Malice on the Moors

I like this series with London's Detective-Chief Superintendent Erskine Powell. This one takes us to the north of England, where Powell has to decide if the death by snakebite of a much-hated landowner is murder. Too many suspects with motives, but how can the fog and a poisonous snake be murder weapons? This series and this book are good, readable British police-procedurals in the category that I think of as the English Copper Cozy. [...]

Not Agatha Christie or Elizabeth George but a pleasant short read. Perfect for a long plane ride or a few days on the beach.

Besides the malice of middle age and the malice of a meddlesome superior, [Chief] Supervisor Erskine Powell of Scotland Yard, is bullied into investigating a very odd murder on the moors in lieu of his long planned vacation. Despicable Dickie Dinsdale desperately deserved to die (sorry, kinda hard to resist), but was it truly the bite of a "bloody adder"? Supervisor Powell and Sergent Sarah Evans, find a village full of people with grudges, an environmental terrorist, a nympho half sister, cunning stepmother, and (seemingly?) incapacitated father, as well as a fired and a promoted gameskeeper, and the [Almost Always Evil] Big Business - all seeming to have motives. Another exceedingly cunning cozy with anthropology, geology and historical references thrown into the mix - as well as the usual number of red herrings. Plenty of cozy time around the fire in the pub, interaction with curious and occasionally charming locals, and a brief cooking lesson equals a delightful blend of detecting and writing.

In the relatively short time that his father became ill, Dickie Dinsdale manages to alienate everyone in his circle of influence. So when he dies horribly by an apparent adder bite, no one grieves the loss. The incident appears to be a freak accident. Because of who Dinsdale is and his noted lack of popularity, the local constable requests outside investigators conduct an inquiry so no one can complain afterward. Detective Chief Supervisor Erskine Powell loses his chance to go on a grouse hunting vacation. Instead, he has to go to the North York Moors to investigate the Dinsdale death. Instead of his usual sidekick, Erskine's superior has Detective Sergeant Sarah Evans accompany Powell. They begin their inquiries and quickly realize that most of the residents had a gripe with the obnoxious Dickie. Still, the snakebite seems to be the cause of death. So why does Erskine feel that something remains amiss? The third Powell-Malice novel is an excellent police procedural that fans of the sub-genre will find very entertaining. The story line moves forward on two fronts. First, the investigation is stylish and interesting. Second, the scenes in the inn bring much insight into Erskine's personality. Anyone who enjoys a well-written British police procedural needs to read Graham Thomas' MALICE ON THE MOORS and its' two predecessors. Harriet Klausner