Evanly Bodies

I have recently learned that Ms Bowen has concluded the series. There are to be no more tales from Llanfair and about Evan Evans. I have been a great fan since I read the first one that I found in our local public library, which fortunately has the full series. Thanks for a wonderful and unique series of mysteries, Ms Bowen. I will miss Evan and the wonderful characters from Llanfair and the police force of that part of North Wales. Diolch yn fawr iawn. (Thank you very much.) It was a great slice of Welsh life.

Rhys continues her excellent series featuring Detective Evan Evans. This book also shows how married life suits him. The plot, once gain, is exciting and the usual loveable Welsh locals bring the usual touch of humour. This book, along with the others in the series is a joy to read as it contains none of the garbage which is dished up by many crime writers today. No obscenities, no exaggerated sexual happenings, great use of English and believable characters. Good on you Rhys - looking forward to the next one. rhy

The Wales police are trying something different. They are setting up Major Crime Units to respond to cases and get results faster. Evan Evans has the honor of being placed on the very first one, and they are immediately sent out to their first crime. A university professor has been shot through an open window while sitting at his kitchen table. The man was brash and opinionated, so the list of potential suspects is rather long. But Evan's new boss is focusing on the man's wife. She claims she was out walking her dog when the crime happened, which isn't a solid alibi. Still, Evan thinks there is more to this case then meets the eye. His theory is proved right when a second murder with the same weapon takes place in a nearby town. What is the connection between the two men? Meanwhile, things are getting interesting in Evan's village of Llanfair. An Arab family has just bought the local grocery store and is reopening it. They represent a huge change to the status quo, and many aren't sure they like the change. Evan's wife, Bronwen, has befriended their daughter, Jamila. Jamila begins to open up to Bronwen, sharing the trouble brewing in her family. They are thinking of shipping her back to Pakistan to face an arranged marriage to a man much older then she is. Bronwen is concerned, but that is only heightened when Jamila vanishes. Where has she gone? Since Evan moved up from patrol to detective, the series has spent less time in Llanfair. While I understand the need to expand the series, I miss spending time with the characters there, and savor each appearance they make. Their appearances here are fun, and the perfect counterpoint to the story. Both mysteries are well developed. Being the sub-plot, Jamila's story stays perfectly in the background for most of the book. The main mystery of the murdered professor kept me intrigued. I had a suspicion as to what was going on, but wasn't completely sure until Evan began to put the pieces together. Both stories tie together well thematically, making this into a coherent whole. Evan and Bronwen are the only recurring characters we spend much time with in this book. Their newly wed relationship is a joy to watch, and I enjoyed their scenes together. The many new characters were well drawn. I had no problem keeping them straight. Even the characters that had small roles were strong and memorable. After ten books, this series feels like a visit with friends. While the old friends aren't around as much as I would like, the news friends are fun to meet. This is a strong mystery series that shows no signs of slowing down. Here's to another ten!

In Llanfair, Wales Detective Constable Evan Evans heads home at night when he sees the light in a corner store. He investigates and meets the new owner of a grocery store, Pakistani Azeem Khan and his hostile son Rashid, a college student. As he greets them, Evan notices that the younger one's accent is more Yorkshire than Asian. Not everyone welcomes the "heathens"; Rashid assumes because they are Muslins, but Evan knows that any stranger would be glared at including the English. Not long afterward, Evan learns that Azeem has arranged a marriage for his sixteen year old daughter Jamilla DI Bragg leads an investigation into the shooting death of History professor Martin Rogers while he ate breakfast. Bragg informs Major Incident Team member Evans that he is to be a junior officer on the case and no more. Meanwhile Bragg believes that the wife Madeleine known as "Missy" killed her husband, but Evans doubts that the egg shell of this case has been broken yet. He is proven right when two more homicides occur while Missy resides in jail on a murder charge at the same time that Jamilla has run away from home. In his seventh police procedural Evan is at his best as he works for the aptly named Bragg who wants all the glory so knowing the constable's reputation for success tries to limit his role to that of a gopher. The whodunit is cleverly devised and filled with twists as the locals suspect the foreign newcomers while Bragg somewhat agrees though he still thinks Missy killed her husband; only Evan and his wife Bronwyn feel the serial killer is someone else. Fans will appreciate the final stunning heart-wrenching spin in what may be the preeminent novel in one of the sub-genre's consistently best series. Harriet Klausner

Once again, Rhys Bowen goes way beyond crafting a "good read". In Evans Evans we meet a genuine hero, someone who doesn't shy away from ambiguity, and whose intelligence and humanity are a beacon in the midst of confusion and stupidity, if not genuine evil. All of this and the magical setting of Snowdonia!