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DCS Fran Harman #4
Burying the Past
Detective Chief Superintendent Fran Harman’s professional and private lives collide when a skeleton is unearthed in her garden Fran is preparing for her forthcoming wedding to Assistant Chief Constable Mark Turner, but renovations at the rectory they plan to move into are disrupted by the discovery of a skeleton buried in the vegetable patch. As investigations into its identity progress, it’s also clear that Mark’s two grown-up children are less than ecstatic at the prospect of their father’s forthcoming nuptials. In fact, at least one of them seems to be behaving very strangely indeed . . .
224 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2012
461 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Judith Cutler
88 books94 followersJudith Cutler was born and bred in the Midlands, and revels in using her birthplace, with its rich cultural life, as a background for her novels. After a long stint as an English lecturer at a run-down college of further education, Judith, a prize-winning short-story writer, has taught Creative Writing at Birmingham University, has run occasional writing course elsewhere (from a maximum security prison to an idyltic Greek island) and ministered to needy colleagues in her role as Secretary of the Crime Writers' Association.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 16, 2019
With the rise of TV shows made from series of books I think books are starting to mirror TV shows. TV shows have to feature the same cast of characters every week because the actors all have contracts and that is what I think is happening in this book, the fourth in a series. Cutler seems to be scrambling to write in every significant character mentioned in the previous 3 books. I haven't read the previous 3 books so I am deducing this from the fact there are so many characters who walk in so casually and we are meant to start laughing along with them immediately as if they are old friends.
I like a good detective series but I have to say I prefer if each book can stand alone. This one does not do such a good job of that.
There are some feminist themes in the book, which of course I enjoyed for all that woman as victim of sexual predator is a huge cliché and probably that and prostitutes should be more sparingly used in the plot. That said I like the moral carefulness of the book. Who is to blame for this crime or that is not always so easily determined and for police officers Fran and Mark are fairly good at making excuses for people.
I was ambivalent about the way wren was written- the stuff about his small stature and lack of the sorts of masculinites that are honoured got on my nerves, but the fact he was a cost cutter and horribly image conscious make me dislike him. I wish they had focused that better. Many of the conversations in the book seemes manic and while I like Fran's emotional genuineness (and usually she is emotionally intelligent too) she did have some strange and abrupt outbursts that added little to the plot.
Similarly Mark's relationship with Dave, while very likeable was not really believable. Dave seemed to swing between completely different personalities from the beginning to the end of the book. I like what Cutler has done there (interrogating the well-meaning but absent father) but I think it needed to be handled with more nuance. I did like that Mark was quite emotionally intelligent about it (again hard to believe considering other aspects of him). I want to note here that I appreciated having an aging protagonist and love-interest. There is not enough of this out there in my opinion.
I also admite what Cutler tried to do with depression but like many things in the plot it was abrupt and heavy-handed and all over too quickly. I think all her themes are worthwhile but could be written better and her characters need to be fleshed out and calmed down (maybe we need fewer of them and they can't all be whacky in some way). I liked that there was a female priest for all that I could feel religion trying to somewhat inappropriately creep into the plot (I have made the same mistake myself when writing).
Overall when I persisted through the first confusing cascade of too many characters and situations it was assumed I was familiar with and the manic range of events, I sort of warmed to this book, to its intention if nothing else. In intention it reminded me of the books I loved in the 90s and I wondered if my standards have just gone up and whether that is fair.
If you are going to read these, I suggest you read them in order ;)
I like a good detective series but I have to say I prefer if each book can stand alone. This one does not do such a good job of that.
There are some feminist themes in the book, which of course I enjoyed for all that woman as victim of sexual predator is a huge cliché and probably that and prostitutes should be more sparingly used in the plot. That said I like the moral carefulness of the book. Who is to blame for this crime or that is not always so easily determined and for police officers Fran and Mark are fairly good at making excuses for people.
I was ambivalent about the way wren was written- the stuff about his small stature and lack of the sorts of masculinites that are honoured got on my nerves, but the fact he was a cost cutter and horribly image conscious make me dislike him. I wish they had focused that better. Many of the conversations in the book seemes manic and while I like Fran's emotional genuineness (and usually she is emotionally intelligent too) she did have some strange and abrupt outbursts that added little to the plot.
Similarly Mark's relationship with Dave, while very likeable was not really believable. Dave seemed to swing between completely different personalities from the beginning to the end of the book. I like what Cutler has done there (interrogating the well-meaning but absent father) but I think it needed to be handled with more nuance. I did like that Mark was quite emotionally intelligent about it (again hard to believe considering other aspects of him). I want to note here that I appreciated having an aging protagonist and love-interest. There is not enough of this out there in my opinion.
I also admite what Cutler tried to do with depression but like many things in the plot it was abrupt and heavy-handed and all over too quickly. I think all her themes are worthwhile but could be written better and her characters need to be fleshed out and calmed down (maybe we need fewer of them and they can't all be whacky in some way). I liked that there was a female priest for all that I could feel religion trying to somewhat inappropriately creep into the plot (I have made the same mistake myself when writing).
Overall when I persisted through the first confusing cascade of too many characters and situations it was assumed I was familiar with and the manic range of events, I sort of warmed to this book, to its intention if nothing else. In intention it reminded me of the books I loved in the 90s and I wondered if my standards have just gone up and whether that is fair.
If you are going to read these, I suggest you read them in order ;)
January 31, 2013
I picked this up in the library because the premise sounded promising: a pair of senior police officers, about to get married and in the midst of renovating their home-to-be, find a decade-old corpse buried beneath the runner beans.
Alas, the book did not live up to its early promise. In fact, I had several problems with it.
First, it's the fourth volume in a series of which I have not read the earlier books. This is not exactly the book's fault, but I do think the author was being a bit lazy in her characterisation; most of the secondary characters weren't terribly well fleshed out, and gave me the impression that the author had thought "oh well, readers know X from previous books, I'll just put in a reminder-characteristic and they'll do the rest themselves". Which would be lazy writing even if one had read the preceding books and is distinctly annoying when one hasn't.
Second, the book is cluttered. There's too much going on. It's a relatively slim volume (215 pages), yet besides the body in the beans, the characters have also to deal with a rape victim who's stabbed her assailant only they can't find said assailant, metal theft on an industrial scale, the vicar they want to marry them having a mastectomy, and the male half of the couple's grown-up children being irrationally obnoxious. Plus a new boss with his nose firmly up Whitehall's arse and budget cuts everywhere. And as they start to investigate the body in the beans, the weird behaviour of the previous owner of their house, and the puzzle she left in her storage facility.
The body in the beans and the weird behaviour of the grown-up children would be plenty of plot for a book this size; adding in all the rest as well is just irritating. None of it has much ultimate point or impact on the main plot; I suspect the author may have been wanting to depict police work realistically and put in all this stuff to demonstrate how they don't get to stick to one case all the time until it's solved, but I think she went too far the other way and has just ended up boring and annoying at least one reader.
Third, and perhaps most damning, given the genre, I found the denoument unsatisfying. The identity of the body, and of the murderer, and the reasons for the murder, just aren't very interesting. The reasons, in fact, are a bit on the cliched side. And none of the side-plots link neatly up to the main plot, as often happens in this genre (and as I like to have happen).
Having said all that, I did find the main characters engaging, and both the main mystery (up until the denoument at least) and the tiresome-offspring subplot interesting. But overall I found it a rather disappointing book.
Alas, the book did not live up to its early promise. In fact, I had several problems with it.
First, it's the fourth volume in a series of which I have not read the earlier books. This is not exactly the book's fault, but I do think the author was being a bit lazy in her characterisation; most of the secondary characters weren't terribly well fleshed out, and gave me the impression that the author had thought "oh well, readers know X from previous books, I'll just put in a reminder-characteristic and they'll do the rest themselves". Which would be lazy writing even if one had read the preceding books and is distinctly annoying when one hasn't.
Second, the book is cluttered. There's too much going on. It's a relatively slim volume (215 pages), yet besides the body in the beans, the characters have also to deal with a rape victim who's stabbed her assailant only they can't find said assailant, metal theft on an industrial scale, the vicar they want to marry them having a mastectomy, and the male half of the couple's grown-up children being irrationally obnoxious. Plus a new boss with his nose firmly up Whitehall's arse and budget cuts everywhere. And as they start to investigate the body in the beans, the weird behaviour of the previous owner of their house, and the puzzle she left in her storage facility.
The body in the beans and the weird behaviour of the grown-up children would be plenty of plot for a book this size; adding in all the rest as well is just irritating. None of it has much ultimate point or impact on the main plot; I suspect the author may have been wanting to depict police work realistically and put in all this stuff to demonstrate how they don't get to stick to one case all the time until it's solved, but I think she went too far the other way and has just ended up boring and annoying at least one reader.
Third, and perhaps most damning, given the genre, I found the denoument unsatisfying. The identity of the body, and of the murderer, and the reasons for the murder, just aren't very interesting. The reasons, in fact, are a bit on the cliched side. And none of the side-plots link neatly up to the main plot, as often happens in this genre (and as I like to have happen).
Having said all that, I did find the main characters engaging, and both the main mystery (up until the denoument at least) and the tiresome-offspring subplot interesting. But overall I found it a rather disappointing book.
November 7, 2025
4.5 Stars From Me
Fran and Mark are still waiting for the renovations to their cottage are complete, but a body is found under a deserted vegetable patch, which must be investigated and work will be held up again. Mark is still coming to terms with his retirement while Fran is still working very hard. I am enjoying this series, but for some reason struggled with this book a bit. I had to re-read several pages to work out who was who. I would give the book 4.5 stars.
Fran and Mark are still waiting for the renovations to their cottage are complete, but a body is found under a deserted vegetable patch, which must be investigated and work will be held up again. Mark is still coming to terms with his retirement while Fran is still working very hard. I am enjoying this series, but for some reason struggled with this book a bit. I had to re-read several pages to work out who was who. I would give the book 4.5 stars.
November 27, 2014
I have been a fan of Judith Cutler's Fran Harman series since the very first book. Fran is such a wonderful blend of intelligence, determination, empathy, and risk taking that I just can't read enough books about her. In all the fiction that I have read, this character is my favorite boss, and there's been a time or two when I wished that she were real so we could be best friends. As you can see, Fran has had quite an effect on me after four books!
There are crimes to solve in Burying the Past, and speaking of that title, there are plenty of characters-- including the house itself-- who have either buried their pasts or are trying to. There are even characters here who have appeared in other novels by Cutler-- like Caffy Tyler from Scar Tissue and Lina Townend who has her own series. You can read this book perfectly well without even knowing that these characters have lives of their own in other mysteries. They carry out their tasks here in fine style and add a bit of zest for Cutler's fans.
In the midst of people trying to take over the plans for Fran's wedding and Fran trying to keep all the various investigations straight, the reader soon realizes that this book has less to do with crime solving and more to do with tying up many of the loose ends of Fran's and Mark's lives so they can make a happy start to their new one together. This may irritate some, but as invested as I am in these characters, I really didn't mind a bit-- especially since so many of the investigations actually do tie in with these two retirement-age people who love each other so deeply.
Burying the Past definitely puts an enjoyable Paid In Full to some questions that have lingered for a book or two. What I like in particular is that Cutler does it in such a way that someone who's never read a Fran Harman mystery before can pick this one up and begin reading without feeling lost. When I'd savored the last page and closed the book, I was left with two things: a big smile, and a feeling of excitement. I have to find out what Fran's life has in store for her next!
There are crimes to solve in Burying the Past, and speaking of that title, there are plenty of characters-- including the house itself-- who have either buried their pasts or are trying to. There are even characters here who have appeared in other novels by Cutler-- like Caffy Tyler from Scar Tissue and Lina Townend who has her own series. You can read this book perfectly well without even knowing that these characters have lives of their own in other mysteries. They carry out their tasks here in fine style and add a bit of zest for Cutler's fans.
In the midst of people trying to take over the plans for Fran's wedding and Fran trying to keep all the various investigations straight, the reader soon realizes that this book has less to do with crime solving and more to do with tying up many of the loose ends of Fran's and Mark's lives so they can make a happy start to their new one together. This may irritate some, but as invested as I am in these characters, I really didn't mind a bit-- especially since so many of the investigations actually do tie in with these two retirement-age people who love each other so deeply.
Burying the Past definitely puts an enjoyable Paid In Full to some questions that have lingered for a book or two. What I like in particular is that Cutler does it in such a way that someone who's never read a Fran Harman mystery before can pick this one up and begin reading without feeling lost. When I'd savored the last page and closed the book, I was left with two things: a big smile, and a feeling of excitement. I have to find out what Fran's life has in store for her next!
October 19, 2020
Fran Harman and fiancé Mark Turner are hoping to move into their house which is currently being renovated when a skeleton is discovered in their garden. Their plans are thwarted by the property becoming a crime scene. Then Marks' daughter Sammie is refusing to let him into his house and it looks as though he is going to have to resort to the law to have her removed.
Feeing totally overwhelmed with work pressures - a new Chief Constable arriving at short notice, a rape and murder case and the skeleton in their own garden both Fran and Mark have their work cut out to stay sane let alone manage to deal with everything which life is suddenly throwing their way.
I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced and complex crime novel. I like both Mark and Fran and Mark's family problems provided a harrowing background to the cases being investigated by the force. I thought the internal politics was well done too.
If you like crime novels with interesting plots, believable and likeable characters and no on the page violence or bad language then this series could be for you. The books can be read in any order.
Feeing totally overwhelmed with work pressures - a new Chief Constable arriving at short notice, a rape and murder case and the skeleton in their own garden both Fran and Mark have their work cut out to stay sane let alone manage to deal with everything which life is suddenly throwing their way.
I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced and complex crime novel. I like both Mark and Fran and Mark's family problems provided a harrowing background to the cases being investigated by the force. I thought the internal politics was well done too.
If you like crime novels with interesting plots, believable and likeable characters and no on the page violence or bad language then this series could be for you. The books can be read in any order.
August 1, 2024
Detective Chief Inspector Fran Harmer should be gloriously happy. Her lover, Assistant Chief Constable Mark Turner has just proposed marriage and soon they will move into the handsome Georgian rectory they have bought and are having renovated. However, there are an overwhelming number of problems for them to cope with and many of them link the personal and professional sides of their lives. A senior police officer, who had once been mentored by Fran, has committed suicide and the well-respected Chief Constable feels he has failed in duty of care and must tender his resignation. Mark is the obvious person to succeed him, at least as Acting Chief Constable, but Mark feels it is too late in his career to take on such a high profile and demanding role, especially in light of his personal challenges. Chief among these is that Mark’s daughter, Sammie, had moved into his house with him, bringing her two children with her, claiming that her partner was abusing her. Mark made Sammie welcome, but once she was established in the house, she changed the locks when Mark was out and proceeded to squat there, which left Mark homeless until he moved in with Fran.
To add to the complications, a skeleton has just been discovered in the vegetable bed of Fran and Mark’s new house and their dream home has changed from a building site to a crime scene. The sale of Fran’s cottage has been completed, which means that they will soon be potentially homeless. As if this was not stressful enough, a young prostitute has confessed to a vicar friend of Fran and Mark that she stabbed a man who had tried to rape and rob her, but her story is contradictory and when the vicar has to go into hospital the young woman disappears.
At her high rank Fran is supposed to attend numerous meetings and oversee investigations rather than lead an investigation herself. However, when it comes to a body in her own garden, she is determined to be more hands on, especially as the officer in charge of the investigation is both inexperienced and acerbic and has alienated their builders, as well as being inclined to strip Fran’s newly renovated home back to bare bricks. The mystery of the murder in the rectory grounds is complicated by problems not only in identifying the victim but also in discovering the early history of the previous owner, who seems to have been a woman of mysterious origins.
Fran also becomes involved in the investigation of the claims of the young prostitute, determined to do all she can to help the girl that her vicar friend wishes to assist. At the same time Fran tries to support Mark as he has to deal with a new, politically manipulative Chief Constable and his own family problems. She becomes increasingly worried that the stress will impact his health and that he will have a heart attack or breakdown before she can persuade him to retire.
No Harm Done is the fourth book in the series featuring Fran Harmer and it was originally published in 2012. It is an interesting book that weaves several story strands together to form a complex but cohesive narrative. Fran and her friends and colleagues are engaging characters, and this is a very enjoyable read, which I recommend.
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Reviewer: Carol Westron
For Lizzie Sirett (Mystery People Group)
To add to the complications, a skeleton has just been discovered in the vegetable bed of Fran and Mark’s new house and their dream home has changed from a building site to a crime scene. The sale of Fran’s cottage has been completed, which means that they will soon be potentially homeless. As if this was not stressful enough, a young prostitute has confessed to a vicar friend of Fran and Mark that she stabbed a man who had tried to rape and rob her, but her story is contradictory and when the vicar has to go into hospital the young woman disappears.
At her high rank Fran is supposed to attend numerous meetings and oversee investigations rather than lead an investigation herself. However, when it comes to a body in her own garden, she is determined to be more hands on, especially as the officer in charge of the investigation is both inexperienced and acerbic and has alienated their builders, as well as being inclined to strip Fran’s newly renovated home back to bare bricks. The mystery of the murder in the rectory grounds is complicated by problems not only in identifying the victim but also in discovering the early history of the previous owner, who seems to have been a woman of mysterious origins.
Fran also becomes involved in the investigation of the claims of the young prostitute, determined to do all she can to help the girl that her vicar friend wishes to assist. At the same time Fran tries to support Mark as he has to deal with a new, politically manipulative Chief Constable and his own family problems. She becomes increasingly worried that the stress will impact his health and that he will have a heart attack or breakdown before she can persuade him to retire.
No Harm Done is the fourth book in the series featuring Fran Harmer and it was originally published in 2012. It is an interesting book that weaves several story strands together to form a complex but cohesive narrative. Fran and her friends and colleagues are engaging characters, and this is a very enjoyable read, which I recommend.
------
Reviewer: Carol Westron
For Lizzie Sirett (Mystery People Group)
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December 15, 2020 4.05 · Rating details · 142 ratings · 16 reviews
Detective Chief Superintendent Fran Harman’s professional and private lives collide when a skeleton is unearthed in her garden
Fran is preparing for her forthcoming wedding to Assistant Chief Constable Mark Turner, but renovations at the rectory they plan to move into are disrupted by the discovery of a skeleton buried in the vegetable patch. As investigations into its identity progress, it’s also clear that Mark’s two grown-up children are less than ecstatic at the prospect of their father’s forthcoming nuptials. In fact, at least one of them seems to be behaving very strangely indeed .
Great.
Detective Chief Superintendent Fran Harman’s professional and private lives collide when a skeleton is unearthed in her garden
Fran is preparing for her forthcoming wedding to Assistant Chief Constable Mark Turner, but renovations at the rectory they plan to move into are disrupted by the discovery of a skeleton buried in the vegetable patch. As investigations into its identity progress, it’s also clear that Mark’s two grown-up children are less than ecstatic at the prospect of their father’s forthcoming nuptials. In fact, at least one of them seems to be behaving very strangely indeed .
Great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2025
This was another engaging story in the box set I have, where Fran faces pressure wherever she turns.
I liked the writing style and how it follows Fran and her way of tackling problems.
The cast of characters suit the plot, if not all likeable.
A great read.
I liked the writing style and how it follows Fran and her way of tackling problems.
The cast of characters suit the plot, if not all likeable.
A great read.
June 20, 2025
A good solid book
Know these characters so well and then Sammie goes off the rails big time. Dave is a little strange, no matter how distance how come he just turns up from the USA. Love the descriptions of the countryside and traffic.
Know these characters so well and then Sammie goes off the rails big time. Dave is a little strange, no matter how distance how come he just turns up from the USA. Love the descriptions of the countryside and traffic.
October 15, 2018
Excellent
I already love Cutler's Lina Townend series. Now that I've read my first Fran Harmon title, all I can say is this definitely won't be the last!
I already love Cutler's Lina Townend series. Now that I've read my first Fran Harmon title, all I can say is this definitely won't be the last!
August 3, 2020
Best one yet
Fraught with family issues and job security, with interludes of frantic detection and calm reflection. Can't wait to start the next journey.
Fraught with family issues and job security, with interludes of frantic detection and calm reflection. Can't wait to start the next journey.
June 29, 2024
What has happened to detective stories in the last ten years? They all seem to be about feelings, love and long term relationships If I wanted Mills and Boon I would read Mills and Boon, which I don't and I won't. Anyway winge over. It's not a bad book.
July 2, 2024
Ok
This book was dated,took to long to get a feel for the storey,lost interest in it skipped more than I read.never mind
This book was dated,took to long to get a feel for the storey,lost interest in it skipped more than I read.never mind
September 6, 2024
Exceptional
Running the ongoing background story of Mark and Fran, twisting in so many strands and linking everything together. It is a work of art. Captivating.
Running the ongoing background story of Mark and Fran, twisting in so many strands and linking everything together. It is a work of art. Captivating.
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April 1, 2025I started this book but didn't continue as I realised it just didn't appeal to me.
April 10, 2025
Still enjoying the series, however, DCS Harman, appears not to have any time to ear, drink or sleep, as she is far too busy! Having said that I'm hooked!
January 1, 2026
Fran, recently engaged having Rectory remodeled.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2013
I found this a mixed bag. I started this series because it was set in Kent where I was holidaying, but by this point in the series the setting has become rather disappointingly anonymous. However, I find the romantic relationship between two very senior police officers who have their thirty years in quite touching and I was quickly drawn back into Fran and Mark's story. This time there are many links - there's a body in their own veg patch, the vicar they hope will marry them takes in a young woman who claims she has fatally stabbed her rapist and Lina Townend the protagonist of another Judith Cutler crime series is called upon for expert assistance.
There was really rather too much going on here - there were ends to be tied up from previous books, such as the investigation into the suicide of another police officer, there were nods to contemporary policing and crime issues such as metal theft and police commissioners and budget cuts, and Fran, Mark and the rest of the force are dealing with an acting Chief Constable. Meanwhile, Mark's grown up children are not behaving in a very grown up way. What started out as apparent jealous over the new woman in their father's life now has a sinister edge.
I have always found Fran's constant fussing over Mark's health a puzzle and I can't decide whether we are cleverly and subtly being shown what can happen to someone under pressure or whether the conclusions that the new boss draws and everyone else then suddenly agrees with don't make sense. There were a few other important (and less important) issues which didn't sit quite right for me, so after a good start and despite some neat conclusions to individual strands, I found the whole rather unsatisfying.
There was really rather too much going on here - there were ends to be tied up from previous books, such as the investigation into the suicide of another police officer, there were nods to contemporary policing and crime issues such as metal theft and police commissioners and budget cuts, and Fran, Mark and the rest of the force are dealing with an acting Chief Constable. Meanwhile, Mark's grown up children are not behaving in a very grown up way. What started out as apparent jealous over the new woman in their father's life now has a sinister edge.
I have always found Fran's constant fussing over Mark's health a puzzle and I can't decide whether we are cleverly and subtly being shown what can happen to someone under pressure or whether the conclusions that the new boss draws and everyone else then suddenly agrees with don't make sense. There were a few other important (and less important) issues which didn't sit quite right for me, so after a good start and despite some neat conclusions to individual strands, I found the whole rather unsatisfying.
December 30, 2013
I was under the impression that this was supposed to be a crime/mystery novel but the overwhelming story-line was more familial drama than anything else.
The mystery aspect was brushed over and sorted out almost as an after-thought with both the Cynd and the Marion stories. What Judith Cutler did focus a lot on was the relationshp between the protagonist, Fran and her fiance, Mark and the latter's issues with his hideous daughter Sammie. It wasn't nice either - what Sammie really needed was a great big slap but I guess that wasn't really an option for two members of the police.
Cutler also pushed the issue of cuts to the police and the politics revolving around funding, the shift in the force to get rid of the old & to replace them with the new, cheaper versions and political correctness - Fran scolded her new DI for referring to a Chinese immigrant who was in the UK illegally as an "Illegal" & also noted that the police are not to be referred to as the "Force" any more... Dear God what a load of poo.... if you are in a country illegally then you are an Illegal and the police are a force...
Beuracracy, red tape and hypocracy were all highlighted here. Cutler was making a statement about the state of the police in the UK which is very scary if it is indeed true. This, along with the revolting Sammie made me very angry.
However, Fran and Mark were very likeable and the interlude with the Lina Townsend makes me want to read books about her.
The mystery aspect was brushed over and sorted out almost as an after-thought with both the Cynd and the Marion stories. What Judith Cutler did focus a lot on was the relationshp between the protagonist, Fran and her fiance, Mark and the latter's issues with his hideous daughter Sammie. It wasn't nice either - what Sammie really needed was a great big slap but I guess that wasn't really an option for two members of the police.
Cutler also pushed the issue of cuts to the police and the politics revolving around funding, the shift in the force to get rid of the old & to replace them with the new, cheaper versions and political correctness - Fran scolded her new DI for referring to a Chinese immigrant who was in the UK illegally as an "Illegal" & also noted that the police are not to be referred to as the "Force" any more... Dear God what a load of poo.... if you are in a country illegally then you are an Illegal and the police are a force...
Beuracracy, red tape and hypocracy were all highlighted here. Cutler was making a statement about the state of the police in the UK which is very scary if it is indeed true. This, along with the revolting Sammie made me very angry.
However, Fran and Mark were very likeable and the interlude with the Lina Townsend makes me want to read books about her.
March 12, 2015
This, the fourth in the series, is much better than the previous book. I couldn't put this one down and ended up reading it most of the night. Fran is a fascinating character, as is her finance (though how he could let his daughter take control of his life to the extent she does is hard to comprehend). Underlying all the police politics and general business of police life is a fascinating back-story about the rectory that Fran and Mark have purchased and which is being renovated. Who was the body found in their garden and, more importantly, who was the mysterious previous owner of their home? The author does a great job with creating interesting characters and multiple plot lines that run from book to book. The contractor team of Paula and Caffy, particularly the later, are wonderfully unique people. Apparently they don't just renovate houses, sometimes they "have to restore the owners too." Fran and Mark benefit in many ways from their services, as does the reader.
January 12, 2015
I read one of this series before and really enjoyed it. This one not as much. I think there was just too much going on and in the beginning I wasn't sure I was going to finish. There is the new house they can't move into because of a skeleton in the garden, Marks' daughter is locking him out of his house and being a pain, his son comes back and isn't happy about his father, they are reorganizing the police and that means some retire/layoffs that no one is happy about, a rape, murder, and even more. It got a bit more interesting but again, there were too many thing going on at one time and it was just tiring to read. I will read the next one since I am hoping it will get better. I do like this author and her other series was really interesting to read - Lina Townsend.
February 7, 2013
This is my first Judith Cutler mystery and I can't wait to read them all. It's #4 in her series dealing with Chief Constable Fran Harmon; so my first order of business is to read the first 3. The writing is intelligent with a strong but very human female protagonist and lots of other fascinating characters. I'm looking forward to learning the background of the characters and back stories leading up to Fran's engagement. Highly recommend this book.
May 15, 2015
Entertaining even though I hadn't read any of the earlier books in the series. It also introduced me to Lina Townend so I'm about to read one featuring her, although again, not the first. (I read what I can get from the library on my Nook!)
May 21, 2015
I really like the main characters in this book. Very good interaction and dialogue in stressful situations... probably not what real people would do, but then that's the beauty of fiction- (smile) - a great story.
March 19, 2014
Not so much a mystery as a police procedural/character story. Good though. I would read more by this author. Heard about her in a mystery webinar. Popular in England
March 30, 2015
This is actually book #4 in the series. Definitely read the book before this one 'Still Waters'. This book actually starts from the end of the previous book. Love this series so far
July 23, 2013
Excellent!
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