The Stabbing in the Stables

"The Stabbing in the Stables," the latest of Simon Brett's forays into the lives of Jude and Carole in the fictional Sussex town of Fethering, is as fresh and clever as the first in the series. As others have mentioned, usually series begin to become tired (witness the once-great Agatha Raisin series) or parodies of themselves (e.g., the "Cat Who" mysteries). But Simon Brett seems immune to any of that. The sign of a truly great series is when you can't wait for the next one. That's certainly the case here! I hope Mr. Brett hurries up with the next mystery.

Simon Brett's expertise is exceptional. Yes, I know he's written a lot, but not every prolific author improves with successive books. Brett, however, is one who does. In this series, he takes a fairly unlikable character (Carole)and compels us to follow her no matter how unlikely we would if we knew her in real life. Cleverly, Brett adds a more likable character (Jude) but keeps much of her life hidden. Add a compelling tale and you've got a great read! Eleanor Sullivan, author of Assumed Dead

Many mystery writers love to make things easy for themselves. They make the detective be a member of the police, a person hired by the victim's family, or the victim herself or himself. The detective is endowed with fascinating, superhuman characteristics that are worth the price of the book alone. Then, the author will often throw in some gruesome type of crime to build up interest. Finally, the plot will be convoluted . . . and punctuated with intriguing action. A book like that will be viewed as a superior resource by many readers. Simon Brett, however, takes a much harder route. His detectives in this book (and in the Fethering mysteries series) are as-different-as-night-and-day neighbors, Carole Seddon (a divorced, shy Home Office retiree) and Jude (a no-last-name "alternative healer" using energy fields). Carole and Jude have no official status as detectives . . . but solve the mystery anyway. This detective approach requires great writing, deft plotting, and brilliant imagination. Read this book and admire this remarkable work! As the book opens, Jude has been invited to treat a horse. This is a strange request for Jude . . . but one of her well-to-do human clients, Sonia Dalrymple, is paying so Jude is willing to give this a try. Carole agrees to tag along. Once at the stables, Sonia isn't there. When Jude checks around, she finds the body of a dead man, the stable's owner Walter Fleet, with his blood just cooling. A noise in the distance makes Jude think that the murderer may just be leaving. Carole snoops around while they wait for the police and finds signs that someone has been sleeping in the stables. What's going on? It's not clear. In the background, someone has been mysteriously destroying mares in violent rampages. Might Fleet have surprised the horse assailant? Carole and Jude learn that Fleet had annoyed a lot of people, mostly the husbands of the women he flirted with. There's also another mysterious healer in the background, Donal, who is willing to drop hints about what might be going on if you buy him enough whiskey before he takes off. Carole finds herself being more of an investigator than usual. She interviews a source who works as a grocery store cashier. Casual contacts turn up more information. Ugly secrets turn out to be hidden in the back rooms of several local marriages. Those secrets start to tumble out before the pressure of the two neighbors . . . and begin to reveal the shape of the crime. Enjoy!

Of the all the series that Simon Brett has written, The Feathering Mysteries featuring Carole Seddon and Jude, is definitely my favourite one. Not only are they written with a wry sense of humour, but the mysteries have all been wonderfully intriguing and rather absorbing. And this latest Feathering installment, "The Stabbing in the Stables" proved to be no exception to the rule and was an absolutely wonderful read. When Carole Seddon agrees to accompany her friend and fellow sleuth, Jude, on her latest case (Jude is an alternative therapist and has been asked by her client, Sonia Dalrymple, to try and heal her lame horse), the last thing she expected was that they would find stable owner Walter Fleet, slashed to death in the stables. Everyone is agog: who killed Walter? Was it, as the police believe the "Horse Ripper," who has been mutilating horses in the area, whom Walter had walked in on? Or was flirtatious Walter killed by a jealous husband? Or could Walter's much put upon wife, Lucinda, have decided to put an end to her troubles in a very final way? Curious and eager to pit their wits against that of the police, Carole and Jude decide to do some sleuthing of their own... If you're looking for an intelligent and swiftly paced mystery that will keep fairly absorbed from beginning to end, this is definitely the book for you. Simon Brett does a wonderful job of stretching things out in order to keep you guessing. And the wry, witty tone was just the icing on the cake. I particularly liked that Carole is beginning to shed some of her rigid ways and is beginning, at times, to take the lead when following up on leads. I thoroughly enjoyed "The Stabbing in the Stables" and would recommend it to anyone looking for a nice cozy to curl up with.

Could not wait for the U.S. version to come out, so I bought the British version. Pricey and it took a while to get used to the way the Brits punctuate, but thoroughly enjoyed the book. The best in the series so far. Brett is becoming very comfortable with Carole and Jude, and it is fun to watch the ladies change and grow! Plan to try his other mysteries next.