Mitchell & Markby 14

The mystery was interesting although the reveals were not surprising. Village characters are well-drawn and the Lower Stovey community dwindling into oblivion a common tale in these days of urbanization. Granger did not serve her readers well, when she closed with a reveal that I expected but she didn't capitalize in a way that was satisfying. My being disappointed knocked off a second star. ( )

A comfortingly English whodunnit. ( )

I usually love Mitchell and Markby stories, but this book is not Ms. Granger's best in this series. In this book Meredith and Alan are house hunting, and they end up in a pokey little village called Upper Stovey. Not much goes on in this backward little village, but while they are there someone discovers human bones in Stovey Woods. Markby has been in Upper Stovey before. Twenty-two years ago he was hunting a serial rapist who was nicknamed The Potato Man. They did not find the perpetrator then, but Alan hopes that the discovery of these old bones will give him a lead on this old case. But before he and his team get too far with the bones, another much fresher corpse turns up in this village. Markby hopes that the two cases (the old and the new) are connected thus giving him a line on solving a case that has haunted him for 22 years. I felt though that the tension wasn't maintained in the book and I found myself losing interest at times. This is quite contrary to most Mitchell and Markby stories, so therefore a disappointment to me.This is a great series though, and I fully expect the next book to be back on form. ( )

Engelse detective met als hoofdpersoon Alan Markby en zijn vriendin Meredith.

Een wandelaar vindt verscholen in een uitgestrekt woud een paar 20 jaar oude menselijke botten. Inspecteur Markby denkt dat er verband is met zijn eerste zelfstandige zaak in die contreien: een seriële verkrachter die nooit gevonden is maar inene ophield. Zal de zaak nu worden opgelost? En wat is het verband met de huidige bewoners?

Ook weer mooi geschreven, een goede sfeertekening, maar iets te langzaam voor deze ongeduldige lezeres.