2005 mystery; sixth in Brett's Fethering Mysteries series (amateur
sleuthing). Carole's son is getting married, but the bride's parents
are oddly reluctant to have any announcements made… and then the
father is strangled.
A murderer has just been released from prison after a thirty-year
stretch, and the new killing seems to match his style, but of course
things are never that straightforward; before things are over all
sorts of secrets will have come out, with that old murder (among other
things) dredged up and re-examined. It's clear enough for the
experienced mystery reader to work out what's going on, but still
presents a minor challenge.
The real treat here is for for followers of the series: Carole's
ex-husband David finally comes on stage. This is a really tricky bit
of writing, because while he's obviously going to be horrible – and
Brett can do horrible people in his sleep – we also have to see what
about him could have appealed to the ultra-conventional Carole of
decades past who married him and raised a child with him. I think
Brett just about pulls it off.
A third strand deals with Jude's journalist friend Gita, recovering
from a breakdown, but she's mostly there to provide background
information rather than our protagonists discovering it for
themselves; as before, they do what they do almost entirely by talking
with people, most of whom are far too ready to give up their secrets
to these interfering middle-aged women.
I think on reflection that this is probably the best of the series.
Followed by The Stabbing in the Stables.
Comments on this post are now closed. If you have particular grounds for adding a late comment, comment on a more recent post quoting the URL of this one.