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Fethering Mysteries– Book XI
Simon Brett
Pan (Macmillan UK)
5 March 2011/ ISBN 0330471251
Mystery / Contemporary / Sussex, England / Holiday: Christmas
Amazon
US
|| UK
Reviewed
by Rachel A Hyde
It perhaps comes as no surprise that Carole Seddon is not a fan
of Christmas and is regarding the visit of her son, daughter-on-law
and granddaughter with some trepidation. A trip to a frivolous shop
called Gallimaufry to choose presents in company with neighbor,
Jude, yields some gifts for the day, but shortly after the store
is burned down. A body is found in the ashes, not a mere victim
of the conflagration but somebody who had first been shot. Keen
to discover whodunit, Carole and Jude are soon on the case.
This is a delightfully satirical series about the fancies and foibles
of well-heeled Middle England that has fortunately never been made
into a TV series. I am yet to read one of these Fethering series
that doesn’t deliver the goods and this is no exception. Expect
a seaside town full of red herrings, lots of amusing and spot-on
characters and wry observations on a variety of topics, from Christmas
to how to survive a party where you don’t know anybody. There
are lots of ties with past books (make sure you have read these
first before tackling this one) and topical mentions of the recession
and modern life in the UK. These are gentle books that do not put
one out of humor with the world, but rather enhance it by poking
fun at things most of us don’t like while managing to stay
clear of the sour and the shocking. Pure entertainment, something
there is rather too little of.
Reviews
of other titles in this series
The
Hanging in the Hotel #5
The
Witness at the Wedding #6
The
Stabbing in the Stables #7
Death
Under the Dryer #8
Blood
at the Bookies #9
The
Poisoning in the Pub # 10
The
Shooting in the Shop #
11
Bones
Under the Beach Hut #
12
Liar
in the Library #18
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