Review:- Martin EDWARDS – “The Arsenic Labyrinth”

Year Published: - 2007
Where the book was from:- Pensby Library
ISBN: - 0 7490 8111 2
Pages: - 380pp
Genre: - Cosy crime
Location:- Lake District, England
How I came across it: - Continuing to read this author’s works
Rating: - ***** **
One sentence summary:- ‘Cold case’ investigator, DCI Hannah Scarlett examines the disappearance of a woman ten years earlier only to find the case is linked with both older and newer crimes.

Describe the plot without giving anything away:- After a newspaper does an article about the tenth anniversary of the disappearance of Emma Bestwick the cold case team are told to investigate it. Their findings are not what anyone expected.

General comments:- A particularly good plot and this being the third Hannah Scarlett book I’ve read i quite like the various characters who are in each one.

AUTHOR Notes:- Martin Edwards – see The Coffin Trail

Benjamin HOFF – “The Tao of Pooh”

Benjamin HOFF – “The Tao of Pooh”
illustrated by E. H. Shepard; Methuen 1982.

This is an extract from a review I wrote many years ago:-

A remarkable book – so clever in capturing two concepts – the innocent ramblings of Pooh Bear and the depth of the Tao te ching. It is wise in its conclusions.

You can own a book – as I do this one. but occasionally there comes along a book which owns you. It cries out to be treated in some special way. One wants to publicise its brilliance and help it to stand out amongst its fellows with signs saying “Read Me” and “I’m Special”. The Tao of Pooh is just such a book.

Review:- Ann GRANGER – “A Better Quality of murder”

Year Published: - 2010
Where the book was from:- Pensby Library
ISBN: - 978 0 7553 4908 1
Pages: - 312pp
Genre: - Historical Crime
Location:- Victorian London, 1867
How I came across it: - Reading through this author’s works.
Rating: - ***** ***
One sentence summary:- This is the third Lizzie Martin and Inspector Ben Ross crime story.

Describe the plot without giving anything away:-
A spooky creature known as The River Wraith is frightening prostitues alongside the Thames but is he responsible for the murder of a woman in London’s Green Park. As Ben begins to investigate his wife Lizzie gets herself involved.

AUTHOR Notes:- see A Rare Interest in Corpses

Review:- Jeffrey ASHFORD – “Fair Exchange is Robbery”

Year Published: - 2003
Where the book was from:- Pensby Library
ISBN: - 0-7278-7390-3
Pages: - 304pp (Large print)
Genre: - Crime
Location:- England
How I came across it: - Serendipity
Rating: - ***** **
One sentence summary:- A cleverly crafted crime story.

Describe the plot without giving anything away:-
A bank’s computer whizz-kid is kidnapped on his way home from work but when the kidnapper’s hit a pedestrian and change their plans. The result for the innocent kidnap victim is devastating.

AUTHOR Notes:- Jeffrey ASHFORD has published over 130 books under various pseudonyms. His Inspector Alvarez series is one of his most popular ones and is published under his real name, Roderic Jeffries. RODERIC JEFFRIES was born in London in 1926 and was educated at Southampton's School of Navigation. In 1943 he went to sea with the New Zealand Shipping Company and returned to England in 1949 where he was subsequently called to the Bar. He practiced law for a brief period before starting to write full time.

Review:- Martin EDWARDS – “The Serpent Pool”

Year Published: - 2010
Where the book was from:- Pensby Library
ISBN: - 978-0-7490-0789-8
Pages: - 350pp
Genre: - Crime
Location:- Lake District
How I came across it: - Continuing to read his books
Rating: - ***** ***
One sentence summary:- A good modern day crime novel set in a fictional but credible valley among my childhood haunts.

Describe the plot without giving anything away:-
Hannah Scarlett, the Lake District’s cold case specialist once again becomes personally involved as she investigates a case which was at the time considered to be a possible suicide. In the meantime her partnership with bookseller Marc Amos comes under threat as they both meet folk who incite unexpected feelings.

General comments:- A thoroughly enjoyable cosy crime with the added advantage of being set in the Lake District (though surely the Serpent Pool should have been called Snake Tarn!)

Quotations:-
De Quincey:- “If once a man indulges himself in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing; and from robbing he comes next to drinking and Sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination.”

AUTHOR Notes:- See The Coffin Trail