Wenfield
is a village in rural Derbyshire, and in 1919 its inhabitants
are still recovering from the war. One morning a local girl
is found dead in the woods with a dove stuffed into her mouth.
Then there is another victim, and Scotland Yard sends Inspector
Albert Lincoln to investigate. With a ghostly soldier seen
haunting the woods and more victims, Lincoln has a limited
amount of time to discover whodunit, albeit being aided by
doctor’s daughter Flora Winsmore.
Ms Ellis needs no introduction to most mystery readers, as
she is well known for her Wesley Peterson and Joe Plantagenet
series. This is her second standalone historical novel, and
like her contemporary work, it is a real page turner. I am
always saying in my reviews that novels need editing, but
this one has no need for it, being nicely filled in all the
right ways. There are interesting characters, a well researched
background, tangible sense of growing menace, a splash of
romance and surprise ending that I did not see coming. The
author quickly creates the atmosphere of a small place where
everybody is known to everybody else and where the effects
of the war are still raw and causing misery. Women and servants
have had a taste of freedom with more opportunities, and the
old order has been shaken up. People are having trouble adjusting
back to their old places. There are a lot of suspects and
plenty of red herrings for the sleuths to chase, and it all
adds up to a rich and satisfying read. This is a standalone
book from an author who normally writes series, but I always
find that the main appeal of Ellis’s books is the plot
in each one rather than the ongoing stories. With this historical
title she has written a book that stays in the mind afterwards
for many reasons.
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