Death in the Stocks (Inspector Hannasyde, #1)

by Georgette Heyer

[Cameron Trost]

2.5 stars for this one.
This mystery starts with a lot of promise, with the atmosphere and intrigue created in the first chapter being perfect. A body is discovered in the old village stocks by a policeman on his way home from his nightly rounds. As the investigation unfolds, we meet the horrid family of the victim. The characterisation is excellent with a dramatis personae of selfish and calculating rich relatives. But the story becomes more of a soap opera than a mystery as it unfolds. There is plenty of gossip and speculation, and a couple of pleasing twists. Eventually, one of the numerous suspects ends up being the murderer. The problem is that this mystery, like so many others, isn't really designed for the mystery fan who likes to work in parallel with the detective to solve the crime. The story is more of an entertaining family drama than a puzzle. I found the denouement a bit of a let-down. That said, as a work of dramatic fiction rather than a mystery, it would probably deserve at least a solid three stars.