This is the first novel by Angela Dracup that I have read and I certainly enjoyed it. I feel at home when a violent murder takes place on the first or second page and the characters and action move on from there. I also appreciate it when there are echoes of Pride and Prejudice, The Pirates of Penzance and characters from history in the first two chapters and all of it written with an occasional sense of humour.
Now to the story. The investigation of the murder is undertaken by the local Detective Chief Inspector, Ed Swift by name, and his team, rather in the manner of Dalgleish and his team in the novels of P.D.James. In this book the team consists of Constable Laura Ferguson, a new female recruit; Sergeant Pete Fox and Constable Doug Wilson, the local man ready for retirement. The interaction of these characters, including something of their personal lives, feelings and reactions, makes up an interesting part of the book.
The background is a small village, Esquith, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales and this also contributes considerably to my enjoyment of the book, though there are some ingredients one might not be expected to find in a remote part of the country. A white witch might perhaps be found but a leisure centre which has a trade in illegal underage girls brought into the country for high-grade prostitution, being carried out in its basement, is more associated with large town centres than Yorkshire villages, or perhaps I am just out of touch.
The initial murder is the main theme of the novel, though other less severe crimes occur and form the background. Much of the book is interestingly concerned with the details of police work although the motive for the murder is unexpected and against the line of detection that the team have been pursuing. As one would expect, the DCI suspects that they were holding the wrong person for questioning. The true murderer and the real motive are revealed in an unusual interview stage-managed by DCI Swift and the local vicar.
I look forward to reading more detective novels by Angela Dracup and, as there are twelve, I could be spoilt for choice. This book is well written, not too violent and keeps the reader guessing. Following the action of a police procedural novel in some detail makes for a compelling read when it is carefully told.
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Rosemary Brown
Other titles are Where Darkness Begins (2004) A Kind of Justice (2005) Retribution (2006)