Well, there you go, a summary of the Saturday events in our life. Now to turn to my ongoing look at the Mystery genre. Yesterday I highlighted 3 writers whose mysteries feature English police inspectors. I'll continue this today, with maybe a couple of more authors as I haven't got any other books to discuss.
The Mystery Genre - English Cops
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| Ann Cleeves |
"Definitely a different mystery writer. I enjoyed it very much. I had seen a couple of episodes of the TV series Vera previously and I had received some recommendations in favor of her books from my Goodreads acquaintances. So I finally got the first book and took the time to read it. Quite different from the series which is, of course, Vera-centric.
In the book, you don't really meet Vera Stanhope until about half way through and she is almost peripheral as we explore the other women's lives and the events which are being investigated. Very methodical, interesting way of developing a story and ultimately the solving of the mystery is almost incidental. Vera is an interesting copper, not like any others I've read about, grumpy, a busy-body, but still with an intuition towards solving the crime. I enjoyed this and will read other Ann Cleeves stories. (4 stars)"
"Telling Tales is the second Inspector Vera Stanhope mystery by Ann Cleeves. I had read The Crow Trap a couple of years ago and enjoyed very much, then got sidetracked by her Shetland series. Everything I've read by Ann Cleeves so far, I've enjoyed very much.
Telling Tales revisits a 10-year old murder after the woman convicted of the crime kills herself in prison and after a new witness comes up clearing her of the murder. Vera Stanhope is assigned to go to the Yorkshire village of Elvet to re-open the investigation. Another murder takes place while Vera is there, begging the question if this murder is related to the previous.
The new investigation brings back old bad memories to the community of Elvet, some that they would rather forget. I liked how the story is presented. Vera is an ever-present character, along with her Sgt Ashworth, who assists with the investigation. But the story is also told from other perspectives, those of the town folk proper and this adds a nice touch.
All in all, I enjoyed this immensely and I'm glad that I've finally revisited the Vera series. (4 stars)"
The remaining books are - (I've highlighted those I have on my bookshelf with an * asterisk)
- Hidden Depths (#3 / 2007)
- Silent Voices (#4 / 2011) *
- The Glass Room (#5 / 2012)
- Harbour Street (#6 / 2014) *
- The Moth Catcher (#7 / 2015)
- The Seagull (#8 / 2017)
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| Colin Dexter |
There are 13 books in the Morse series, written from 1975 - 1999. I've read the first two but have the next few on my bookshelf.
"This is the first in the Inspector Morse series and introduces us to Morse and Sgt Lewis, who joins Morse for the first time in this book. I've been watching the TV Series based on the books, and oddly enough this was the 5th in the TV series. Morse is much like he is in the TV series, although there are also some differences, his looks, his car, etc. I enjoyed the mystery, the pacing and how Morse goes about solving the crime. He still likes his beer and his women. Excellent introduction to the series. I'm glad I've started both the TV Series and now the book series. (4 stars)."
"Last Seen Wearing by Colin Dexter is the second Inspector Morse mystery. I've watched all of the episodes of the TV series based on the books and I've also enjoyed both the follow-on Lewis and the prequel, Endeavour. Having said all this, it was nice to find the the book was still fresh and as much as some of the story seemed familiar, I still had no idea where it was headed.
Morse is assigned a cold case by his chief, Superintendent Strange, because the previous inspector had been killed in a car accident. Morse doesn't want the case as it involves a missing girl; she'd been gone for two years. He wants murders, something he can sink his teeth into. However, forced to take the case, he asks for Sgt Lewis to be assigned to help him.
The case revolves around a few people, Valerie Taylor's parents, the new Head of her high school, her old French teacher and the assistant Head. The question to be answered is whether Valerie is dead or has run away? With many plodding first steps, the case begins to interest Morse. He's sure she is dead, but a letter purportedly from the girl, throws a spanner into his theory.
It was interesting to follow the investigation, the stops and starts, the threads that Morse and Lewis follow, have to backtrack, and then the new paths they lead to. I had my ideas about the case and parts came to fruition but the ultimate solution was still a nice twist and also very satisfying. Morse is an interesting inspector, smart, relying on intuition, often following the wrong path, but finding inspiration at the end. Lewis is a rock, more steady and reliable and helps keep Morse grounded. I've enjoyed both of the first two books so far and will continue to follow Dexter's stories of his great investigator (5 stars)"
The remaining books in the series are - (asterisked are those I have)
- The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn (#3 / 1977) *
- Service of the Dead (#4 / 1979) *
- The Dead of Jericho (#5 / 1981) *
- The Riddle of the Third Mile (#6 / 1983)
- The Secret of Annexe 3 (#7 / 1986)
- The Wench is Dead (#8 / 1989)
- The Jewel That Was Ours (#9 / 1991)
- The Way Through the Woods (#10 / 1992)
- The Daughters of Cain (#11 / 1994)
- Death is Now My Neighbour (#12 / 1996)
- The Remorseful Day (#13 1999)
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| Kate Ellis |
"This is the first Wesley Peterson mystery. Sgt Peterson has moved to a small town in England after a start in London. A smaller force, a new start for his wife and Wesley, he arrives as the local force is investigating the disappearance of a small boy and has just started investigating the murder of a mysterious woman. Thrown into this mix, Peterson's wife, Pamela is struggling to sort out why she can't get pregnant, involving visits to a private clinic.
Peterson is a likable character and the other main characters on the force, Rachel and Inspector Heffernan, make him welcome and are well-described. The investigations of the two mysteries meander nicely but steadily to an interesting conclusion. I enjoyed the investigation and the story.
An archeological mystery also takes place; a college friend of Peterson's is surveying an old building site, which turns up a dead body. Each chapter starts with an excerpt from the diary of the previous owner of the site. All in all, it's an interesting entertaining introduction to Wesley Peterson's mysteries. (4 stars)"
The remaining books in the series are -
- The Armada Boy (1999) *
- An Unhallowed Grave (1999) *
- The Funeral Boat (2000) *
- The Bone Garden (2001)
- A Painted Doom (2002)
- The Skeleton Room (2003) *
- The Plague Maiden (2004)
- A Cursed Inheritance (2005)
- The Marriage Hearse (2006)
- The Shining Skull (2007) *
- The Blood Pit (2008)
- A Perfect Death (2009)
- The Flesh Tailor (2010)
- The Jackal Man (2011) *
- The Cadaver Game (2012) *
- The Shadow Collector (2013)
- The Shroud Maker (2014)
- The Death Season (2015)
- The House of Eyes (2016)
- The Mermaid's Scream (2017)
- The Mechanical Devil (2018)
4. Kate Ellis (Joe Plantagenet). Ellis has written 5 books in this series, the first one published in 2008.
"This is the first in the Joe Plantagenet mystery series. I read the second by mistake previously. It didn't affect my enjoyment of this story at all. The series is set in Yorkshire and DI Plantagenet is an ex-priest (or more correctly, he was in training for priesthood but fell in love and left it) who is involved trying to solve the Resurrection Man murders. A new DCI, Emily Thwait, adds to the story.
It's an interesting, very involved mystery, which goes in different directions. Joe also is looking out for Carmel Hennessy, the daughter of his ex-partner from his Liverpool days and Carmel has her own issues. The story involves Satanism, terrifying murder and many other interesting story lines. I enjoyed very much. (4 stars)"
"Singmass Close has a sinister past, reputedly haunted by the ghosts of children. In the 1950s it was the hunting ground of the Doll Strangler, a ruthless killer who was never brought to justice. Now DI Joe Plantagenet wonders whether a copycat killer is at work when the strangled body of teenager Natalie Parkes is found with a mutilated doll lying by her side. With the recent disappearance of a young female model and an escaped convict at large, this new, horrific murder stretches Joe’s team to their limit. But as the bodies start mounting up and Joe’s questioning brings him closer to the real strangler, he comes to suspect a shocking connection between all three cases. (4 stars)"
The remaining books are -
- Kissing the Demons (2011)
- Watching the Ghosts (2012)
- Walking by the Night (2015)
Well, folks, there you go. I'll continue with my look at the mysteries featuring English police officers. There are still a few to go. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
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