A Agatha Christie Reading Group in 2026.

I note also that at the time of reading this novel has been published for 100 years. The plot and its themes are perhaps a little dated, certainly some of the "romantic" dialogue seemed to be. On the other hand I am struggling to think of other authors who published over 100 years ago, that we are still reading. 

CHIMNEYS begins in Bulawayo, Africa, when Jimmy McGrath runs across his old friend Anthony Cade. Jimmy has in his possession a manuscript that needs to be delivered to a publisher in London by a particular date. He also has a bundle of incriminating love letters that he wants returned to the person who wrote them. He can't take them himself as he on the hunt for some gold.
Cade agrees to take on both tasks, and travels to London by steamer in the guise of James McGrath.

One of elements of this story is political intrigue related to the kingdom of Herzoslovakia in the Balkins. Its last king was assassinated seven years earlier and the kingdom has been a republic ever since. However the heir to the throne is attempting to claim it back. The Herzoslovakian links in the story become important because the manuscript is the memoir of a former Prime Minister.

The action moves to London and then on to Lord Caterham's country house Chimneys, where a murder takes place. Christie's search for a suitable protagonist continues. THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS marks the appearance of yet another, this time a Scotland Yard detective, Superintendent Battle. He is assigned to this case because of the importance of Chimneys, which is apparently often used as a pleasant meeting place for affairs of state. We are told Battle is a man of "ripe experience", and there certainly seems an attempt to give him a modicum of intelligence, and to allow him at times to be a step or two ahead of others in his understanding and intuition. On the other hand he is often poker-faced and expressionless.

Other people who will appear in later novels are Caterham's daughter Eileen Brent (Bundle) and Bill Eversham, a young clerk from the foreign office. Colonel Melrose makes a cameo appearance as the Chief Constable although in later stories and novels he will be the Coroner.

The novel is possibly set I think in "real time". There is a reference to European nations rebuilding for the past 7 years, which seems to indicate a passage of time since a cataclysm, possibly the Great War. There is however no other reference to those events. There is also a reference to the previous, assassinated, queen of Herzoslovakia having claimed Romanov connections.
Perhaps I am mistaken and the setting is actually in the period just before World War I when the Balkans was in great turmoil. Another point in favour of this earlier period is the reference to Bertillon measurements as a means of identifying a person. These were measurements taken of various parts of the body: a system in common use in France in the late 19th century.

This is a novel in which many characters are not who they seem to be, beginning with Anthony Cade who poses as Jimmy McGrath. There are many who are leading a double life, and it becomes difficult for the reader to decide who is on whose side.

There are elements in THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS that really don't work all that well. The idea of an arch criminal which first appeared in THE MAN IN THE BROWN SUIT makes an
appearance, as does the idea of conspiracy and secret societies, in this case the Society of the Red Hand. The Koh-i-noor diamond, part of the British Crown Jewels since 1858, makes a puzzling appearance.

This is also a novel in which Christie shows that she doesn't really care if the reader has all the information, that we should expect that she will keep cards up her sleeve to be revealed in the final denouement. The novel is full of red herrings, and at the end we ask ourselves if we had enough information to solve the mystery. A pattern that is becoming a trademark in her novels even by this, the 5th one, is that in the final pages the cast of characters will be gathered and all will be revealed.

I wouldn't rate this as one of her best novels, although at the time of publication it was well received. It feels rather over-populated with characters, heavily reliant on ideas of conspiracy, intrigue and political upheaval, with some romantic elements. 

On the other hand, I had worked out the answer to the central mystery about half way through, but failed dismally on the identity of King Victor.

My rating: 4.0

My Agatha Christie reviews

Review: I AM PILGRIM, Terry Hayes

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00D3NSDVO
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Transworld Digital, originally published 2013
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 705 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1448170609
• An Amazon Best Book of the Month, June 2014
• a bestselling Richard & Judy Book Club pick  

 Synopsis (Amazon)

The astonishing story of one man's breakneck race against time to save America from oblivion.

A FATHER PUBLICLY BEHEADED. Killed in the blistering heat of a Saudi Arabian public square.

A YOUNG WOMAN DISCOVERED. All of her identifying characteristics dissolved by acid.

A SYRIAN BIOTECH EXPERT FOUND EYELESS. Dumped in a Damascus junkyard.

SMOULDERING HUMAN REMAINS. Abandoned on a remote mountainside in Afghanistan.

PILGRIM. The codename for a man who doesn't exist. A man who must return from obscurity. The only man who can uncover a flawless plot to commit an appalling crime against humanity.

My Take

I seem to be reading long books lately. Here is another one.

I would classify it as a thriller rather than my usual crime fiction.  But despite its length, there wasn't a moment when I considered stopping. Those who have called it a page turner are right.

It brings together a number of seemingly disconnected stories against a background of events that we are very familiar with and that have shaped our world in the last thirty or so years. 

Highly recommended. 

My rating: 4.6

About the author

Terry Hayes is a highly reputed English-born author from the United States, who likes to write mystery and thriller novels. He is also a noteworthy screenwriter and producer, best known for his collaborations with the production house of Kennedy Miller. 
Author Terry was born on October 8, 1951, in England. Before getting worldwide recognition as a writer of mystery novels, author Terry used to originally work as a journalist in New York. He was involved in this profession for a considerable amount of time. On one occasion he got the chance to meet the popular Hollywood director named George Miller while he was doing the novelization of the plot of the 1979 famous movie Mad Max. After a few more unexpected meetings, the two began going along well. When they became acquainted with each other very well, author Terry was hired by George Miller to help him in developing the script for the sequel of Mad Max, called Mad Max 2.
Author Terry also wrote an unused screenplay of the popular Hollywood film called Planet of Apes in the year 1994. The script was titled as ‘Return of the Apes’. 

As an author, Terry made his debut in the year 2013 with the release of his novel titled as ‘I Am Pilgrim’. This book was published by the Transworld publication. Just after one month of the release of the book, its film rights were acquired by the production company of Metro Goldwyn Mayer. The production also hired author Terry for adapting the plot of the novel into the screenplay of the film. 

Review: LAST BUS TO WOODSTOCK, Colin Dexter

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004ZI0OFO
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Macmillan, Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 1, 1991
• Originally published 1975
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 269 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1743035771
• Book 1 of 13 ‏ : ‎ Inspector Morse 

Synopsis (Amazon)

'Do you think I'm wasting your time, Lewis?'

Lewis was nobody's fool and was a man of some honesty and integrity.

'Yes, sir.'

An engaging smile crept across Morse's mouth. He thought they could get on well together . . .'

The death of Sylvia Kaye figured dramatically in Thursday afternoon's edition of the Oxford Mail.

By Friday evening Inspector Morse had informed the nation that the police were looking for a dangerous man - facing charges of wilful murder, sexual assault and rape.

But as the obvious leads fade into twilight and darkness, Morse becomes more and more convinced that passion holds the key . . .

My Take

It is 50 years since this book was first published, and of course I have read it before. 
I am reading it this time with my U3A Crime Fiction reading group, introducing them to an author who is not only an award winner (see below), but someone who made a unique contribution to British crime fiction, and through that to our television screens with Morse and Endeavour.

This is the first in the series, the first time Morse and Lewis have worked together. So we learn a lot about each of them as people and as detectives, and the way they complement each other. We see Morse at his best and at his worst. As characters both are fleshed out, we learn important things about each.

The plot is an incredibly complex one, a murder mystery where the murderer and motive are not obvious until almost at  the end. Several times Lewis thinks Morse has lost his marbles; Morse also falls in love 

My rating: 4.5

I've already read

4.3, INSPECTOR MORSE: BBB Radio Collection
4.5, THE SECRET OF ANNEXE THREE - #7
4.6, THE WENCH IS DEAD -#8
4.3, SERVICE OF ALL THE DEAD - #4
4.4, LAST SEEN WEARING - #2
4.6, THE RIDDLE OF THE THIRD MILE - #6
4.6, THE JEWEL THAT WAS OURS - #9
4.8. THE WAY THROUGH THE WOODS - #10
4.7, THE DAUGHTERS OF CAIN - #11,
4.7, DEATH IS NOW MY NEIGHBOUR - #12
5.0, THE REMORSEFUL DAY, Colin Dexter  - #13  

The Inspector Morse series (Fantastic Fiction)

   1. Last Bus to Woodstock (1975)
   2. Last Seen Wearing (1976)
   3. The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn (1977)
   4. Service of All the Dead (1979)
   5. The Dead of Jericho (1981)
   6. The Riddle of the Third Mile (1983)
   7. The Secret of Annexe 3 (1986)
   8. The Wench Is Dead (1989)
   9. The Jewel That Was Ours (1991)
   10. The Way Through the Woods (1992)
   Morse's Greatest Mystery (1993)
   11. The Daughters of Cain (1994)
   12. Death Is Now My Neighbour (1996)
   13. The Remorseful Day (1999) 

Awards

2011 Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award 1997 CWA Diamond Dagger 1996 Macavity Award for Best Mystery Short Story : Evans Tries an O-Level 1992 CWA Gold Dagger : The Way Through the Woods 1989 CWA Gold Dagger : The Wench Is Dead

Award nominations

1981 CWA Gold Dagger (nominee) : The Dead of Jericho 1979 CWA Gold Dagger (nominee) : Service of All the Dead 1975 ILP John Creasey First Novel (shortlist) : Last Bus to Woodstock

Review: THE LONG NIGHT, Christian White

• 
  this edition read as an e-book on Libby through my local library
  
• Publisher: Affirm Press (October 28, 2025)
• Length: 304 pages
• ISBN13: 9781923046795  

Synopsis

Em has lived a quiet life with her complicated mother and is now looking for love and a potential escape from her small hometown. When a masked man kidnaps her in the dark of night, though, she is drawn into a terrifying world.

Jodie has been trying to forget a troubling time in her life, pouring her trauma into her work and out of her mind. Until one night her daughter is kidnapped and Jodie is dragged back into the violence.

As Em and Jodie race into the darkness, the agony of the past rushes up to meet them. It will take all their devotion and courage to escape this night alive.

Bold, vivid and heart-racingly intense, The Long Night is the darkest and most exhilarating novel yet from bestselling author Christian White.  

My Take

SPOILER ALERT 

I found this a difficult read and my low rating is based on the fact that I found it so hard to work out what had happened. There are two time frames, and Jodie is the connecting thread. I know the author was making me work hard to put it all together. I ended up feeling that there were some plot threads that had not been satisfactorily resolved.

My rating: 3.5 

I've also read

4.4, THE NOWHERE CHILD

4.5, THE WIFE AND THE WIDOW 

4.6, WILD PLACE

4.9, THE WIFE AND THE WIDOW  

5.0, THE LEDGE

Review: MURDER ON NORTH TERRACE, Lainie Anderson

• 
  this edition published by Hachette Australia 2025
  
• ISBN 978-0-7336-5209-7
• 325 pages
• A Petticoat Police Mystery Book 2 

Synopsis (publisher)

The indomitable Miss Cocks and Ethel Bromley return for Book Two in the bestselling and charmingly cosy Petticoat Police Mystery Series, inspired by one of Australia's first policewomen.

Adelaide, September 1917. Six months after solving the Dora Black case, Kate Cocks and Ethel Bromley are back walking the beat. The city is unsettled. Winter won't leave. Soldiers are returning from the Front with broken bodies and troubled souls. And now a powerful board governor has been found dead in the Art Gallery - dumped beneath a scandalous nude painting that has attracted both pious outrage and record crowds.

When Ethel receives an anonymous tip, she's elated at being seconded to the Detective Branch. The murder goes to the heart of Adelaide's elite, where this society girl is in her element. Miss Cocks is left grappling with six o'clock swills, shadows in alleyways and a brutal assault on a schoolgirl. She needs Ethel to catch her killer, and quickly.

Alas, murder in Adelaide is never a simple affair . . .

Inspired by the true story of Australia's pioneering policewoman, Kate Cocks. 

My Take

Historical crime fiction set at home is always attractive, and this one was worth the read. 1917. The first flush of World War I is over. 300 hundred wounded soldiers have returned and a popular army captain is busy drumming up another 150 recruits for South Australia's 10th Battalion. Murders are rare in Adelaide and then the Curator of the Art Gallery is murdered, throat cut, beneath a painting that has attracted a lot of attention. Kate Cox loses her assistant to the Adelaide Detective force, but the investigation is very slow.

The historical elements and settings of the story are credible and the characters strike home. 

My rating: 4.5

I've also read 4.4, THE DEATH OF DORA BLACK  

Review: DRAGON'S BREATH, Rhys Dylan

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0D8TRKCRQ
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wyrmwood Books, October 8, 2024
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 298 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915185341
• Book 14 of 19 ‏ : ‎ DCI Evan Warlow Crime Thriller  

Synopsis

In the mountains, some secrets are deadlier than the storms.

A man wanders lost on a filthy night in the Black mountains of Wales.

Despite the valiant efforts of the rescue services, he does not survive.

Is this an accident? Or malice aforethought?

DCI Warlow and team are drawn into a mystery that soon spirals into more deaths and a poisonous trade.

A devious killer is abroad. One that cares for nothing other than their own twisted greed. The dragon's breath taints everything it touches.

My Take

These stories are a combination of a serious police investigation and the development of personal relations between members of the team. by the time you get to the end of the investigation, and most matters are resolved, you are ready for the next. This one doesn't disappoint. 

If you are new to the series take the time to read them in order. You will be rewarded. 

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.6, THE ENGINE HOUSE - #1

4.5, CAUTION: DEATH AT WORK -#2

4.6, ICE COLD MALICE - #3

4.5, SUFFER THE DEAD - #4

4.6, GRAVELY CONCERNED - #5 

4.5, A MARK OF IMPERFECTION - #6

4.5, BURNT ECHO - #7 

4.6, A BODY OF WATER - #8

4.5, LINES OF INQUIRY - #9 

4.5, NO ONE NEAR - #10 

4.6, THE LIGHT REMAINS - #11

4.6, A MATTER OF EVIDENCE - #12

4.5, THE LAST THROW - #13 

4.6, THE BOWMAN - #15

Review: EXPECTANT, Vanda Symon

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle (Amazon) 
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BKPJRDV2
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Orenda Books, Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 16, 2023
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 306 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1914585586
• Book 5 of 6 ‏ : ‎ Sam Shephard

Synopsis (Amazon) 

A killer targeting pregnant women.

A detective expecting her first baby…

The shocking murder of a heavily pregnant woman throws the New Zealand city of Dunedin into a tailspin, and the devastating crime feels uncomfortably close to home for Detective Sam Shephard as she counts down the days to her own maternity leave.

Confined to a desk job in the department, Sam must find the missing link between this brutal crime and a string of cases involving mothers and children in the past. As the pieces start to come together and the realisation dawns that the killer's actions are escalating, drastic measures must be taken to prevent more tragedy.

For Sam, the case becomes personal, when it becomes increasingly clear that no one is safe, and the clock is ticking…

My Take:

Highly recommended.  I love the feistiness of Sam Shephard and the intution that she brings to solving cases. 

I realised when I recently read Vanda Symon's latest,  PREY, that I had missed a story in the series. EXPECTANT feels a very personal book, and the Author's Note at the end goes a long way to explaining why that emotion comes through. I think in many ways this is a "woman's" book.

I thought too that I hadn't noticed before how "Kiwi" some of Symon's language is, particularly dialogue.

Most enjoyable. 

My rating: 4.7 

I've also read

• OVERKILL - #1
• THE RINGMASTER -#2
• CONTAINMENT - #3
• 4.8, BOUND - #4
• 4.5, PREY -#6

Review: THE LAST DEATH OF THE YEAR, Sophie Hannah

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DMYM1492
•  Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins, Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 23, 2025
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 318 pages
•  ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0008710026
•  Book 6 of 6 ‏ : ‎ New Hercule Poirot Mysteries  

 Synopsis (Amazon)

The new Hercule Poirot mystery by Sophie Hannah, follow-up to the bestselling Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night.

New Year's Eve, 1932.

Hercule Poirot and his good friend Inspector Edward Catchpool arrive on the Greek island of Lamperos for a little holiday…or is it?

Catchpool suspects Poirot has a different reason for being there — one he won't reveal. As the clock ticks towards the New Year and a festive guessing game takes a sinister turn, can Poirot stop a murderer who is determined to strike before midnight?

My Take

There were a number of times when I almost abandoned this book, and I will seriously think about reading another. I found the plot convoluted and pretentious and could not imagine Agatha Christie putting her name to it.

Poirot has not told his friend Catchpool the truth about why they are spending the New Year on the Greek island of Lamperos, at the "The House of Perpetual Welcome", that he is there to investigate an attempted murder, and to prevent a murder occurring in the future. 

My appreciation of the book was limited by the fact that I did not like any of the characters, and struggled to understand the philosophy behind "The House of Perpetual Welcome".  

My rating: 4.1

I have also read

• 4.4, THE CARRIER
• 4.3, THE MONOGRAM MURDERS - #1
• 4.2, CLOSED CASKET - #2
• 4.4, CLOSED CASKET - audio
• 4.4, THE MYSTERY OF THREE QUARTERS - audio book #3
• 4.4, THE KILLINGS AT KINGFISHER HILL - audio book #4  
• 4.4, HERCULE POIROT'S SILENT NIGHT - #5
• 4.4, THE MYSTERY OF THREE QUARTERS 

Review: THE HITWOMAN'S GUIDE TO REDUCING HOUSEHOLD DEBT, Mark Mupotsa-Russell

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle 
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0D9GKWJ87
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Affirm Press, Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 27, 2024
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 313 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1923046962 

Synopsis (Amazon)

"I met my husband on the same day I committed my very last murder. There's a joke in there somewhere, about ending two men's lives.'
Olivia Hodges used to do horrible things - back when she worked for a Spanish crime syndicate - but she fled that life and moved home to Australia, building a family in the hippie, hipster community of the Dandenong Ranges.

When a small-time criminal gang brings tragedy to her family, superstitious Olivia believes it's the universe demanding payment for her crimes. She wants revenge, but has to get it without adding to her karmic debt. So she creates situations where these bad men get themselves killed through their anger, ego and greed - all while trying to mislead the cops long enough to finish what she started.

My Take

Olivia Hodges is a retired assassin living a life of seeming innocence with her family in the Dandenong Ranges, when she learns what it is like to be a victim. Her elder daughter is a accidentally killed, collateral in a robbery that goes wrong. Olivia decides to take revenge, using her skills to track down the driver and passengers in the car that caused her daughter's death. The police become suspicious that she is not telling them all that she knows, and then the tables turn and she becomes the hunted. 

Hard to say that I enjoyed this book. 

My rating: 4.5

About the author

Mark Mupotsa-Russell is a writer living on Wurundjeri Country in the Yarra Ranges. His debut noir thriller, The Hitwoman's Guide to Reducing Household debt, won the 2023 Affirm Press Mentorship Award and is out now! Before writing novels, he was a screenwriter, film reviewer, cocktail columnist, PR consultant and communications adviser in the suicide prevention sector.

Mark was previously shortlisted for the Text Prize, won a screen development grant from Screen Australia and had screenplays optioned. He lives among the trees with his Therapist-superstar wife, hilarious son and a moodle majestically-named ‘Mufasa’. When not writing he obsesses about movies and martial arts.

Review: MISCHANCE CREEK, Garry Disher

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0F495RSCY
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Text Publishing, Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 30, 2025
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 372 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1923059535
• Book 5 of 5: The Paul Hirsch mysteries

Synopsis  (Amazon)

Hirsch is checking firearms. The regular police audit: all weapons secured, ammo stored separately, no unauthorised person with keys to the gun safe. He’s checking people, too. The drought is hitting hard in the mid-north, and Hirsch is responsible for the welfare of his scattered flock of battlers, bluebloods, loners and miscreants.

He isn’t usually called on for emergency roadside assistance. But with all the other services fully stretched, it’s Hirsch who has to grind his way out beyond the Mischance Creek ruins to where some clueless tourist has run into a ditch.

As it turns out, though, Annika Nordrum isn’t exactly a tourist. She’s searching for the body of her mother, who went missing seven years ago. And the only sense in which she’s clueless is the lack of information unearthed by the cops who phoned in the original investigation.

Hirsch owes it to Annika to help, doesn’t he? Not to mention that tackling a cold case beats the hell out of gun audits and admin…

My Take

Another lovely treat from Garry Disher. The Hirsch series is set in South Australia just north of the Barossa Valley. Years ago Paul Hirschausen blotted his copy book, was stripped of his rank, and became a lone police constable at Tiverton. He does all the usual things a solitary cop would do but occasionally other things a bit more adventurous. 

In this series we've seen him develop in the role, and show himself not just competent  but conscientious and thoughtful, with a few detective skills thrown in. There is a strong Australian flavour not just to the characterisation but also to the settings and plot lines. Local concerns and issues are to the fore too.

My rating: 4.7

I've also read

4.7, WYATT

4.8, WHISPERING DEATH

4.7, BLOOD MOON

4.2, THE HEAT

4.5, SIGNAL LOSS

4.7, HER

4.9, UNDER THE COLD BRIGHT LIGHTS

4.7, KILL SHOT

5.0, BITTER WASH ROAD - Hirsch #1 - aka HELL TO PAY

5.0, PEACE- Hirsch #2

5.0, CONSOLATION - Hirsch #3

4.7, DAY'S END- Hirsch #4

4.8, THE WAY IT IS NOW

4.8, SANCTUARY

4.7, THE WAY IT IS NOW 

Review: LEGACY, Chris Hammer

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on Libby, provided by my local library 
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Allen & Unwin, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 30 September 2025
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 491 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1761507359
• Book 4 of 4 ‏ : ‎ Martin Scarsden

Synopsis (Publisher) 

Martin Scarsden flees an assassination attempt but lands in even more trouble with a deadly family feud leaving him at death's door in Chris Hammer's next blockbuster crime novel.

MARTIN SCARSDEN IS ON THE RUN. WILL THE DESERT SAVE HIM – OR BURY HIM?

The blast hits them, a shock wave ... glass smashing ... Somewhere a woman screams. A second explosion, and Martin looks towards the hall, what's left of it, flames roaring and smoke pouring skywards.

Someone is targeting Martin Scarsden. They bomb his book launch and shoot up his hometown.

Fleeing for his life, he learns that nowhere is safe, not even the outback. The killers are closing in, and it's all he can do to survive.

But who wants to kill him and why? Can he discover their deadly motives and turn the tables?

In a dramatic finale, Martin finds his fate linked to the disgraced ex-wife of a football icon, a fugitive wanted for a decades-old murder, and two nineteenth-century explorers from a legendary expedition.

Martin Scarsden's most perilous, challenging and intriguing assignment yet. 

My Take

An excellent read. Highly recommended. There is a lovely interweaving of 19th century Australian history with current events. A story about legacy on so many levels. And a lovely Australian flavour. 

Chris Hammer is certainly an author to watch out for.

My rating: 4.9

I've also read

• 4.7, SCRUBLANDS - Martin Scarsden #1
  
• 4.4, SILVER - - Martin Scarsden #2
• 4.6, TREASURE & DIRT - aka OPAL COUNTRY - Detective Nell Buchanan #1 
• 4.7, TREASURE & DIRT - re-read
  
• 4.8, THE TILT - aka DEAD MAN'S CREEK - Detective Nell Buchanan #2
• 4.8, SCRUBLANDS - re-read
• 4.8, THE SEVEN - aka COVER THE BONES - Detective Nell Buchanan #3
• 4.6, THE VALLEY - aka BROKEN RIVER - Detective Nell Buchanan #4 

Review: THE HALLMARKED MAN, Robert Galbraith

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DS571XMN
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sphere, Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 2, 2025
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 908 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1408723777
• Book 8 of 8 ‏ : ‎ Cormoran Strike  

Synopsis   (Amazon)

A dismembered corpse is discovered in the vault of a silver shop. The police initially believe it to be that of a convicted armed robber - but not everyone agrees with that theory. One of them is Decima Mullins, who calls on the help of private detective Cormoran Strike as she's certain the body in the silver vault was that of her boyfriend - the father of her newborn baby - who suddenly and mysteriously disappeared.

The more Strike and his business partner Robin Ellacott delve into the case, the more labyrinthine it gets. The silver shop is no ordinary one: it's located beside Freemasons' Hall and specialises in Masonic silverware. And in addition to the armed robber and Decima's boyfriend, it becomes clear that there are other missing men who could fit the profile of the body in the vault.

As the case becomes ever more complicated and dangerous, Strike faces another quandary. Robin seems increasingly committed to her boyfriend, policeman Ryan Murphy, but the impulse to declare his own feelings for her is becoming stronger than ever.

A gripping, wonderfully complex novel which takes Strike and Robin's story to a new level, The Hallmarked Man is an unmissable read for any fan of this unique series. 

My Take

After reading the blurb, you don't need me to tell you much about the plot. I will comment though on how long this book is -900 pages - how complex the plot is, and how the strands seemed to multiply, and how it took me all of 2 weeks to read. There was a lot of extra information to take in, quotations from various authors at the beginning of each chapter and selected bits about freemasonry. (I did feel that some of this information was extraneous and could have been edited more tightly.) The number of staff working for the agency has multiplied and relationships have become very complex.

But, for all that, I never thought of giving up. And I'm ready for the next in the series, whenever it happens.

My rating: 4.7

I've also read

5.0, THE CUCKOO'S CALLING #1 

4.5, THE SILKWORM  #2

4.6, A CAREER OF EVIL  #3

4.7, LETHAL WHITE - #4

4.8, TROUBLED BLOOD- #5 

5.0, THE RUNNING GRAVE -#7

Review: A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED, Agatha Christie

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle (Amazon)
  
• Originally published in 1950
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004APA52O
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins, Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 14, 2010
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 321 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0007422524
• Book 5 of 12 ‏ : ‎ Miss Marple Mysteries

Synopsis  (Amazon)

An ordinary village
A shocking announcement

One morning the villagers of Chipping Cleghorn wake to find a strange notice in their papers:

‘A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29th, at Little Paddocks at 6.30pm.’

Suspecting this is just a joke, they gather for some evening entertainment.

Then a gunshot is heard.

In desperation, the police turn to an old lady whose hobbies are gardening, gossiping – and solving murders.

After all, old ladies know better than anyone exactly what goes on in quiet English villages…

Never underestimate Miss Marple

My Take

No-one really expects a murder to actually take place at at Little Paddocks at 6.30 pm as the newspaper advertisement predicted. All the curious neighbours expect it to be one of those new fangled Murder parties. Even less do they expect the victim to be someone they have never met.

So the shooting death is the beginning of a complex plot, eventually solved by Miss Marple with contributions by a new-to-us policeman, Inspector Craddock. Miss Marple has been highly recommended to Craddock by the Chief Constable, and this is another novel where Miss Marple colludes with a police constable to set a honey trap to catch the murderer.

Miss Marple makes her appearance courtesy of a friendship with yet another member of the clergy whom  she comes to visit. The setting is just after World War II and there are a number of references to the effect of the war on English society and economy, as well as the influx of foreigners and refugees into England after the war. These really do have the effect of making Agatha Christie a largely unrecognised social commentator.

I've read this book for the umpteenth time, but this time for discussion with my U3A Agatha Christie discussion group.  

My rating: 4.5

Other reviews I've written: here, and here

Reviews of Agatha Christie Novels.  

Review: THE WAKE, Yrsa Sigurdardottir

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle (Amazon)
  
• Translated from Icelandic to English by Victoria Cribb
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DKBLKQLK
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hodder & Stoughton, Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 9, 2025
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 410 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1399722902
• Part of series ‏ : ‎ The Black Ice  

Synopsis (Amazon)

Five friends. One devastating reunion. The new thriller from the legendary Icelandic bestseller (The Black Ice)

AMONG THE MOURNERS AT A FUNERAL, ONE OF IS THEM IS A KILLER...

A group of young professionals travel to the Westman Islands off the coast of Iceland to attend an old friend's wake. Their reunion soon turns into a living nightmare, as the memories of a party they attended at university, and desperately tried to forget, come rushing back.

When two bodies are found on a rocky beach close to the refurbished lighthouse keeper's house that the group had stayed in, medical examiner Iðunn is sent to provide the local police assistance.

For Iðunn, who grew up on the island, this takes her back to the heart of her complex family and the ghosts of her own past she would prefer to keep at bay.

But as the deadly secrets soon become insurmountable, can any of them escape unscathed?

My Take

What a tangled web! The author makes the read work overtime to get the sequence of events sorted out.

The events take place in the last week of January but there is a very convoluted time frame, and at least two settings. Nor are the chapters in order. It reminded me at the beginning of a choose your own adventure book, but once where the author had taken the finished chapters and shuffled them into a semi-random order. Not quite - but you get my drift.

Idunn is Iceland's only pathologist and she is sent off to the Westmann Islands to work out what has happened, and how there are so many dead bodies. 

Four days earlier a group of friends arrived by ferry from Reykjavic to attend the funeral of a friend whom they haven't seen since they were students at university in the capital 7 years before. They are not clear about how she has died and they are all avoiding thinking too much about when they last saw her.

In 4 days time 4 of them will be dead, and the investigation will begin.

An incredibly complex story, so many strands. It really puts this author on another plane in crime fiction.

This is #2 in the Black Ice series, and we meet up with part of the investigation team who featured in the previous novel CAN'T RUN, CAN'T HIDE

My rating: 4.8

I've also read

• 4.8, SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME
• 5.0, THE SILENCE OF THE SEA 
• 4.8, WHY DID YOU LIE? 
• 4.9, THE PREY 
• 4.5, THE DAY IS DARK 
• 4.8, CAN'T RUN, CAN'T HIDE - #1 from the Black Ice series 

Review: THE QUEEN OF POISONS, Robert Thorogood

• 
   read as an e-book
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ HQ, Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 18, 2024
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0008567323 
• Book 3 of 5: The Marlow Murder Club 

Synopsis (Amazon) 

Who killed the Mayor? It’s up to the Marlow Murder Club to find out…

Geoffrey Lushington, Mayor of Marlow, dies suddenly during a Town Council meeting. When traces of aconite – also known as the queen of poisons – are found in his coffee cup, the police realise he was murdered. But who did it? And why?

The police bring Judith, Suzie and Becks in to investigate as Civilian Advisors right from the start, so they have free rein to interview suspects and follow the evidence to their heart’s content, which is perfect because Judith has no time for rules and standard procedure. But this case has the Marlow Murder Club stumped. Who would want to kill the affable Mayor? How did they even get the poison into his coffee? And is anyone else in danger? The Marlow Murder Club are about to face their most difficult case yet … 

My Take

Thoroughly enjoyable, like catching up with old friends, although I've discovered I have missed reading a couple of the 5 published so far. Lots of red herrings and little puzzles to solve. Nice cozy reading.

My rating: 4.5 

I've also read

• 4.6, THE MARLOW MURDER CLUB - #1
• 4.4, MURDER ON THE MARLOW BELLE - #4  

Review: MELALEUCA, Angie Faye Martin

• This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle
• 
  ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DPGPBPG5
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ HQ Fiction, Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 1, 2025, Harper Collins
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 419 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1867270898 

Synopsis (Amazon)

A country town, a brutal murder, a shameful past, a reckoning to come... The injustices of the past and dangers of the present envelop Aboriginal policewoman Renee Taylor, when her unwilling return to the small outback town of her childhood plunges her into the investigation of a brutal murder.

Renee Taylor is planning to stay the minimum amount of time in her remote hometown - only as long as her mum needs her, then she is fleeing back to her real life in Brisbane.

Seconded to the town's sleepy police station, Renee is pretty sure work will hold nothing more exciting than delivering speeding tickets. Then a murdered woman is found down by the creek on the outskirts of town.

Leading the investigation, Renee uncovers a perplexing connection to the disappearance of two young women thirty years earlier. As she delves deeper and the mystery unfurls, intergenerational cruelties, endemic racism, and deep corruption show themselves, even as dark and bitter truths about the town and its inhabitants' past rise up and threaten to overwhelm the present...

Authentic, gripping crime drama from a bright new voice in fiction.

My Take

A detective in Brisbane, Renee Taylor has taken an appointment as a constable in the small outback Queensland town she grew up in, coming home to care for her mother.

She is only back at work for a few days when a young woman's body turns up near a creek on the outskirts of town. Nobody comes forward to identify the girl, no-one has seen her before. Doing some research Renee comes across the story of two aboriginal girls who disappeared thirty years earlier, and from then on the story continues in two time frames. Renee becomes the detective in charge of the current murder case and the author presents the story of the two missing girls. In some ways Renee doesn't know as much as we the readers do.

 Although the camp that the girls had lived in has long gone, their families are still in the town, and in some ways attitudes have not changed much over the thirty years.  An engaging novel with some interesting threads.

Be sure to read the Author Note at the end of the novel. 

My rating: 4.5

About the author
Angie Faye Martin is a writer and editor of Kooma, Kamilaroi and European heritage. With a Bachelor of Public Health from the Queensland University of Technology and a Masters of Anthropology from the Australian National University, Angie spent many years working in policy roles in state and federal government before launching Versed Writings in 2019. Her work has been published in Meanjin, Garland, The Saltbush Review and The Rocks Remain. She is a member of the First Nations Australia Writers Network and accredited with the Institute of Professional Editors. Melaleuca is her debut novel. 

Review: THE LAST THROW, Rhys Dylan

• 
   This edition read on my Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CWCR9N4R
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wyrmwood Books, Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 16, 2024
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 337 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915185242
• Book 13 of 18 ‏ : ‎ DCI Evan Warlow Crime Thriller 

Synopsis  (Amazon)

This time, it's more than personal.

Within the tranquil confines of a west Wales village, peace gives way to pandemonium as a trivial theft transforms into a devastating tragedy.

DCI Evan Warlow confronts what initially appears to be a straightforward case, only to find himself ensnared in a web of deceit. And when a routine press assignment also exposes a team member to a malevolent scheme, chaos begins to spiral.

From idyllic coastlines to rugged peaks, Warlow races across diverse landscapes in pursuit of answers and to foil a deadly adversary. In an electrifying narrative of suspense and sacrifice, he must forge unconventional alliances to tilt the scales in his favour before it's too late.

Prepare for yet another spellbinding police procedural that will keep you glued to the pages long after midnight.

My Take

Another good read in this series. Some threads tied off and new ones begun. One of their team is abducted by a very nasty killer and then the search is on. There is a side plot of a robbery at a cheap jack store when a store assistant dies. But all is not as it seems.

This series really needs to be read in order and you can see from the list below that I am playing catch up. I am really hooked! The plots are good and the character development is excellent.  

My rating: 4.5 

I've also read

4.6, THE ENGINE HOUSE - #1

4.5, CAUTION: DEATH AT WORK -#2

4.6, ICE COLD MALICE - #3

4.5, SUFFER THE DEAD - #4

4.6, GRAVELY CONCERNED - #5 

4.5, A MARK OF IMPERFECTION - #6

4.5, BURNT ECHO - #7 

4.6, A BODY OF WATER - #8

4.5, LINES OF INQUIRY - #9 

4.5, NO ONE NEAR - #10 

4.6, THE LIGHT REMAINS - #11

4.6, A MATTER OF EVIDENCE - #12 

4.6, THE BOWMAN - #15 

Review: PREY, Vanda Symon

• 
   this edition a library book from my local library
  
• large print from Aurora Large Print published 2024
• ISBN 9-781399-171014
• 329 pages 
• #6 in the Sam Shephard series 

• ***SHORTLISTED for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger***

  ***SHORTLISTED for Best Paperback in the Barry Awards***

  **SHORTLISTED for the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel** 

Synopsis (publisher)

On her first day back from maternity leave, Detective Sam Shephard is thrown straight into a cold-case investigation – the unsolved murder of a highly respected Anglican Priest in Dunedin.

The case has been a thorn in the side of the Police hierarchy, and for her boss it’s personal.

With all the witness testimony painting a picture of a dedicated church and family man, what possible motive could there have been for his murder?

But when Sam starts digging deeper into the case, it becomes apparent someone wants the sins of the past to remain hidden. And when a new potential witness to the crime is found brutally murdered, there is pressure from all quarters to solve the case before anyone else falls prey.

But is it already too late…? 

My Take

When she returns to work after 6 months maternity leave, Sam's boss makes sure she feels that she is an imposition by giving her a cold case to work on. 25 years ago his wife's father died on the steps of his church in Dunedin. 

I thoroughly enjoyed getting re-acquainted with Sam Shephard. She is feisty and strong as well as intuitive. 

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

• OVERKILL
• THE RINGMASTER
• CONTAINMENT
•  4.8, BOUND 

Review: THE PUNISHMENT SHE DESERVES, Elizabeth George

• 
  This edition read on my Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B074SKLHD1
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hodder & Stoughton, Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 20, 2018
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 706 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1444786637
• Book 20 of 21 ‏ : ‎ Inspector Lynley 

Synopsis 

When a Member of Parliament shows up at New Scotland Yard requesting an investigation into the suicide of the son of one of his constituents in the beautiful town of Ludlow, the Assistant Commissioner sees two opportunities in this request: the first is to have an MP owing him a favour, and the second is to get rid of Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, whose career at the Met has been hanging by a thread for quite some time. So he assigns Havers to the case and for good measure partners her with the one person who shares his wish to see the back of her, Detective Chief Superintendent Isabelle Ardery.

But Ardery has her own difficulties. She is not happy to be sent away from London and as a result is in a rush to return. This causes her to overlook certain uncomfortable facts. Soon, the case is opened again and this time, it is Lynley who must accompany Havers to Ludlow, with little more than a week to save the Met's reputation and Barbara's job. And the more they investigate, the more it looks as if the suicide was part of a much more sinister pattern of events.

My Take

I have actually read this book before but brain-fade ensured that I didn't remember much of it except the general premise that here was Barbara Havers in trouble again. I have seen all the TV versions so am not  really sure what I've watched and what I've read.

I'd also forgotten that when you take on reading an Elizabeth George novel you are committed to a BIG read. Initially I got a large print copy from the library but took it back when I discovered it was almost 900 pages in length and almost impossible to hold. So then I bought a Kindle copy and read it on a number of devices. That has taken me a week to read.

What has struck me about the novel is how complex it is, how many subplots there are, and how difficult it is to determine when the various strings of the plot are going to merge, and also how many unexpected events there are. 

In reality I have enjoyed the challenge of reading this novel and aim to continue the series at some stage, but on my Kindle. 

My rating: 4.7

I've also read

CARELESS IN RED
4.6, BELIEVING THE LIE
3.9, THE EDGE OF NOWHERE
4.3, THE PUNISHMENT SHE DESERVES 

Review: A MATTER OF EVIDENCE, Rhys Dylan

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CSBVCX35
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wyrmwood Books, Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 23, 2024
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 322 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915185228 
• Book 12 of 18: DCI Evan Warlow Crime Thriller 

Synopsis (Amazon)

One wrong does not justify another

In the desolate landscapes of SENTA, the Bannau Brycheiniog army training grounds, DCI Warlow and his seasoned investigators find themselves ensnared in a deadly game of shadows.

A man, recently released from prison after a 20-year wrongful conviction, is discovered dead, igniting a storm of doubt and suspicion. As long-buried secrets claw their way to the surface, the line between truth and deception blurs. With everyone involved in the original case now a potential suspect, they must tread carefully and confront the crimes of old as well as the present.

As the stakes escalate, can Warlow decipher the puzzle of the past before the present claims another victim?

Edge of the seat crime fiction. 

My Take

Twenty years ago the Welsh justice system had failed Mark Morgan, convicting him of attempted rape without evidence. Eventually he was released without compensation, but now final justice has eluded him. Someone has murdered him. As always plenty to challenge Evan Warlow, and the reader's brain, in this investigation.

This series has developed an interesting structure: individual cases embedded within a long ongoing investigation in which police officers are unwittingly assisting the cause of evil.

There are other ongoing strands which link these novels into a continuum, and characters are steadily developed as life goes on. 

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.6, THE ENGINE HOUSE - #1

4.5, CAUTION: DEATH AT WORK -#2

4.6, ICE COLD MALICE - #3

4.5, SUFFER THE DEAD - #4

4.6, GRAVELY CONCERNED - #5 

4.5, A MARK OF IMPERFECTION - #6

4.5, BURNT ECHO - #7 

4.6, A BODY OF WATER - #8

4.5, LINES OF INQUIRY - #9 

4.5, NO ONE NEAR - #10 

4.6, THE LIGHT REMAINS - #11

4.6, THE BOWMAN - #15

Review: THE LIGHT REMAINS, Rhys Dylan

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle (Amazon)
  
• Book 11 of 18, DCI Evan Warlow Crime Thriller
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CMPBB6CM
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wyrmwood Books, Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 30, 2024
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 326 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915185204 

Synopsis  (Amazon)

The games people play…

When a revered sports legend falls victim to a brutal home invasion, a nation is shaken to its core. Outrage swells and the press and powers that be demand answers.

DCI Evan Warlow, fresh from a well-earned vacation, is thrown into the cauldron to lead the investigation. But the victim, despite his iconic status, has secrets of his own.

Amidst the chaos of jealousy and rivalry that swirls around the case, a darker underbelly emerges. The pursuit of truth transforms into a gripping hunt, but whose truth is the team hunting?

Something else lurks in the labyrinth of deception. Something vile and twisted that could strike again at any moment... unless it’s found.

Another fast paced, gripping, police procedural that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

My Take

I continue to thoroughly enjoy this series. Each new story contains not only the continuing story of DCI Evan Warlow and his team but also human interest elements related to one or more members of the team.

Evan has just returned from a short holiday with family in Western Australia. He has the importance of family on his mind.

The new case in hand is the apparent burglary of the house of a elderly man, one a Welsh rugby star, once a household word. Ronnie Probert was bashed severely during the burglary, and the case becomes murder when he dies of his injuries. He was much wealthier than anyone had thought and so the motive of the burglary is one of the considerations.

This series is best read in order. They are really police procedurals.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.6, THE ENGINE HOUSE - #1

4.5, CAUTION: DEATH AT WORK -#2

4.6, ICE COLD MALICE - #3

4.5, SUFFER THE DEAD - #4

4.6, GRAVELY CONCERNED - #5 

4.5, A MARK OF IMPERFECTION - #6

4.5, BURNT ECHO - #7 

4.6, A BODY OF WATER - #8

4.5, LINES OF INQUIRY - #9 

4.5, NO ONE NEAR - #10 

4.6, THE BOWMAN - #15

Review: THE MOVING FINGER, Agatha Christie

• 
  This edition read on my Kindle (Amazon) 
  
• Originally published 1942
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0046H95SG 
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins, Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 14, 2010
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 243 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0007422470 
• Book 3 of 12: Miss Marple Mysteries  

Synopsis (Amazon)

A malicious letter
A tragic death
A village filled with suspects

Nothing ever happens in the sleepy village of Lymstock.

Until letters accusing the villagers of unspeakable acts start to appear.

They try to dismiss them as a cruel hoax, but then one of the recipients is found dead. The letter next to her body reads simply, ‘I can’t go on’.

As fear spreads among the villagers, Jane Marple must uncover who is writing these letters – before anyone else is hurt.

Never underestimate Miss Marple

 My Take

This is at least the 4th time I have read and reviewed this novel. I have re-read it for discussion with my U3A Agatha Christie Reading Group.

Jerry Burton and his sister Joanna have come to Lymstock for a quiet life. Jerry has been seriously injured in a plane crash. But things are bubbling below the surface in Lymstock with someone sending Poison Pen letters. The police have their theories but eventually two people die and the Vicar's wife invites a friend to stay who happens to be Jane Marple. 

I'm sure my group will find plenty to discuss including the fact that Miss Marple makes a pretty late appearance in the novel and then really has only a small amount of time "on the stage". 

The plot takes, in my view, an unexpected twist at the end, and also has a romantic element.

 

My rating: 4.4 

Previous reviews here and here and here

My Agatha Christie novels