Written in Blood (Felony & Mayhem Mysteries) (Inspctr Barnaby)
by Caroline Graham
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Book Summary Information
Author: Caroline GrahamEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-11-15
ISBN: 1933397837
Number of pages: 201
Publisher: Felony & Mayhem
Book Reviews of Written in Blood (Felony & Mayhem Mysteries) (Inspctr Barnaby)
Book Review: Funny, tart, dark and endlessly interesting
Summary: 5 Stars
What's better than a mystery that unravels slowly and saves a major punch (as well as its resolution) for the last few pages? "Written in Blood" by Caroline Graham is certainly one of those books. The reader just doesn't see the ending coming as it does after being presented with a grand assortment of possibilities for some 350 pages. Along the way, author Graham gives us some of the best-drawn characters imaginable. This is a murder mystery to be sure, but there is also wonderful humor and irony crammed into its pages. It is full of good-hearted souls, tragic figures, crass bullies, eccentrics and classic English police inspectors. The author leans heavily toward retribution for the bad and rebirth for the good. The formula works very well in this well-constructed novel.
"Written in Blood" tells the story of the murder of one of the members of a village writing group. The victim is someone who has been intensely private since arriving in the neighborhood and has remained an intriguing enigma to his neighbors and group acquaintences. It is the unwinding of his personal history that more or less drives the novel forward. The author is in no hurry here and takes good time along the way to resolving the murder to spinout the stories the other members of the group and their families and neighbors. This sometimes takes an almost Dickensian tone. A description of one of the minor characters was a favorite of mine: "Mr. Jocelyne, a short man with a markedly pouty chest and tiny hands and feet, came towards them. (Inspector) Barnaby was reminded of a pigeon. Everything about the solicitor was grey--his pin-striped arms and legs, the soft, sparsely distributed curls of hair upon his head and the more wiry tufts spring from his ears. Even his nails had a blue-grey tinge. He looked bone dry, as if all his essential juices had recently been drained off, and rustled as he walked."
This is a fun read that will probably lead you to other Caroline Graham books. It has done that for me, at least.
Summary of Written in Blood (Felony & Mayhem Mysteries) (Inspctr Barnaby)
The Midsomer Worthy's Writers' Circle has never had much luck in attracting guest speakers: They invite famous authors but usually have to content themselves with a local fellow who publishes the occasional article in Practical Woodworking. Consequently, there is much surprise -- and, in the case of the Circle's secretary, Gerald Hadleigh, a furious, inexplicable objection -- when bestselling novelist Max Jennings accepts their invitation. Surprise turns into a variety of responses when Hadleigh is found dead the morning after Jennings' visitation. Chief Inspector Barnaby, called in to investigate, is intrigued by the range of reactions, but soon determines that the key to solving the murder will lie with the illustrious Jennings. There's only one problem: He seems to have disappeared.Literature & Fiction Books
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