I think I give almost all books I read 5 stars. Why? I love to read! Those driven to write have a passion for it, whether good with a phrase or not. But Lemarchand writes a good series, and Pollard, Toye, Jane, well, they are real, well defined, and a reader can picture them during the story.
Love this series. Each mystery, set in a rural English town ( started in late 1960's and has progressed to early 1970's) in very different from all the others. This makes the search for the truth new and fresh for each book!Enjoy!!
I am enjoying reading this series of books nice light read and the interaction between Pollard &Toye is developing with each book. They do tend to leave some unanswered questions at the end which I find irksome.
Old fashioned policing at its best. Pollard and Toye are sent to investigate the suspicious death of Annabel Lucas and the theft of valuable books from the Ramsden Literature and Scientific Society.
Very enjoyable police procedural, with some cozy mystery elements. The characters are well defined and I wascleft guessing until the very unexpected ending.
A bit too much re door locked or unlocked and exactly when, but over all a good read. Characters pretty good, writing excellent. Not all mysteries need a murder.
A sherry party of the Ramsden Literary and Scientific Society. Soon part time library assistant Annabel Lucas is discovered dead. That and because of the theft of some old books Scotland Yard is brought in. Detectives Pollard and Toye investigate. an entertaining mystery Originally published 1976
"UNDER A FACADE OF RURAL PEACE, HIDDEN EVIL ERUPTS IN MURDER
"What riddles like behind the doors of the normally sedate Ramsden Literary and Scientific Society that could have led to the death of a pretty young librarian? What secrets were hidden in the rare and valuable books that appear to have been stolen? Why has the Society's historian suddenly disappeared? And what frightening treasure has the cleaning lady's delinquent son unearthed?
"Superintendent Pollard and Inspector Toye dig up the long-buried pasts of Ramsden's leading families, and untangle the murky relationships of a secluded town and its tight-lipped citizenry. Elizabeth Lemarchand is in top form with this brooding tale of greed and jealousy in the sleepy English countryside." ~~back cover
Elizabeth Lemarchand is one of my favorite British mystery authors -- I have several of her books and am always delighted to discover one I've not read before. So I was a bit disappointed to realize that I didn't particularly care for this one. The plot seemed convoluted, difficult to follow, and the technique of the police seemed esoteric. Still, English mysteries are wonderful things, and I'd read this book again given the choice between it and any vampire, zombie or anime book any day!
A fairly typical example of the cosy British detective story but none the worse for that. Set in a small county town with the usual old rivalries and prejudices, Pollard and Toye are called in to assist the local police to decide if the death of the pretty young librarian was accident or murder.
Not bad at all. Although it's not in the same class, if you like Crofts or Bellairs then you will probably like this.
A good, reliable re-read with an interesting twist at the end, yet not one of the best in this series. When unlovable Annabel is found dead of a broken neck at the foot of a spiral staircase and several valuable books are missing from the Society's library it sets off an investigation that Supt Pollard really does not want. There are five strands here, some very brief and incidental, that merge to an interesting conclusion. A tad messy so perhaps really 3.5 stars.