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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
Another enjoyable installment in the Detective Lavender series. I must confess, I found myself feeling more like the first book with this one. Enjoyable, if predictable, mystery and very little connection to the characters, unlike book 2, where I felt a better connection to the characters. Though it is not as good as book 2, the mystery is very complex and fun, even if it's a bit easy to guess what's coming. That said, there were are few twists and turns that definitely caught me out, so again, NOT a bad book!
I would definitely recommend it to mystery lovers.
I would definitely recommend it to mystery lovers.
I enjoyed The Sculthorpe Murder so much more than #2 in the series. Lavender and Woods are sent out of London to Northamptonshire to investigate the killing of an elderly man, presumably by a gang that has been terrorizing the area. I like that the trip takes Lavender away from his love interest. I really can only stand them as a couple for short periods of time.
The plot was well-done with a good array of suspects and clues. I like that Lavender doesn’t take things for granted and as an outsider can be more suspicious of certain people than the locals are.
Wood gets a lot of screen time in this one, which I appreciated. He tends to put people, including children at ease. Lavender, on the other hand, tends to make people a bit uncomfortable. He’s the thinker where Woods is the talker. Together they make a good team.
The secondary characters are all a bit shady, actually. Most, if not all, have their secrets, some more criminal than others. I do think the ending was appropriate, although perhaps not in the typical, wrap it up, punish the guilty way.
The Sculthorpe Murder is a solid historical mystery. It feels like the details are well done – whether they actually are or not I can’t judge, I’m assuming they are.
The plot was well-done with a good array of suspects and clues. I like that Lavender doesn’t take things for granted and as an outsider can be more suspicious of certain people than the locals are.
Wood gets a lot of screen time in this one, which I appreciated. He tends to put people, including children at ease. Lavender, on the other hand, tends to make people a bit uncomfortable. He’s the thinker where Woods is the talker. Together they make a good team.
The secondary characters are all a bit shady, actually. Most, if not all, have their secrets, some more criminal than others. I do think the ending was appropriate, although perhaps not in the typical, wrap it up, punish the guilty way.
The Sculthorpe Murder is a solid historical mystery. It feels like the details are well done – whether they actually are or not I can’t judge, I’m assuming they are.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
I would give this a solid 3.5. I'm rounding up from having enjoyed the novel, in spite of a few things I was put off by.
In The Sculthorpe Murder, Detective Lavender and Woods are called North to investigate the beating death and apparent robbery of an elderly man. Running in the background is a troop of five criminal thieves, the Panthers, that has harassed the communities. Lavender must determine the true culprits while surrounded by two towns full of people whose identities are not what they seem.
I hate to say this. I was a bit disappointed in this book. Admittedly, there was much that I enjoyed, hence the bump up, but I couldn't get past one point in particular.
The first 3/4ths of the book kept me engaged. I liked the complicated web that wove through the community. Wood's brother was an fun twist, and I like how that came out. All of the secrets that bent back and forth throughout the story were great.
My problem was the reveal. A complaint tossed at many mystery writers is that they keep some element of the case buried that is never hinted of. It simply appears at the last second to make a big impact on the story and change how everything transpires. This novel suffers from a mild case of this. The reveal of the true identity of the town constable as a deserter who'd changed his identity and was being blackmailed hinged solely - from what I read - on the revelation of a letter disclosed at the very end, just before the confrontation. From there, it felt like Charlton could have picked any combination of the other blackmail victims and had the same result. It just wasn't polished. It was the one time I've been disappointed in the Lavender stories.
I hate to say that. I've enjoyed the books so far and will certainly be continuing them. I just feel it wasn't the best choice in handling that twist. I keep trying to think of anything I missed that resolves that letter, but I can't find it. Maybe I did miss something, so I still have to recommend this book.
I wanted to give this novel a 5, but one incident left me unable to do so. I'll keep that 5 in my pocket for when I read the next story. I'm sure it will earn it.
In The Sculthorpe Murder, Detective Lavender and Woods are called North to investigate the beating death and apparent robbery of an elderly man. Running in the background is a troop of five criminal thieves, the Panthers, that has harassed the communities. Lavender must determine the true culprits while surrounded by two towns full of people whose identities are not what they seem.
Spoiler
I hate to say this. I was a bit disappointed in this book. Admittedly, there was much that I enjoyed, hence the bump up, but I couldn't get past one point in particular.
The first 3/4ths of the book kept me engaged. I liked the complicated web that wove through the community. Wood's brother was an fun twist, and I like how that came out. All of the secrets that bent back and forth throughout the story were great.
My problem was the reveal. A complaint tossed at many mystery writers is that they keep some element of the case buried that is never hinted of. It simply appears at the last second to make a big impact on the story and change how everything transpires. This novel suffers from a mild case of this. The reveal of the true identity of the town constable as a deserter who'd changed his identity and was being blackmailed hinged solely - from what I read - on the revelation of a letter disclosed at the very end, just before the confrontation. From there, it felt like Charlton could have picked any combination of the other blackmail victims and had the same result. It just wasn't polished. It was the one time I've been disappointed in the Lavender stories.
I hate to say that. I've enjoyed the books so far and will certainly be continuing them. I just feel it wasn't the best choice in handling that twist. I keep trying to think of anything I missed that resolves that letter, but I can't find it. Maybe I did miss something, so I still have to recommend this book.
I wanted to give this novel a 5, but one incident left me unable to do so. I'll keep that 5 in my pocket for when I read the next story. I'm sure it will earn it.
Such a good series!! Honestly my favorite part is the authors note, since she actually uses real historical documents to build her story. Respect
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No