Faith Martin

Wales, unpleasant-suspect, closed-circle-mystery, England, retired-cop, local-law-enforcement, tourist-town, tourists, small-town, small-business, drugs-issues, crime-fiction, suspense, secrets, entitled-attitude, unputdownable, consultant, writers, vacation*****

Hillary has been retired for a bit, did a stint in hospital, is publishing a crime fiction, expects that she is on a relatively quiet vacation sightseeing and staying at the local hotel. What she gets is finding the body of one of her fellow travelers, coerced into helping the local DI, and really getting into the middle of the muddle. Riveting, twisty, and witty!
As usual, the story does stand-alone quite nicely.
Not an unbiased review as I really enjoy the Hillary Greene series!
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected proof copy from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!… (más)

This is the 21st in the Hillary Greene mystery series. I have read about half of them. This book would work as a standalone.

Former DI Hillary Greene, now retired, has been hired by Thames Valley police as a consultant for cold cases. She lives on a narrowboat and drives a car she has tagged, “Puff the Tragic Wagon”, which gives you some insight into her character!
Hillary has also written a mystery book which is about to be published. To help promote it, she takes a holiday trip to a quaint town in Wales that is known for its bookstores. While staying at a charming inn, she embarks with six fellow guests on a nostalgic and picturesque steam train trip. When one of the group is murdered while sitting on the train, Hillary becomes involved in the investigation.

This is an Agatha Christiesque locked room mystery which the author acknowledges through Hillary’s narrative. Faith Martin writes absorbing British police procedurals and this one is no exception. The story is engrossing and entertaining with good character development. Hillary is a strong, capable individual and I really enjoy the humor expressed in Martin’s writing.

I recommend this series for fans of British police procedurals with an engaging protagonist.

Thanks to #netgalley and @joffebooks for the DRC.… (más)

This is a readable cozy mystery story, set in 1963 Oxford, England. The city coroner and a young woman police officer investigate a suspicious death at a dodgy nightclub. The victim was the lead singer in an up and coming band. Initially his death was ruled as accidental, but coroner senses witnesses did not tell the whole story. He begins a semi-official investigation with the aid of a junior WPC, which involves some undercover work as well as interviewing the witnesses.

The story has a strong sense of place (Oxford) and the times, when British pop was coming into vogue. There's some not-so-nice people in the mix but most characters are regular people. The ending is exciting and the resolution may take a reader by surprise.

It's the last book in a series, but is easily read as a standalone.… (más)