Hawke's Tor
Churchyard and Hawke · Book II
E V Thompson

Robert Hale
30 November 2011 /ISBN: 9780709092797
Historical Mystery / 1861 /Cornwall
Amazon --- AMAZON UK

Reviewed by Rachel A Hyde

The name of E V Thompson is synonymous with quality fiction set mostly in Cornwall during the 19th century, but it is only recently with his Churchyard and Hawke series that he has started writing historical crime. Superintendent Amos Hawke of the newly-formed Cornwall police force and Sergeant Tom Churchyard have their work cut out for them when a young woman is found dead on the moors, her baby missing. Kerensa Morgan was not a popular woman, her promiscuous reputation making her the enemy of her own sex and causing trouble among her admirers. There seem to be rather too many people that want her dead, but finding out why is not going to be easy.

In the first book, Churchyard and Hawke (also reviewed on this site), the crime was all too easy to guess. However, in this one it is anything but, and I certainly did not manage to work out whodunit or even why. As with all this author·s books, you can rely on a good knowledge of the area during the period, which is brought to vivid life, and of course, an enjoyable tale with some romance to give it an even wider appeal. Mr Thompson has created a pair of likeable characters to solve the crimes and a well-portrayed backdrop for the stories to play out against. I've always enjoyed this author·s work, but now he has a new string to his bow and I like it even better. Another adventure for this pair please!