Enter Pale Death by Barbara Cleverly
| Enter Pale Death by Barbara Cleverly | |
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| Category: Crime (Historical) | |
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Reviewer: Louise Jones
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| Summary: A woman is killed by a horse in what seems like a tragic accident, but detective Joe Sandilands suspects that there is much more going on than meets the eye in this period murder mystery. | |
| Buy? Maybe | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 368 | Date: December 2014 |
| Publisher: Soho Crime | |
| ISBN: 978-1616954086 | |
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Death by Misadventure.' This is the official verdict as to the cause of death of Lady Lavinia Truelove, trampled to death by a notoriously ill-tempered horse, which she foolishly tried to approach in its stall. The horse panicked and reacted badly, resulting in a gruesome and bloody attack, witnessed by two boys from the village. Most people would dismiss the event as a tragic accident, but detective Joe Sandilands suspects that this could be cold-blooded murder. Could his judgement be clouded by the fact that he has a very personal axe to grind with the 'grieving' widower, who has been showing increasing attentiveness to Dorcas, the girl he plans to marry?
This is the eleventh book in the Joe Sandilands series, but the first one that I have read. Despite this, I didn’t feel too lost, as the author has created a standalone novel that doesn't require too much knowledge of the events in the previous books. Cleverly kindly fills in the important gaps along the way for the uninitiated, whilst avoiding the kind of lengthy repetition that would be distracting for those already familiar with the series and characters. The only slight disadvantage that I felt was that maybe I didn’t have as much emotional investment in the characters as seasoned fans of the series, who have followed their story arcs from the very beginning.
The premise of the book is an interesting, although slightly incredible one and Cleverly weaves together several seemingly unrelated threads, bringing them neatly together for the final few nail-biting chapters. The characters are well written and credible and I instantly warmed to the protagonist Joe, who is a likeable fellow and an 'everyman', whom readers will be able to relate to. I liked the fact that the author kept Joe and his lady love Dorcas apart for the majority of the story, as there are plenty of revelations along the course of the book that will directly affect their relationship and when the two finally do come together, the reader is eager to see how things will turn out between them.
The author also creates a marvellous period ambiance, as the book is set in the early 1930s, with political unrest brewing and the threat of war only a few years away. The book also has what can be described as the quintessential murder setting: a large manor house in a village complete with a domineering dowager, scheming sons, wronged women and fiercely loyal servants. All are gathered together in the final dinner-party scene to witness the unmasking of the villain in truly traditional style.
Cleverly's writing style takes a meandering, rather than a direct approach. It will depend on the individual reader as to whether this method appeals or not. I found the pace frustratingly slow at times, as the story seemed to go off at different tangents, although, of course, it was nicely wrapped up at the end and all untidy plot points neatly filed away in their places.
Enter Pale Death will appeal to readers who like a traditional English murder mystery and makes a perfect cosy fireside read. This certainly won't be the last we see of Sandilands and it will be interesting to see where his adventures take him next.
If you enjoy murder mysteries set in the 1930s, try Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver; a truly guilty pleasure...
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You can read more book reviews or buy Enter Pale Death by Barbara Cleverly at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Enter Pale Death by Barbara Cleverly at Amazon.com.
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