‘Bury In Haste’ by Jean Rowden

Published by Robert Hale.  31st July 2007.

ISBN 978-0-7090-8394-8

The story is set in 1956 and it reads at the pace of the writers of that day. A suitably stolid village policeman pursues his normal routine when he is apprised of a kidnapping. Unfortunately, from the policeman’s view since he has always longed to try his hand at detection, the young man turns up unharmed the next day. Constable Deepbriar has musical abilities and plays the church organ on occasion so he is unable to stand the piercing, off-key efforts of the de facto leader of the village musical society in her interpretation of the lead role in Madame Butterfly. He had been delighted to be called from his hard seat in the village hall at this performance to investigate the disappearance even though his wife was appearing in the chorus of the show and would not be pleased at his defection.

The tale builds up speed as the constable tries to investigate strange events while suffering the interruptions of pursuing his usual tasks and being hampered by his sergeant’s refusal to regard the kidnapping as genuine. He has time to think as he rides his bike along his beat searching for a missing tramp who has a story to tell and puzzling over the tricks being played on a local farmer. The period detail is delightful while the constable impresses as an acute thinker under the disguise of a lumbering old-fashioned bobby. This Dixon of Dock Green in a countryside guise is an appealing character whose adventures provide an enjoyable and cosy story.

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Jennifer S. Palmer

This is apparently Jean Rowden’s first book.