Dead Serious

While attending the Biddinghurst village fete, Superintendent Bone is alerted to the presence of a body in the boot of the town busybody's car. No sooner has he begun the investigation than a fatal stabbing takes place in the fete's haunted house. Bone must contend with a plethora of suspects with sundry motives: longtime residents party to old family feuds, a group of curiously reticent teenagers, and a pair of TV celebrity newcomers who turn out to be involved in some particularly unsavory clandestine activities. The case is further complicated by local ghost stories and by another suspicious death in London. On the way to the solution, the intricate, complex web of relationships in a small village is revealed bit by bit, often reminding me of Sherlock Holmes's comment that "the lowest and vilest alleys in London do not present a more dreadful record of sin than does the smiling and beautiful countryside." Much of the attraction of this series is in the continuing story of articulate and charming Robert Bone and his family: daughter, second wife, and now an expected addition. This should appeal to readers of Deborah Crombie and Jill McGown, among others. Each book is like catching up with the lives of old friends. Another plus is in the finely drawn characters who populate the stories. Some are new, for example, Heather Armitage, who reminded me of Hyacinth Bucket and provided several laughs. Some reappear from previous books, either in a major role (Cha's former boyfriend Justin) or in a peripheral part (Emily Playfair, a psychic who ties in nicely with the ghost theme--great attention to detail!). For a good puzzle and for news of good friends, I always look forward to my visits with Superintendent Bone.