Deadfall

This is a great English mystery; you pull on the rich lore of the British countryside like an overcoat. From the Vicarage to the pubs, to the lavish estate and antique grain mill, the tapestry of English life envelops you. One is so totally immersed that leaving the book almost requires a decompression of sorts. British idioms still swirl in my head (Oiy mate! Bugger. Bloody hell!) The world of eventing, or cross country jumping sparkles right off the page, and the deeply engrossing mystery will have you guessing and speculating for hours. Linc Tremayne is one of the unmoneyed gentry, heir to a Viscountcy and his father's Dorset Estate; titled aristocracy whose fortune was gambled away by a profligate ancestor. The country estate, Farthingscourt, has to have three "public days" a week to help support the place, and Linc himself lives in the top floors in remodeled servants quarters. The pages dealing with the restoration of the estate's old grain mill, (overseen by Water Heritage people) with the intriguing information on the giant water wheel, and a fascinating look into the past and the way grain was processed, is reason enough to read this book. You'll come away knowing terms like tailrace, headrace, dressing the stone, and the origins of "chatterbox". When Linc manages to get ensnared in a vicious tack stealing ring, he finds himself the target of nasty accidents; someone is determined to extinguish his life, and he can't shake them even when he stops actively working to solve the problem of missing saddles and bridles. He is baffled by the ruthless menace shadowing him, and partners up with Detective Inspector Rockley to try to sort it out before he ends up dead. Even his new girlfriend is threatened, and he later finds there is a lot more to the mystery than just theft. The romance in this mystery is clean and sweet, and the language not too bad, except for a few criminal types spouting the occasional expletive. I am now hooked on Lyndon Stacey books, and have to seek out the rest.

This is the second book I've read by this author. It's as good as the first one I read and I will read more. Like the books by Dick Francis, Stacey's books are keepers and definitely re-readable.

Lyndon Stacey is by far the best contemporary author in the horse-related genre. I rate her even above Dick Francis, as her books show a greater degree of character development. Always well-researched with intriguing plot lines, the tales are highly entertaining. For horsepeople, Stacey is in a different league altogether from most authors when it comes to the accuracy of equestrian-related details. She not only knows the technicalities, she can convey the feel of what it is to live and work closely with horses. Add to that the thrill of well-written mystery plots, and the pages go by much too fast. I truly hope she becomes as prolific as Mr. Francis.