Fell Murder - E.C.R Lorac

Fell Murder by E.C.R. Lorac
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've been looking forward to reading Fell Murder since I requested it on Net Galley. I've read one or two of her novels before and really enjoyed them, but more importantly, I have a huge soft spot for the part of the country that this book is set in. It may have been fifty years after the time of this book that I lived in Lancaster and knew the lune valley, but I could still recognise the landscape that appears in the pages.
The murder mystery comes about after the return of a son who has long been away from the area. Although he doesn't visit his family, it soon becomes clear that a number of people in the area know of his arrival. It's not clear at first how his arrival causes the murder to take place, but the fact that he's suddenly there is the spark for the events that follow.
I enjoyed this murder mystery, I did guess the murderer right before the end of the book, but it was a guess and I wasn't completely sure that I was right.
I really enjoyed the book, both because of the mystery element but also because of the obvious great love for the area that the author had. If I wasn't on the other side of the world, I have no doubt it would be enough to send me on a visit back to Lancaster and the surrounding area as soon as possible.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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The Measure of Malice - Martin Edwards

The Measure of Malice: Scientific Detection Stories by Martin Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The great thing about these short story collections from the British Library Crime classics ist that they all introduce you to a range of new writers and if there is one that you don't enjoy as much, it isn't long before you are onto the next one. Fortunately, I don't think that there was one story that I didn't enjoy in this little collection. Even better, as well as the authors that were new to me, there were one or two old favourites. Particularly as there was a Lord Peter short story from Dorothy L. Sayers which I hadn't come across before.
I do find short stories a little harder to read, they tend to be a little longer than most chapters, so you can't squeeze one if you don't have long to sit and read and I don't tend to like going from story to story if I'm sitting reading for longer. With this collection, I've been reading one in between each longer length novel or novella. It's taken me a little while to get through because of that, but my enjoyment hasn't diminished as a result.
This is a great collection to dip into with a range of great stories from authors that you may not have come across before.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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The Body in the Dumb River - George Bellairs

The Body in the Dumb River: A Yorkshire Mystery by George Bellairs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have to admit that what first drew me towards these British Library Crime Classic books was the covers, what keeps me coming back are the great stories and new authors that I have discovered. I have to admit that I had no idea that there were so many crime authors in what is often called the golden age of crime writing. I foolishly thought that it was just Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and other well-loved authors that I have read over time. With each one of these books that I read, I discover someone new and they all seem to have something different to offer.
The Body in the Dumb River opens more or less with the discovery of the body. In many similar books, we are introduced to a cast of characters and it soon becomes clear that many people might have cause to be the killer once the murder occurs. Not so here, instead, with the exception of one or two people, everyone seems to love the dead man Jim and no one can quite seem to understand who could have done away with him. Of course, as the story unfolds it becomes clear who it was who might have wanted to kill him, even if it's not so obvious how it was done.
Chief inspector Littlejohn is a likeable character and works well as the primary detective in the case. I enjoyed reading his story and as this is number 35 in the series, it's clear that he has plenty of experience. I don't know how easy it would be to find more of the Littlejohn books, but I'd certainly be keen to read more if I came across them.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Death Has Deep Roots - Michael Gilbert

Death Has Deep Roots: A Second World War Mystery by Michael Gilbert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've loved reading these British Library Crime classics over the last year or so. I think that Death Has Deep Roots would have to be one of my favourites so far. Not only does it feature a murder mystery to get to the bottom of, but the action is split between characters who try to get to the bottom of the mystery and the courtroom where the person that has been accused of the crime is being tried.
I really enjoyed the way the action flicked between both parts of the story and it made for a really enjoyable read.
I have to admit that I didn't get to the bottom of the mystery fully until the big reveal, but that really didn't matter. The story is set in postwar Europe, with the murder taking place in London and the events that led to it having happened during the war in France. The storyline dealing with the French resistance in occupied France adds a depth to the storyline that really captures your interest. Possibly even more so now, as we are looking back at something that is now a long time ago, but when this was written the setting would have been a lot more recognisable to readers.
This was a great read and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories - Martin Edwards

The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories by Martin Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think that I've become a convert to the world of short stories, particularly crime short stories. This is the third anthology that I've read in the last couple of months and I really enjoyed it. The stories here all relate in some way to Christmas. It's a bit early for that yet, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment.
One of the great things about this particular collection is that although all of the stories are what you could call crime stories, they are all very different. It also gives you a great chance to experience authors that you might not have come across before. It's quite surprising how different stories which are essentially in the same genre can be. Some of them deal with the crime from the point of view of the murderer or criminal while others are slightly more traditional in the telling of the tale.
I'm not sure if I have a favourite or not. The story that gives the collection its name was an interesting one, but the same could be said for all of the others.
This is a great little collection of mystery stories.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


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Deep Waters: Murder on the Waves - Martin Edwards

Deep Waters: Murder on the Waves by Martin Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have to admit that I usually avoid short story collections. Not because I don't enjoy them, but as they are generally a bit longer than a chapter in length, you need a bit longer to sit down and enjoy them. The other danger is that the collection is often a mixed bag, of varying quality. Fortunately, with this collection, they were all enjoyable.
Of course, there were some that I enjoyed more than others. Possibly this had more to do with the style of the story rather than the writing. While some fit into the classic puzzle style, others just follow someone in the undertaking of a crime. One of my personal favourites actually followed someone who wanted to commit murder and get his comeuppance, by way of natural justice by the end of the tale.
I took quite a while over these, simply because I dipped into them from time to time as I read other books in between. Whether you take that approach or tackle one after another, I'm sure that you'll find plenty to enjoy in this collection.

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Murder in the Mill-Race - E.C.R. Lorac

Murder in the Mill-Race by E.C.R. Lorac
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am really enjoying discovering some new to me authors through this British Library Crime Classics series. Like many of the other books that I've read, I hadn't heard of E.C.R. Lorac before this series (although this is the second of her books that I've now read). I always enjoy a good classic mystery and this one was no exception.
The story is set in a small out of the way village. I suspect that such places are now populated with holiday cottages and outsiders who want to escape to the country. That said, I grew up in a small village and in it, I recognised some of the characteristics of the people who populated this fictional village.
The mystery revolves around the death of a local saintly type, who of course turns out to be far from the image that she has tried to cultivate. There are plenty of potential suspects. I did guess who it was before the end, but I wasn't completely convinced that I was right.
This was a gripping read. I suspect for some people it perhaps moves a little slowly, especially by modern standards, but I enjoy this slower-paced style of mystery from time to time. I don't know if there are plans for many more books in this series, but I'll be reading them. I'd also quite like to collect the hard copies, as I love the covers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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