Snow
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Synopsis
THE LOCK-UP - A THRILLING NEW STRAFFORD AND QUIRKE MYSTERY - IS AVAILABLE NOW FOR PRE-ORDER 'Outstanding.' Irish Independent 'Exquisite.' Daily Mail 'Hypnotic.' Financial Times 'This is crime fiction for the connoisseur.' The Times 'The body is in the library,' Colonel Osborne said. 'Come this way.' Detective Inspector St John Strafford is called in from Dublin to investigate a murder at Ballyglass House - the Co. Wexford family seat of the aristocratic, secretive Osborne family. Facing obstruction from all angles, Strafford carries on determinedly in his pursuit of the murderer. However, as the snow continues to fall over this ever-expanding mystery, the people of Ballyglass are equally determined to keep their secrets. 'A typically elegant country house mystery.' Guardian 'A well-crafted story, peopled by superbly well-drawn characters, and put together in the finest prose . . . Masterly.' Irish Independent
Release date: October 6, 2020
Publisher: Hanover Square Press; Original edition
Print pages: 255
Reader says this book is...: historical elements (1) plot twists (1) realistic characters (1) rich setting(s) (1) terrific writing (1)
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Reader buzz
Snow Day!
I say there is definitely a 3rd option: Read! :)
Curl up with one of these snow titles and blissfully ignore the shoveling!
The characters were almost characterizations, though it seemed to work here. The manor house with the eccentric inhabitants sounded as though they had just jumped off a ‘Clue’ board game. The body was even found in the ‘...
The characters were almost characterizations, though it seemed to work here. The manor house with the eccentric inhabitants sounded as though they had just jumped off a ‘Clue’ board game. The body was even found in the ‘library’.
The only standout was the main character himself, whom I found to be quite unique. He was a Protestant in Catholic Ireland. He was born with a silver spoon, though over the years this has been dreadfully tarnished… He lost his mother at a very young age and was sent to boarding school by his father. He was a loner who eschewed alcohol in a country known for its drinkers. His decision to join the Gardaí is a mystery to his family and yes… even to himself. Solitary, without friend nor even foe, he presents as a detective who doesn’t look like one, working in a profession that he feels himself unsuited for.
The time period set the prevailing look and feel of this novel. It is 1957 and Catholic Protestant relations are strained to say the least. Also, this was a time of great sexual inequality and social class stratification. The upper class held certain privileges that the ordinary man wouldn’t dream of. The Catholic Church is a law unto itself.
I was not a bit surprised when the murderer was revealed, even the twist at the end was somehow not wholly unexpected. Still… it was a fine novel.
Highly recommended to those readers who prefer a slow paced, literary mystery. I for one, thoroughly enjoyed the read.
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