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The Felse Investigations #5
The Piper on the Mountain
When Herbert Terrell falls off a mountain during a vacation in Czechoslovakia, accidental death is the verdict. Then his step-daughter Tossa receives a note suggesting Terrell was murdered--turning Tossa's long-planned European holiday with college friends into a hunt for the killer.
202 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
137 people are currently reading
438 people want to read
About the author
Ellis Peters
202 books1,150 followersA pseudonym used by Edith Pargeter.
Edith Mary Pargeter, OBE, BEM was a prolific author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her translations of Czech classics; she is probably best known for her murder mysteries, both historical and modern. Born in the village of Horsehay (Shropshire, England), she had Welsh ancestry, and many of her short stories and books (both fictional and non-fictional) were set in Wales and its borderlands.
During World War II, she worked in an administrative role in the Women's Royal Naval Service, and received the British Empire Medal - BEM.
Pargeter wrote under a number of pseudonyms; it was under the name Ellis Peters that she wrote the highly popular series of Brother Cadfael medieval mysteries, many of which were made into films for television.
Edith Mary Pargeter, OBE, BEM was a prolific author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her translations of Czech classics; she is probably best known for her murder mysteries, both historical and modern. Born in the village of Horsehay (Shropshire, England), she had Welsh ancestry, and many of her short stories and books (both fictional and non-fictional) were set in Wales and its borderlands.
During World War II, she worked in an administrative role in the Women's Royal Naval Service, and received the British Empire Medal - BEM.
Pargeter wrote under a number of pseudonyms; it was under the name Ellis Peters that she wrote the highly popular series of Brother Cadfael medieval mysteries, many of which were made into films for television.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
December 11, 2023
I enjoyed this. A Felse mystery in which Dominic, Felse’s son, helps a girl. Both Dominic and the girl appear in later books in this series.
February 24, 2021
Once I got into this book a bit, maybe three or four chapters, it started to feel like a grown-up version of a Hardy Boys mystery. It has the feeling of being sensationally clock-and-dagger yet whimsically innocent simultaneously. And despite our hero and heroine inveigling themselves into secrets of national security and international crime there really isn’t any suspense about the outcome. Then the ending is suitably theatric and unlikely to keep with the feel of a teen novel. What made it more grown-up than a Hardy Boys though is a number of ‘mild’ curse words.
I was enjoying it, far-fetched as it is, until the end. First off, the climactic escape plan was really quite unbelievable. It did show the author was familiar with the area and its unique culture, but really? It was just too farfetched. I guess it was a suitable solution if this was a children’s book but it just didn’t work for an adult audience. Then there was that interminable conclusion. The hero starts hinting way too early that he knows the solution then the wind up goes on and on and on. It got aggravating after a while.
I was enjoying it, far-fetched as it is, until the end. First off, the climactic escape plan was really quite unbelievable. It did show the author was familiar with the area and its unique culture, but really? It was just too farfetched. I guess it was a suitable solution if this was a children’s book but it just didn’t work for an adult audience. Then there was that interminable conclusion. The hero starts hinting way too early that he knows the solution then the wind up goes on and on and on. It got aggravating after a while.
February 23, 2019
4.5 stars. Probably one of my favorites of the series so far, though I've liked them all to varying degrees. The clever, subtle misdirection in the mystery plot and the quiet suspense-building is just great. The European vacation setting (in the mountains of Czechoslovakia) and the rich writing give it a very slight Mary Stewart-esque flavor, though it's still a whodunit at its core.
October 27, 2012
I saw an Ellis Peters book on Bookmooch and mooched it. I mentioned I loved her writing and the bookmoocher offered me another book too - which was this one. I assumed it is the first of the "Inspector Felse" series, as Domonic Felse is not an Inspector but a student, but looking up the sequence here on Goodreads I find it was the sixth of the series she wrote.
The story is set in England and various parts of the former Czachoslovakia, with the group of four students travelling through Prague and onto the Tatra mountains. The only thing I knew about the Tatras besides their approximate location was that they grow fine wood for making musical instruments as the steep slopes mean that trees grow up straight and unbranched seeking light. A local musical instrument features in this story by chance. I am constantly amazed by the breadth and detailed knowledge of Edith Pargeter on a whole range of subjects. Her knowledge of Eastern Europe is evident here in the settings of the story, and its references to the Iron Curtain and the cold war make this a compelling story.
I started reading it as a light break from the more solid descriptive book she wrote about her Shropshire landscape and have finished it without progressing far with the other book, as it is a real page-turner. It is not so much the mystery as the gradual involvement with her characters that the author conjures, which kept me reading for half the night and finishing the book within three days despite a heavy current work load.
This is another book my older son, also familiar with Eastern Europe, politics and music and a lover of crime fiction for plane journey reading, will enjoy.
The story is set in England and various parts of the former Czachoslovakia, with the group of four students travelling through Prague and onto the Tatra mountains. The only thing I knew about the Tatras besides their approximate location was that they grow fine wood for making musical instruments as the steep slopes mean that trees grow up straight and unbranched seeking light. A local musical instrument features in this story by chance. I am constantly amazed by the breadth and detailed knowledge of Edith Pargeter on a whole range of subjects. Her knowledge of Eastern Europe is evident here in the settings of the story, and its references to the Iron Curtain and the cold war make this a compelling story.
I started reading it as a light break from the more solid descriptive book she wrote about her Shropshire landscape and have finished it without progressing far with the other book, as it is a real page-turner. It is not so much the mystery as the gradual involvement with her characters that the author conjures, which kept me reading for half the night and finishing the book within three days despite a heavy current work load.
This is another book my older son, also familiar with Eastern Europe, politics and music and a lover of crime fiction for plane journey reading, will enjoy.
February 6, 2016
Ellis Peters always crafts delicate and enchanting prose, and the lyrically lovely Piper on the Mountain is no different. The murder mystery is almost an afterthought, the adoring descriptions of the Slovakian geography and culture taking precedence, and in fact by the time the true mystery is revealed and solved, I felt like brushing it off and reading more about the fujara and local lakes and mountain climbing. Part Cold War spy thriller, part murder mystery, it turns out to be, really, not quite either.
Disappointed not to have George and Bunty present in this one. I'm reading the series for the first time, going through in order, after years of knowing Peters only for the Cadfael mysteries, and I'm surprised by how often these "Inspector Felse" novels are really just Dominic.
A charming and old-fashioned little love letter to the region, but I'd pass if you're looking for a typical suspenseful whodunnit.
Disappointed not to have George and Bunty present in this one. I'm reading the series for the first time, going through in order, after years of knowing Peters only for the Cadfael mysteries, and I'm surprised by how often these "Inspector Felse" novels are really just Dominic.
A charming and old-fashioned little love letter to the region, but I'd pass if you're looking for a typical suspenseful whodunnit.
June 10, 2025
Before there was Brother Cadfael, there was Chief Inspector Felse. This mystery is seen through the eyes of his son Dominic, who sets off with three companions for a tour of Europe in a rented van. It is not long before he realizes that his new friend Tossa is relentlessly steering them to Czechoslovakia, on a personal mission to find out why her disliked stepfather, an experienced mountaineer, fell fell off a mountain he shouldn't have.
I have to confess that I like Peters' Felse series better than Brother Cadfael, and this is my favorite of that series, which I discovered many, many years ago.
I have to confess that I like Peters' Felse series better than Brother Cadfael, and this is my favorite of that series, which I discovered many, many years ago.
September 25, 2017
Found a copy on the library free book shelf, so I read it again after many years. Good romantic suspense. Tossa for the first time, Dominic at 17, lots of Czech scenery. Unfortunately the library doesn't have any more of the Felse series.
October 11, 2025
88th book read in 2025
This is the fifth book I have read in Ellis Peters’ Inspector Felse series. Unlike the earlier books which are set in Great Britain, this one takes the reader into Czechoslovakia of all places. Dominic Felse, the inspector’s son, is now a college student at Oxford and will be accompanying some friends on a summer trip to the Continent.
Dominic has, in every book, become involved in whatever case his father is pursuing and comes up with clues that help solve the mystery. This time he is away from Dad. He soon finds himself involved in a mysterious death connected with The Marrion Research Institute, a security office in Britain. Because the dead mountaineer was stepfather to Tossa, a young woman who will steal Dominic’s heart as he tries to protect her during their journey.
It is a great Cold War tale set in an atmospheric and mountainous area of Czechoslovakia. As usual, Dominic is perceptive and smart beyond his years. In order to keep Tossa safe, as well as prevent a serious problem with British security, he must solve the mystery himself. His father would be proud of him.
There are eight more books in this series, and I look forward to reading them.
This is the fifth book I have read in Ellis Peters’ Inspector Felse series. Unlike the earlier books which are set in Great Britain, this one takes the reader into Czechoslovakia of all places. Dominic Felse, the inspector’s son, is now a college student at Oxford and will be accompanying some friends on a summer trip to the Continent.
Dominic has, in every book, become involved in whatever case his father is pursuing and comes up with clues that help solve the mystery. This time he is away from Dad. He soon finds himself involved in a mysterious death connected with The Marrion Research Institute, a security office in Britain. Because the dead mountaineer was stepfather to Tossa, a young woman who will steal Dominic’s heart as he tries to protect her during their journey.
It is a great Cold War tale set in an atmospheric and mountainous area of Czechoslovakia. As usual, Dominic is perceptive and smart beyond his years. In order to keep Tossa safe, as well as prevent a serious problem with British security, he must solve the mystery himself. His father would be proud of him.
There are eight more books in this series, and I look forward to reading them.
January 20, 2018
Finally....
Now I just need to write 3 pages about this book 🙃
Now I just need to write 3 pages about this book 🙃
May 11, 2022
I did not like this story at all. The main characters are British, but the story takes place in Czechoslovakia. I like Dominic as a side kick to his dad back in England, but not in this role. I think Ellis Peters must have gone on vacation to Czechoslovakia. The first part was written like a travelogue. I thought the Tossa, Dominic's love interest, came over as a spoiled brat. The solution of the mystery was confusing. Maybe I skipped through the part when one of the characters was introduced. Not recommending.
May 27, 2017
The Piper on the Mountain is as much novel as mystery. Written in Peters’ unique and unmistakable voice, the narrative contrasts lyrical, almost poetic description with a more matter-of-fact presentation of the characters’ actions, conversation, and occasionally thoughts.
Initally, Tossa seems the more likely protagonist, but as she and her companions draw closer to her goal, Dominic’s role slowly grows in importance, both structurally and within the story. Beyond the half-way point, it becomes clear that Dominic has become the true protagonist; it is primarily up to him to untangle the puzzle and, not incidentally, keep Tossa safe. The relationship between the two grows slowly, too, comprised of equal strands of attraction, and prickly wariness (on Tossa’s part) and suspicion and concern (on Dominic’s.)
Peters’s characterization is deft and sparely descriptive; she conveys just enough, but not too much. In the case of Christine and Todd, twins who, as Tossa’s friends, make up half of the holiday expedition, Peters tells us very little about them. They are intentionally if cheerfully ordinary, almost background characters, while Domninic & Tossa’s sharp intelligence and sense of purpose set them both apart. Tossa is almost singleminded in her determination to find out the truth about her (largely unlamented) stepfather’s death, but she keeps her goal and her worries hidden from the others. There’s something reminiscent of a Arabian foal about her; she has that same fine-boned, leggy awkwardness about to become grace, the the same air of nervous, barely-constrained energy. Dominic, who is keenly aware of Tossa and observant enough to see through her mask, is just as resolved to protect her if—when!—she needs protection. And he fears she will. They’re traveling in Communist Czechoslovakia, after all, where it’s dangerous to ask questions or pry into the death of an Englishman.
Peters ratchets up the suspense in small but perfectly calibrated increments. And yet, there’s no real danger apparent for much of the book. The only hints of something wrong are Tossa’s unease, and the fact that Terrell is dead when he ought not to be. When a physical threat does arise, it is anonymous, the motivation still unknown. This only serves to deepen the overall mystery, which comes, eventually, to a most unexpected but satisfying conclusion.
The author clearly knew her setting well from her own trips to Czechoslovakia; she describes it in vivid images that perfectly evoke the clarity of the mountain air, the sharpness of the rocky peaks and the alpine beauty of the valleys. She left me almost eager to travel to Slovakia, to the Low Tatras, to see if the area is still as she depicts it.
Although The Piper on the Mountain is part of the Felse Investigations series, like all of the books in the series it can stand alone. Dominic is Inspector George Felse’s son, now grown and in college; George himself comes into the story not at all.* It is one of my favorite Ellis Peters books, and well worth reading.
* A peculiarity of the series is that George is often not the protagonist; sometimes it’s Dominic, sometimes another character involved in the mystery. It makes the books more a related collection of mysteries than a series in the usual sense of the term.
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
Initally, Tossa seems the more likely protagonist, but as she and her companions draw closer to her goal, Dominic’s role slowly grows in importance, both structurally and within the story. Beyond the half-way point, it becomes clear that Dominic has become the true protagonist; it is primarily up to him to untangle the puzzle and, not incidentally, keep Tossa safe. The relationship between the two grows slowly, too, comprised of equal strands of attraction, and prickly wariness (on Tossa’s part) and suspicion and concern (on Dominic’s.)
Peters’s characterization is deft and sparely descriptive; she conveys just enough, but not too much. In the case of Christine and Todd, twins who, as Tossa’s friends, make up half of the holiday expedition, Peters tells us very little about them. They are intentionally if cheerfully ordinary, almost background characters, while Domninic & Tossa’s sharp intelligence and sense of purpose set them both apart. Tossa is almost singleminded in her determination to find out the truth about her (largely unlamented) stepfather’s death, but she keeps her goal and her worries hidden from the others. There’s something reminiscent of a Arabian foal about her; she has that same fine-boned, leggy awkwardness about to become grace, the the same air of nervous, barely-constrained energy. Dominic, who is keenly aware of Tossa and observant enough to see through her mask, is just as resolved to protect her if—when!—she needs protection. And he fears she will. They’re traveling in Communist Czechoslovakia, after all, where it’s dangerous to ask questions or pry into the death of an Englishman.
Peters ratchets up the suspense in small but perfectly calibrated increments. And yet, there’s no real danger apparent for much of the book. The only hints of something wrong are Tossa’s unease, and the fact that Terrell is dead when he ought not to be. When a physical threat does arise, it is anonymous, the motivation still unknown. This only serves to deepen the overall mystery, which comes, eventually, to a most unexpected but satisfying conclusion.
The author clearly knew her setting well from her own trips to Czechoslovakia; she describes it in vivid images that perfectly evoke the clarity of the mountain air, the sharpness of the rocky peaks and the alpine beauty of the valleys. She left me almost eager to travel to Slovakia, to the Low Tatras, to see if the area is still as she depicts it.
Although The Piper on the Mountain is part of the Felse Investigations series, like all of the books in the series it can stand alone. Dominic is Inspector George Felse’s son, now grown and in college; George himself comes into the story not at all.* It is one of my favorite Ellis Peters books, and well worth reading.
* A peculiarity of the series is that George is often not the protagonist; sometimes it’s Dominic, sometimes another character involved in the mystery. It makes the books more a related collection of mysteries than a series in the usual sense of the term.
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
August 4, 2015
A lyrical book, one of the George Felse mysteries, beautifully written by Ellis Peters. Although Peters Brother Cadfael books draw all the raves, I find the Felse books just as good.
In this one we're centered on Dominic Felse (George's son who also was the center of Peters' Edgar winning book, Death and the Joyful Woman) who is off on a summer break touring trip with three college classmates. It soon becomes apparent to Dominic that Tossa Barber, one of the group, is determinedly but subtlely steering the group to the Tatras mountains in Czechoslovakia where her step father recently was killed in a mountain climbing accident.
Tossa for a variety of reasons is sure her step father was murdered and is determined to find out all the circumstances of his death and bring the culprit to justice. It soon becomes apparent that the young people are in over their heads and Tossa finds herself in jail charged with the murder of a British diplomat. But Dominic to the rescue!
Wonderful read. Highly recommended.
In this one we're centered on Dominic Felse (George's son who also was the center of Peters' Edgar winning book, Death and the Joyful Woman) who is off on a summer break touring trip with three college classmates. It soon becomes apparent to Dominic that Tossa Barber, one of the group, is determinedly but subtlely steering the group to the Tatras mountains in Czechoslovakia where her step father recently was killed in a mountain climbing accident.
Tossa for a variety of reasons is sure her step father was murdered and is determined to find out all the circumstances of his death and bring the culprit to justice. It soon becomes apparent that the young people are in over their heads and Tossa finds herself in jail charged with the murder of a British diplomat. But Dominic to the rescue!
Wonderful read. Highly recommended.
April 27, 2020
Oh, I SO wanted to love this book, and even considered buying the series but thought I should give it more than 20 pages :-) What a numbing disaster. Two complaints: 1) a confusing long trip through Czechoslovakia - virtually meaningless without having a map at your side; and 2) a mini-dissertation on rock formations in said country, also very confusing - not so much because of the geology, but because I could never get a clear picture in my mind whether I was up-slope or down-slope. Mind you, I love geology, so it wasn't at all THAT - it was, once again, logistics, as with the trip through the country. Sadly, items 1 and 2 comprised the corpus of the book. The ending was satisfactory, but getting there was a tedious journey. I'm going to stick with Cadfael and pass on Felse.
March 7, 2020
Delightful Intrigue
I am just getting to know Ellis Peter's Felse Mysteries, and what a pleasant discovery it is. The Piper on the Mountain takes place in the mountains of Slovakia amid an atmosphere just warming from the Cold War. The setting is minutely described with loving eyes so that we can easily see the beauty there. It follows my experience with the Felse stories in so far that the mystery itself is compelling but less so than the elegant prose that elevates the book beyond pedestrian murder mystery fare. If you enjoy fine writing and the fictional product of a taut and ingenious mind, you will find delightful satisfaction here.
I am just getting to know Ellis Peter's Felse Mysteries, and what a pleasant discovery it is. The Piper on the Mountain takes place in the mountains of Slovakia amid an atmosphere just warming from the Cold War. The setting is minutely described with loving eyes so that we can easily see the beauty there. It follows my experience with the Felse stories in so far that the mystery itself is compelling but less so than the elegant prose that elevates the book beyond pedestrian murder mystery fare. If you enjoy fine writing and the fictional product of a taut and ingenious mind, you will find delightful satisfaction here.
May 24, 2019
I love Ellis Peters’ writings, and though Cadfael is my favorite, the Felse series runs a close second. At first it seems that there is a lot of ‘telling’ rather than ‘showing’, however you soon learn that Ms. Peters’ / Pargeter’s narrative is actually remarkable prose. The mystery is good, the misdirection leads you merrily along your way, but the beautiful descriptive writing is like no other authors.
April 30, 2018
Combination crime drama and travel. Makes me want to go to the places mentioned. Loved the character descriptions and peek 'behind' the Iron Curtain.
July 20, 2018
Once again, Peters demonstrates her ability to move beyond formula. In this installment, she takes news from the mountains of Slovakia to London, and a college group from London to Slovakia. Of course there is murder and mayhem. Who to trust becomes an issue until alliances and guilt become clear.
Peters (aka Edith Pargeter) had many connections to Czechoslovakia that began with her first trip there in 1947. She loved the culture, stories and people and became fluent in both the Czech and Slovak languages to the point of translating Central European stories into English. Some accounts say she fell in love with a Czech man who later married another. The Piper on the Mountain was published in 1966. Two years later, in 1968, the Czechoslovak Society for International Relations awarded Pargeter a Gold Medal and Ribbon. But hard times were ahead, and as Soviet power pulled Czechoslovakia behind the Iron Curtain, the travel and fellowship she’d enjoyed with the people of Czechoslovakia for two decades was interrupted.
The Piper on the Mountain contains numerous details about the culture that captivated Peters/ Pargeter encountered. While the basic geography is faithfully reported, the main settings are fictional, as with her work in the Felse series that is set in England. Also noteworthy is that neither George nor Bunty Felse appear in this edition at all. The focus is Dominic, his friends, their summer vacation adventure, and the crime they examine. There wasn’t much growth in Dominic in this title, and I felt more aware of how contrived the plotting was than I had been previously. Reading it felt like kind of a normal paperback beach read historical crime novel, not the usual step above I’ve found with Peters.
I don’t know if I’m tired of being sick, ready to come out of quarantine, or maybe too much Felse in succession, but this particular title was less engaging to me. I feel bad saying so, as I think this setting is a bit of a love song from Peters, but it made me feel like maybe I want to take a break and read something else?
There’s More!
Black is the Colour of my True-Love’s Heart (Felse #6), Ellis Peters, 1967
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Peters (aka Edith Pargeter) had many connections to Czechoslovakia that began with her first trip there in 1947. She loved the culture, stories and people and became fluent in both the Czech and Slovak languages to the point of translating Central European stories into English. Some accounts say she fell in love with a Czech man who later married another. The Piper on the Mountain was published in 1966. Two years later, in 1968, the Czechoslovak Society for International Relations awarded Pargeter a Gold Medal and Ribbon. But hard times were ahead, and as Soviet power pulled Czechoslovakia behind the Iron Curtain, the travel and fellowship she’d enjoyed with the people of Czechoslovakia for two decades was interrupted.
The Piper on the Mountain contains numerous details about the culture that captivated Peters/ Pargeter encountered. While the basic geography is faithfully reported, the main settings are fictional, as with her work in the Felse series that is set in England. Also noteworthy is that neither George nor Bunty Felse appear in this edition at all. The focus is Dominic, his friends, their summer vacation adventure, and the crime they examine. There wasn’t much growth in Dominic in this title, and I felt more aware of how contrived the plotting was than I had been previously. Reading it felt like kind of a normal paperback beach read historical crime novel, not the usual step above I’ve found with Peters.
I don’t know if I’m tired of being sick, ready to come out of quarantine, or maybe too much Felse in succession, but this particular title was less engaging to me. I feel bad saying so, as I think this setting is a bit of a love song from Peters, but it made me feel like maybe I want to take a break and read something else?
There’s More!
Black is the Colour of my True-Love’s Heart (Felse #6), Ellis Peters, 1967
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
July 16, 2024
I might give this a 3.5 after finishing it, but it was more of a slog than the others I have read. I know Pargiter (Peters) loved Czechoslovakia and was very into the culture. She is very adept at describing the geography and settings in a way that gives one a feel for it all, but there was such a large emphasis on that it was a bit tiresome. I did find the time period--early 1960's--and the discussion of the Iron Curtain, needing passports stamped, etc. to be very interesting.
I wasn't wild about Tossa in the beginning. Yes, one could sympathize with her in terms of her pushy actress mother, but she really did force her friends into her idea of what the trip would be, and that seemed very self-indulgent given the potential dangers they could have all encountered. Good for Dominic to realize what she was doing. He is not a policeman's son for nothing. But the resolution of the story was too obvious and too pat for me.
The one interesting thing I liked was Peters' emphasis on the English folk tune that was heard in the mountains. It is obvious as I start book #6 that this music was another of Ellis Peters's life interests. A woman of many talents.
I wasn't wild about Tossa in the beginning. Yes, one could sympathize with her in terms of her pushy actress mother, but she really did force her friends into her idea of what the trip would be, and that seemed very self-indulgent given the potential dangers they could have all encountered. Good for Dominic to realize what she was doing. He is not a policeman's son for nothing. But the resolution of the story was too obvious and too pat for me.
The one interesting thing I liked was Peters' emphasis on the English folk tune that was heard in the mountains. It is obvious as I start book #6 that this music was another of Ellis Peters's life interests. A woman of many talents.
Read
May 7, 2025The situations Dominic False get s himself into are farfetched, especially in this book, and a tad u
She builds suspense with every word, every sdntence every description. She is an accomplished and talented writer...
Her references and vocabulary are advanced for even an intelligent and astute protagonist like Dominic so, if at some punctures one feels her mature presence! However she is not ever present in her books like some authors seem to be!
I love the interior thoughts mingling with the exterior c onversations that allow the reader to catch hat the characters are thinking as they proceed with their actions.
Her books are alk worth reading and continue to get better with each outing. I am challenged often tricked into thinking I have solved the case before it is over..I am usually wrong!
Thought I had this one all figured out and, boy, wax I wrong.
As a Mystery and Murder Mystery aficionado it intrigues me when I and led down the garden path with twists and turns that baffle me and trick me into thinking I know more than I do.
MS Peters is, simply, A Master of her Craft.
Cannot wait to read alk of these False Investigations Books!
She builds suspense with every word, every sdntence every description. She is an accomplished and talented writer...
Her references and vocabulary are advanced for even an intelligent and astute protagonist like Dominic so, if at some punctures one feels her mature presence! However she is not ever present in her books like some authors seem to be!
I love the interior thoughts mingling with the exterior c onversations that allow the reader to catch hat the characters are thinking as they proceed with their actions.
Her books are alk worth reading and continue to get better with each outing. I am challenged often tricked into thinking I have solved the case before it is over..I am usually wrong!
Thought I had this one all figured out and, boy, wax I wrong.
As a Mystery and Murder Mystery aficionado it intrigues me when I and led down the garden path with twists and turns that baffle me and trick me into thinking I know more than I do.
MS Peters is, simply, A Master of her Craft.
Cannot wait to read alk of these False Investigations Books!
May 13, 2020
This was the first of Ellis Peters' mysteries that I ever read, and I have read it multiple times since, and enjoy it every time. In this book, Dominic Felse, now a college student, takes center stage, without his father in the background. Instead, he and three other students are on a European vacation. Although the other two don't seem to notice, Dominic is very aware when Tossa Barber cleverly directs their trip to the spot where her not-very-lamented stepfather recently die, falling off a cliff. Although ruled an accident, Tossa has reservations, and is determined to discover the truth. Unfortunately, she is not the only one. When they fall into trouble, who can they turn to for help? Excellent, fast-moving, with a very different plot. Highly recommended.
April 25, 2023
read this book before you go to Musical Instrument Museum.
This books begins with a frisson of tension. It then settles down into 4 Englis college students wending their way through Europe to Czechoslovakia (in the early 1960’s). There is a lot of travel guide language here, but the characters begin to firm up and are clearly defined. The end moves quickly, like the collapsing talus heap which figures prominently in the book. And then listen to some fujara music. You will be glad you did.
This books begins with a frisson of tension. It then settles down into 4 Englis college students wending their way through Europe to Czechoslovakia (in the early 1960’s). There is a lot of travel guide language here, but the characters begin to firm up and are clearly defined. The end moves quickly, like the collapsing talus heap which figures prominently in the book. And then listen to some fujara music. You will be glad you did.
November 23, 2024
No e-book listing again - though that's what I read.
This entry in the series is definitely NOT up to usual standards. So many things skipped over - people just suddenly knew all these things without ever being told - and then there was the mystery of the red sweater switching its wearer though the people had not had any contact.
And I missed the senior Felses in this. A book almost entirely about a bunch of university kids on a European trip doesn't hold a lot of interest for me.
I did finish it - only reason I gave it a 2.
This entry in the series is definitely NOT up to usual standards. So many things skipped over - people just suddenly knew all these things without ever being told - and then there was the mystery of the red sweater switching its wearer though the people had not had any contact.
And I missed the senior Felses in this. A book almost entirely about a bunch of university kids on a European trip doesn't hold a lot of interest for me.
I did finish it - only reason I gave it a 2.
August 19, 2025
Tossa Barber is not convinced that her step-father's death was accidental. She and her friends are already planning an European tour, so she carefully arranges things so that they can return to the scene of the crime and find out what really happened. The Truth really does set you free - and this case is no exception, despite the attempts of international elements to prevent the discovery of the Truth. And Dom Felse, who is along for the ride, becomes more and more attracted to Tessa - and just as determined to help her find the truth.
The concluding scene where Dom meets the Piper on the Mountain is powerful and memorable.
The concluding scene where Dom meets the Piper on the Mountain is powerful and memorable.
July 25, 2021
Wasn't so keen on this one, took me a week to read a book under 200 pages which says a lot!
It just felt very dated and not that exciting, I didn't really belive that Tossa would go to those lengths to try an investigate the death of a man she didn't even like that much.
I also got very confused towards the end about what the motives were etc, not a book I would read again.
It just felt very dated and not that exciting, I didn't really belive that Tossa would go to those lengths to try an investigate the death of a man she didn't even like that much.
I also got very confused towards the end about what the motives were etc, not a book I would read again.
January 13, 2023
Not so much a mystery -- though many clues are there to be found -- as a great thriller that reads like Buchan without the racist language. This one is a Dominic focused tale without George. I'm wondering how Peters thought about her two protagonists as she developed this series. I hope we'll get more George in some future novel -- or better yet, a Bunty-focused one.
February 19, 2024
This was enjoyable! Not a Great Book, but a good read. I like Tossa and Dominic.
I also like that she neatly upends several detective novel tropes in several directions at once.
It left me wanting to go and see the beauty of the Czech Republic that she so vividly describes, also, which is a point in its favour. Lovely descriptions of setting and people.
I also like that she neatly upends several detective novel tropes in several directions at once.
It left me wanting to go and see the beauty of the Czech Republic that she so vividly describes, also, which is a point in its favour. Lovely descriptions of setting and people.
December 1, 2018
Is it a spy novel or a murder mystery? Dominic Felse is behind the Iron Curtain with three other English students.
I really enjoyed this, at the same time I thought that Tossa was a freaking idiot. What was her grand plan?
I really enjoyed this, at the same time I thought that Tossa was a freaking idiot. What was her grand plan?
June 23, 2021
I like the intricacy and historical detail of these mysteries. And I like that they can be very different from one another. But there is also something dated about the characterizations of women, which rings occasional false notes.
October 1, 2021
I have tried his Cadfael books but this was much better. A good plot with interesting characters and sufficient surprises to keep you guessing. I will try others in the series.
I just found out he is a she (author)
I just found out he is a she (author)
September 4, 2022
This was a very good book. This is the second book I have read in the Felse series and I liked this one a bit more than book 4. As always Ellis Peters writes a terrific book and I always look forward to reading more of her books.
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