3 Stars
This is the first in the Inspector Stephen Ramsay series, written before the Vera, Shetland, and Two Rivers series for which Cleeves is best known. This book was originally published in 1990 but is being re-released.
The events are set in Heppleburn, a pit village in Northumberland. Harold Medburn, the much-disliked headmaster of the local school, is murdered on Hallowe’en night. Many people disliked him so there are several suspects with possible motives but Medburn’s wife Kitty is soon arrested. However, Jack Robson, a retired miner and the school caretaker, is determined to prove her innocence. He enlists the help of his daughter Patty; the two uncover several instances of adultery and blackmail and eventually the identity of the murderer, though not before other deaths occur.
In a note to the reader at the beginning of the book, the author states that Ramsay “is on the periphery” and this is certainly the case. At the end, he still feels vague. There is some information about his personal life – his wife left him. Otherwise he is described as “the aloof, rather arrogant policeman” whose colleagues think “he’d lost his sense of proportion” because for him “there was little more to life than work.” He acknowledges that he is not sociable and “had never been particularly liked.”
The one trait expected of a detective is intelligence, but Ramsay doesn’t strike me as particularly intelligent. His investigative skills are not impressive; he carries out a less than comprehensive investigation and jumps to conclusions. Twice he is convinced he has identified the killer and twice proves to be wrong. It is Jack and Patty who really do the legwork and uncover the truth. As the investigation proceeds, Ramsay admits to “making up his own rules” and uses both Jack and Patty to estions for him. This appproah is not only unconventional but can also be viewed as unprofessional.
Patty’s reaction to Ramsay is interesting though perplexing: “From the beginning she had been attracted to him” and though she feels he is manipulating her, she agrees to do whatever he asks. She follows him around like a puppy dog and seeks opportunities to spend time with him, so much so that her husband is jealous. At one point Ramsay dismisses Jack as “an infatuated old fool” but I think Patty is as infatuated with the good-looking police detective. Cleeves mentions that Ramsay’s “character develops more in subsequent novels” so perhaps Patty’s positive feelings towards him will become more understandable.
In comparison to Cleeves’ other series, this one pales. Her storytelling has definitely improved with her later novels. For instance, there are unanswered questions. A woman married a man because she wanted privacy? A suicide occurs, but an explanation for the motive behind that choice is given as a fear of being released? Why?
This book will appeal to readers who enjoy a slow-paced novel. There are six books in the series so I may check out one more to see if Ramsay has a chance of becoming a detective like Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Perez or Matthew Venn, all of whose company I’ve come to enjoy.
Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
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