The Dead Lie Down: A Zailer and Waterhouse Mystery

What does one look for in a British mystery novel? For me, it's a set of quirky and complex characters that stay with you a long time after you finish reading the book, a plot that offers exciting twists and turns on every page, and a dry sense of humor that enriches one's reading experience. Sophie Hannah's new installment in her Zailer/Waterhouse series has all that and more. Sophie Hannah's books are not always equal in quality. I loved her The Wrong Mother: A Novel, found Little Face to be OK although not really gripping and was disappointed by the Hurting Distance which in places was graphic to the point of being traumatizing. I almost decided not to go back for more books in the Zailer/Waterhouse series as a result of this uneven quality of the author's writing. I'm very happy that I decided to give her mystery novels one more try and bought The Dead Lie Down. From the very first pages, this book catches you in its grip and doesn't let you go until you are done. The characters are so weird and their relationships are so curiously dysfunctional that I was often reminded of the mysteries by the matchless Ruth Rendell, the true master of the psychological mystery genre from Britain. There is nothing boring, ordinary, or pedestrian in this novel. As an added bonus to the fascinating mystery and the engrossing relationships between characters, you get a glimpse of the art world in Britain, with its art fairs, quaint galleries, and strange personalities that inhabit this universe.

Sophie Hannah is the master of a creepy, suspenseful, police-procedural sociopathic criminal genre she may well have invented. I've never read anything quite like her books. I read The Other Mother and then started ordering everything all her other mysteries. Some were available on Kindle, some I had to wait to read until they came by mail so I read them out of order. If I had it to do over, I'd read Little Face first and then go forward, but they're all great reads and ultimately it doesn't matter if you start at the beginning or pick up in the middle. Charlie and Simon are fascinating no matter where you meat them.

I was blown away by Little Face, and have followed Sophia Hannah since. This is her best book since then. Three things make Hannah stand out a cut above average crime. 1) The plot is ingenious, starts out with one or more impossible conundrums, and then makes everything come together in ways you hadn't thought about. Very satisfying. 2) Lot's of humor. 3) Lot's of small bits of psychological insights here and there, without going overboard or straying from the main point (the plot - being the most important part of any crime novel). Well done this one! (and to newcomers to Sophie Hannah - well worth reading her books in sequence).

She fascinates me---she's a tough cop but with such a human, vulnerable side. Her relationship with Simon--what is his story? As Charlie once asked, has he ever had sex? Was he once so abused he just can't let anyone close? But he is committed to Charlie...fascinating. I am dying to read the book that centers around those two. As for Proust, I like him a lot; love the way he sarcastically sums things up. There was a great scene in the Hurting Distance when Charlie gives him the sundial and he's trying to persuade her to come back to the force showing his softer side. Charlie's sister Olivia and parents--great characters. Liv is loyal but she sure can be a pain. I thought this book was amazing-I told everyone who would listen about the murderer confessing to the killing yet the victim is at home living her life, constantly having to prove she's alive. It may be a long one but it definitely goes by quickly--I just couldn't stop reading til the end. I really enjoyed it but wasn't too good for work the next day! Can't wait for the next book--please have more Charlie and Simon in it!!!

This is the fourth Sophie Hannah I have read in two months and I'm beginning to fear her output can't keep up with me. Her plots and characterizations continue to be brilliant. I have to go now and see when number 5 is coming out!