Evan Help Us

I have enjoyed ALL of Rhys Bowen's murder mysteries. I write this review of the Constable Evans book because Rhys will no longer be writing this series. This is a big disappointment as I enjoyed the innate goodness of Constable Evans and his struggles with humanity in a small slice of earth that struggles with it's own history and growth. I have collected all the paperbacks of this series and I guess I'll just have to keep reading them over and over.

That's surprising given I've been to Wales and it was very foggy and damp -- but the Wales described in this book is a wonderful place indeed -- beautiful and filled with kind, caring people (who unfortunately for any outsider speak Welsh!) This is the second book in the series -- I'm reading them in order -- and I think I liked it better than the first. I thought at first I had everything all figured out, and was disappointed, but as it turned out, I wasn't even close. That's a great mystery. Add to that a wonderful world you enter when you read this book... The plot involves a summer resident (a retired Colonel living on a pension who comes to this tiny village in Wales every year for a holiday) who is found dead right after he's discovered some ruins. The local constable, Evan Evans, immediately believes he was murdered, but the police higher up the chain of command try to insist it's an accident. Then there is another death -- made to look like a suicide. Is there one killer or two? Evans gets involved in trying to find the connection between these two deaths as the key to discovering what happened. All in all, a great book to curl up with when you have the time to read uninterrupted -- it creates a wonderful mood.

Life in Llanfair is about to get another jolt. Colonel Arbuthnot is hit over the head and killed right after discovering an ancient ruin on the nearby mountains. Meanwhile, tensions build in the town when Evans-the-Meat announces a plan to put the village on the map and returning resident Ted Morgan announces plans to turn the old slate mine into an amusement park. Then a second body turns up. Constable Evan Evans finds himself overwhelmed with events and trying to find the pieces to make sense of it all. But if that's not complication enough, there's a new female resident in town, and she also has her eye on the eligible lawman.I just discovered this series last month, and I've already read two of them. The characters and setting are charming. The author's obvious love of them comes through on every page. The plot is great as well. While I had some things figured out, there were still enough twists to keep me surprised until the end.Anyone looking for a relaxing cozy mystery would do well to book some time in Llanfair. I'm hooked and look forward to many happy visits with Evan and his neighbors.

Warm humor; enjoyable. Comforting read

When he becomes constable of the small Welsh village of Llanfair, Evan thought he had a quiet, tranquil job. However, recently there has been an alleged archeological find in the nearby hills that has brought outsiders to the area and kindled the feud between the villagers of Llanfair and the nearby hamlet of Beddgelert. Evan soon finds himself embroiled in a deadly who-done-it when annual visitor Colonel Arbuthnot, the discover of the so-called Camelot artifact, is killed. Ted Morgan, a native son with development plans, is also murdered. Convinced that the two deaths are linked, Evan finds a tenuous connection that takes him to the perilous streets of London in order to ferret out the identity of a killer. EVAN HELP US, the second novel in the elegant Evans English cozy, is a fabulous entry in a warm series. The eccentric support cast brings alive life in small town Wales and the mystery is fun to follow. However, this book really takes off when Evans finds himself as a total misfit in the big city, even though he continues his search. This novel and Rhys Bowen's first entry (EVANS ABOVE) are must reading for sub-genre fans because these are witty, charming stories.Harriet Klausner