Gone to Her Death

This was the first of the Jill McGown mysteries I read, and it made me an instant addict (fortunately, all the others I've read so far are equally good). McGown has a gift that may be unique in the mystery genre--in just a couple of pages she creates a character who is believable and evokes sympathy in spite of his or her flaws--and she does this with every character. Her mysteries are impeccably crafted and keep you guessing until the very last page. What's best is that the basis for the mystery and the crime arises naturally and organically from the believable characters she has created. And her main characters, Lloyd and Judy, are a delightful, very real and human couple. McGown, to my mind, is a genius at this craft. I'm so glad I discovered her. She deserves far more recognition in the States than she has. (I couldn't believe I haven't been able to locate a single copy on the shelves of the big booksellers in D.C.)

I can't believe that I'm the first to review this book. Mystery lovers need to discover the Hill and Lloyd mystery series. Jill McGown writes as tight a plot as you'll find anywhere in the British procedural genre. I am usually very good at figuring out the mystery before the story is done, and I thought I had done it again with this book, but there are surprises in store. The title was a little confusing at first, but they mystery is a good one. In this book set in an English boarding school, the deputy headmaster's wife is murdered. The list of suspects is long because Mrs. Hamlyn had been "involved" with many. In most cases things aren't what they seem, but in this one they are exactly what they seem, but there are so many suspects that it takes Lloyd and Judy Hill awhile to untangle the tangled web. Ms. McGown is a master at the "sleight of hand" mystery, and she wields a deft touch here.