England, 1928: Mary Fields and her daughter Ruby are dead. There is a third person murdered as well; his unknown identity is presented as the focus of the story in the front cover of the dust jacket.

I’m generally not a fan of the police prodecural mystery, which might explain my impatience with the book’s slow pace (this could have been a short story). Others might enjoy the details, but I skimmed most of the text after page 40 or so.

My 2.5 star rating is related to the story rather than the pace. The blurb on the dust jacket is misleading (the identity of the third body is irrelevant and anticlimactic), some of the dialogue is awkward, and there isn’t really a story arc at all. The narrative just ends, with no surprises.

The author did make an effort to slightly flesh out the Scotland Yard’s Chief Inspector Henry Johnstone and his more compassionate sergeant, Mickey Hitchens. There are excerpts from Johnstone’s journal, which is why this first installment is called “The Murder Book.”

Avid police procedural devotees may enjoy The Murder Book, but it wasn’t my cup of English tea.
(I chose this book as part of my 2022 initiative to read one book from each shelf of the mystery section in my local library; that book will ideally be the first book in a series, as this book was.) ( )

Author Jane Adams does an excellent job of portraying life in the small villages and farms of England during the Depression. Her depiction brought me right into the story. Detective Chief Inspector Henry Johnstone is an extremely goal-oriented man who, thankfully, has Detective Sergeant Mickey Hitchens with him to bring in the personal touch that makes the natives more cooperative.

The writing style of The Murder Book reminded me of Jack Webb's portrayal of Sergeant Joe Friday in Dragnet-- just the facts, ma'am. This type of delivery kept the pace moving right along even though it kept me at a distance-- and I'm the type of reader who likes being in the middle of the action. I didn't let that keep me from enjoying the mystery; however, because this is a convoluted investigation whose resolution only becomes clear due to Johnstone and Hitchens' sheer, dogged determination.

I only had one real disappointment in this book, and it's what gives The Murder Book poignancy-- my favorite character was seven-year-old Ruby. What a marvelous little girl, and she was killed in the prologue! As a reader, it made me even more determined to learn the identity of the killer.

Those of you who like everything neatly tied up by the time the last page is turned may not like the fact that one case Johnstone is working on is not concluded by book's end. It was unclear to me whether the author was going to leave it as is, or if Johnstone would resume working on the investigation at a later date. I shall have to find out.... ( )