Anybody
who watched the long-running TV series Heartbeat, or who have
read any of Mr Rhea’s Constable series (several reviewed
on this site) will know who Nick Rowan is. Now retired from
the police, Rowan is helping to train a small private police
force of monks (called monkstables) who keep the peace on
Maddleskirk Abbey. This is a huge complex of buildings, including
a school where currently a sculptor is working on a masterpiece
and a team of archaeologists are digging. When a very modern
body is found in an ancient stone coffin, Nick and his monkstables
have their work cut out, especially when somebody also goes
missing…
I was a fan of the series, so was pleased to once again find
out what Nick is up to, and get up-to-date with the story.
Maddleskirk Abbey is surely based on a real place, and the
author’s descriptions of its busy community bring the
tale to life. There is a lot to enjoy in here, from the lively
sketches of the local characters (including Claude Jeremiah
Greengrass to the murder investigation and missing person
hunt. The whole is enlivened by Mr Rhea’s own experiences
as a police officer, and the meticulous descriptions of the
cases make this a true example of the procedural. Shining
through, as well, is the author’s sense of humor and
love of Yorkshire, making this one to look out for if you
are a fan of his earlier work (including the TV series).
Reviews of other titles in this series
Murder
at Maddleskirk Abbey #1
Confession
at Maddleskirk Abbey #2 |
