A cosy crime, this novel is set on a suitably isolated, fictitious Welsh island which is inhabited by a close-knit population who look out for each other and don’t seek publicity. The locals are a suitably diverse group of characters whose numbers have been swelled recently by a serious-minded archeology professor, engaged in a new dig with his small group of students: the intense one who keeps his cards to his chest, the loud-mouthed arrogant chap who thinks women should fall at his feet and is simply not actually that nice, and Noah, with his puppy dog eyes. The girls are a mixed bunch, too - confident Myfanwy and the quiet, studious Poppy who never says boo to a goose.

Enter Griffin Blackstock, a ghost hunter who professes to speak with the dead and is looking for a television contract. His entrance would have been competition even for Rik Mayall’s Captain Flashheart in Blackadder, much to the annoyance of the more eminent professor who prefers fact-based evidence. Blackstock is a charlatan; his sincerity is questionable to say the least and he quickly stirs up the locals in his bid for fame and fortune.

Then there are the secrets - there are always secrets - and in true Agatha Christie style, the reader is not made aware of the most important of those secrets until close to the end ...

After a séance, which is clearly contrived even though it persuades old Sophie Sutherland that her dead sisters are happy together in the afterlife and leaves the local Reverend in a state of shock, it’s not long before Blackstock’s naked body is found on the site of the archeological dig. It has been laid out in the shape of a cruciform and the police soon swarm the little island. Two suspects quickly emerge: one a student, the other a local but the police know they have a long way to go to prove the case against either of them. So much for writer Kate Galway spending a quiet summer working on her new book as she and her friend, Siobhan, become amateur sleuths (and not for the first time, it seems) since they don’t believe either suspect is guilty of murder. As a former teacher of one of the young detectives, Kate is able to inveigle her way into the police investigation. The locals meanwhile stand by their man and D.I Tom Warwick does not take kindly to interference.

A second murder and arson on the mainland complicate matters further while family history, divorce and bitter professional competition muddy the waters still further. Then there are the secrets - there are always secrets - and in true Agatha Christie style, the reader is not made aware of the most important of those secrets until close to the end when the least likely character emerges as the murderer with one of the oldest but in this case, least likely, of motives.

The characters are varied and most have a significant part to play in the drama; it’s truly an ensemble performance. Willow emerges as more than just an assistant, Rev. Ingrid overcomes the challenge to her faith, there is hope for Tristan, and Myfanwy is saved from the odious Jude. Freya’s pedestal is rocked and Simon has to accept an unpalatable truth while Kate and Siobhan can return to some sort of normality along with the rest of the locals.

The novel is well-written, with a suitably complex plot and credible characters and I hope there are more to follow.


A Dark Death is published by Stonehouse Publishing