'A murder so baffling it might even have stumped Agatha Christie's Miss Marple' Philadelphia Inquirer
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A WHITE CHRISTMAS
Deepening snow has isolated the village of Byford from the outside world, but as the locals settle down for the festive period, the peace is suddenly destroyed with news of a violent crime at the vicarage.
A DOMESTIC MURDER
The victim is the vicar's son-in-law, but few are saddened by his death. And although Chief Inspector Lloyd is expecting an open-and-shut case, he is soon confronted with more than he bargained for.
A WEB OF LIES
Struggling to keep control of his personal relationship with Sergeant Judy Hill, Lloyd must work his way through a tangle of suspects, each doing their part to disrupt the investigation in this perplexing mystery.
Murder at the Old Vicarage is Jill McGown's classic homage to Agatha Christie, with a decidedly uncosy twist.
Though some of the issues raised are upsetting I think the author handles them with appropriate empathy and a desire to understand what drives her characters. It all makes for an impressive, if not perfect read and while it is certainly on the darker side of festive crime fiction in terms of its depiction of domestic violence I think it is certainly very effective.
Read my review at Mysteries Ahoy!