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Ross (3284 KP) rated Perfect Prey in Books

Sep 14, 2018

Perfect Prey

Helen Fields | 2017 | Crime

8.3

(4 Ratings)

Book Rating

The second in the DI Callanach series, Perfect Prey starts off with a murder in broad daylight in the middle of a music festival crowd. The investigation into this struggles along with next to no information arising, as more and more murders are committed.
This is a definite step up from the somewhat "crime-by-number" first book, with a very clever, intricate plot that simply cannot truly be guessed at until quite late on.
One of my main gripes about the first book (that the main character has to be present for every single discovery and crime scene for it to be included) is not present here. Action is told from a number of different viewpoints to enable the reader to appreciate the whole story in the best way possible.
The character development here is good too, with main characters growing in personality and side characters that were barely mentioned in the first book now given a backstory.
A few crime clichés still present here (the old "knocked on the back of the head, everything went black", and the "this is clearly an important plot point, please sound the klaxon, even though we're going to ignore it as a minor detail for now") but they don't stand out anywhere near as much as in other books, and are somewhat necessary to create that tension where the omnipresent reader knows more than the characters.
All in all, an excellent crime story and a very intriguing plot that keeps the reader gripped well into the night.

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ClareR (5991 KP) rated Death of an Old Girl in Books

Sep 19, 2018

Death of an Old Girl

Elizabeth Lemarchand | 2018 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Old (very!) style police procedural!

I was sent this book by Sapere books to read and review, and I have to admit to some trepidation initially. A book originally published in the 1960's set in an all girls public school? Well, I needn't have worried. I thoroughly enjoyed it, to be quite honest.
The body of an 'old girl' is found in the art room after the annual reunion ('Festival') of the Old Girls. Beatrice Baynes had remained near her old school, living within walking distance, and had a reputation of being a busy body - and quite unpleasant with it. When her body is found, Scotland Yard send Inspector Pollard and Sergeant Toye to solve the murder.
I've read quite a few police procedurals recently, and the modern version can be gritty, violent and very graphic. This isn't any of those things. I do assume that it portrays the way in which murders were investigated back then quite well (I'd have to ask my Dad. He was in the Met Police in London in the 1960s, 70s and 80s!). Although I'm pretty sure that the investigating officers weren't all as pleasant as Pollard and Toye.
I loved all the old language ("frocks" for one!) and attitudes, even if they were very old fashioned. It's just so different to what's on offer now.
Well worth a read - and it's interesting to note that the Pollard and Toye series consisted of something like 19 books! Lots to be getting on with!