Murder at the Old Vicarage

It's Christmas Eve at the old English vicarage, and daughter Joanna is back living with her parents, recovering from the last beating delivered by her husband. Graham suddenly appears desperate to reunite with Joanna. Then why does he hit her yet again? The vicar Wheeler and his wife are fit to be tied, yet are obligated to carry on with the church's holiday traditions. But someone takes a fireplace poker to Graham, and Inspector Lloyd and assistant Judy Hill know with certaintly that one of the Wheelers has done it. But all three have iron clad alibis. Murder at the Old Vicarage is an intricately crafted mystery ala the master of the genre, Agatha Christie, who wrote the famous Murder at the Vicarage. This new novel pays homage to Christie, and is as full of twists and turns and cul de sacs as any English hedge maze. A most intelligent, intriguing, and enjoyable classic mystery story.

While this is not an exceptionally long book, there's a world of intriguing plotting going on. Inspector Lloyd and Detective Sgt. Hill have to do some clever interrogating and careful thinking to discover the one who took the life of wife-beater Graham Elstow.

I'm struggling with this review of what was a really fun book that had loads of my favorite police procedural elements and serves as the introduction to a writer I hadn't previously read, but have seen very well reviewed. So why am I struggling? Because it was a fun book and I enjoyed it, but it is not particularly dynamic. It is actually more like the "Cornwall" books by Janie Bolitho. But I don't want to damn it with faint praise because it was a wonderful character study and frankly, I couldn't read a "Minette Walters-style" book every time - too exhausting. So let me just say that this is a nice, quick fun read and I see nothing here that doesn't make me want to read more McGown books. Ouch! That sounds like faint praise. Let me try again: as much as this is a murder mystery (the murdered is completely unsympathetic so no pathos there), this is a fine character study of the true motivations and desires of people we assume have their lives all figured out and a small meditation on how time and place can drive decisions that should not be so easily influenced. There...that's better.

I really like the Lloyd and Judy Hill books - for the characters and the mysteries. They have all been very satisfying.

I have read quite a lot of crime fiction written either by British writers or by other nationals who based their story in Britain and Jill McGown clearly is one of the best in her genre - if not the best at the moment. Her characters are people like you and me and the stories are brilliantly written. This book is another masterpiece.