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Alistair Fitzjohn #1
The Celtic Dagger
University professor Alex Wearing is found murdered in his study by the Post Graduate Co-coordinator, Vera Trenbath, a nosey interfering busybody. Assigned to the case is Detective Chief Inspector Alistair Fitzjohn. Fitzjohn is a detective from the old guard, whose methodical, painstaking methods are viewed by some as archaic. His relentless pursuit for the killer zeros in on Alex’s brother, James, as a key suspect in his investigation.
Compelled to clear himself of suspicion, James starts his own investigation and finds himself immersed in a web of intrigue, ultimately uncovering long hidden secrets about his brother’s life that could easily be the very reasons he was murdered.
This gripping tale of murder and suspense winds its way through the university’s hallowed halls to emerge into the beautiful, yet unpredictable, Blue Mountain region where more challenges and obstacles await James in his quest to clear himself of suspicion and uncover the truth about his brother.
Compelled to clear himself of suspicion, James starts his own investigation and finds himself immersed in a web of intrigue, ultimately uncovering long hidden secrets about his brother’s life that could easily be the very reasons he was murdered.
This gripping tale of murder and suspense winds its way through the university’s hallowed halls to emerge into the beautiful, yet unpredictable, Blue Mountain region where more challenges and obstacles await James in his quest to clear himself of suspicion and uncover the truth about his brother.
198 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2010
644 people are currently reading
1617 people want to read
About the author
Jill Paterson
17 books118 followersJill Paterson is best known for her popular Fitzjohn Mystery Series. Set in the city of Sydney, Australia, her richly drawn characters include Alistair Fitzjohn. Now a police consultant since his retirement from the force, his methods of investigation remain the same, methodical and painstaking.
While continuing the Fitzjohn series, Jill is also working on a new series, the Phoebe Chadwick Mysteries. Set along the east coast of Australia in a small township, Phoebe Chadwick heads the cast of characters as the female sleuth.
When not writing, Jill explores settings for her books and enjoys painting, photography and tai chi.
If you would like to get an automatic email when Jill’s next book is released, sign up on her blog at: https://theperfectplot.blogspot.com
Alternatively, join Jill’s mailing list on her website at: https://www.jillpatersonfitzjohnmyste...
Your email address will never be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.
While continuing the Fitzjohn series, Jill is also working on a new series, the Phoebe Chadwick Mysteries. Set along the east coast of Australia in a small township, Phoebe Chadwick heads the cast of characters as the female sleuth.
When not writing, Jill explores settings for her books and enjoys painting, photography and tai chi.
If you would like to get an automatic email when Jill’s next book is released, sign up on her blog at: https://theperfectplot.blogspot.com
Alternatively, join Jill’s mailing list on her website at: https://www.jillpatersonfitzjohnmyste...
Your email address will never be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
July 25, 2017
The surprise here was that the book purported to be an Alistair Fitzjohn mystery yet he barely made his presence felt throughout the whole book. Instead the brother of the victim did all the detective work and occupied almost every page. Still it was a good story and a pleasant read.
A few silly spelling mistakes popped up - somebody walking with an unusual "gate" created an amusing mental picture for a few moments. I did enjoy all the references to Sydney and other Australian places, but I sometimes found the dialogue to be stilted and unnatural.
Nevertheless it was a pleasant, easy to read cosy mystery and I plan to continue with the series.
A few silly spelling mistakes popped up - somebody walking with an unusual "gate" created an amusing mental picture for a few moments. I did enjoy all the references to Sydney and other Australian places, but I sometimes found the dialogue to be stilted and unnatural.
Nevertheless it was a pleasant, easy to read cosy mystery and I plan to continue with the series.
November 12, 2014
James Wearing has never worked out why he and his brother, Alex have never gotten along, but after their latest argument, James is left feeling a little uneasy. James is expected in Melbourne for a conference in two days time, but decides to take an earlier flight.
Not long after he arrives, James catches up with Claudio Perona, a friend and colleague from Centre for Classics and Archaeology at the University of Melbourne. It's later that afternoon whilst in Claudio's office that, James gets a phone call from Miles Bennett. Miles tells James that the three artefacts that they borrowed through the Australian Museum for the open day were missing. The missing pieces were A Celtic dagger, a gold torque and a ring. James had no idea where the artefacts could be. Miles hadn't spoken to, Alex yet so they were hoping he may have them for some reason.
Later in the day, James receives another phone call this time from Detective Chief Inspector Fitzjohn from the New South Wales Police informing him that his brother, Alex has died under suspicious circumstances. James travels back to Sydney hoping to find out exactly what happened to his brother. What James didn't see coming was that he was to become one of the suspects. It was now up to James to do a bit of investigating himself and try to work out who and why someone would want to kill, Alex. But the secrets that James was about to discover about his brother may put, James's life in danger. Would the police be able to find the killer before there is another victim?
This is the first book I've read by Aussie author Jill Paterson and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. This murder mystery had my attention right from the start all the way to the end which I very much enjoyed. Recommended.
Not long after he arrives, James catches up with Claudio Perona, a friend and colleague from Centre for Classics and Archaeology at the University of Melbourne. It's later that afternoon whilst in Claudio's office that, James gets a phone call from Miles Bennett. Miles tells James that the three artefacts that they borrowed through the Australian Museum for the open day were missing. The missing pieces were A Celtic dagger, a gold torque and a ring. James had no idea where the artefacts could be. Miles hadn't spoken to, Alex yet so they were hoping he may have them for some reason.
Later in the day, James receives another phone call this time from Detective Chief Inspector Fitzjohn from the New South Wales Police informing him that his brother, Alex has died under suspicious circumstances. James travels back to Sydney hoping to find out exactly what happened to his brother. What James didn't see coming was that he was to become one of the suspects. It was now up to James to do a bit of investigating himself and try to work out who and why someone would want to kill, Alex. But the secrets that James was about to discover about his brother may put, James's life in danger. Would the police be able to find the killer before there is another victim?
This is the first book I've read by Aussie author Jill Paterson and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. This murder mystery had my attention right from the start all the way to the end which I very much enjoyed. Recommended.
September 13, 2020
University Professor Alex Wearing is found murdered in his study. Can the police find out who and why somebody killed him?
This cosy mystery is set in Australia. The whole story is quite soft. It is not a regular police procedural but more the quest for the victim’s brother James to find out all that had been going on.
The blurb for this novel on Amazon and Goodreads is very well written and marks this book out to be a gripping read. However, the actual book failed on it’s promise and became a second rate read.
The Celtic Dagger is light reading with nothing cutting edge or unusual happening. This story just rolls along as the mystery unravels, more laid back on the sofa, than edge of your seat.
Two little things niggle and become repetitive, coats are taken off and cars pull away from the curb. Two common everyday actions, no mystery or significance there. Yet again I read about another coat being taken off and another car pulling away from a curb. Strange because Jill was born in Yorkshire, UK and I had to pinch myself with her non-British spelling of kerb.
I found The Celtic Dagger to be a tame, gentle, luke warm, run of the mill mystery that became an OKAY, 3 star read.
This cosy mystery is set in Australia. The whole story is quite soft. It is not a regular police procedural but more the quest for the victim’s brother James to find out all that had been going on.
The blurb for this novel on Amazon and Goodreads is very well written and marks this book out to be a gripping read. However, the actual book failed on it’s promise and became a second rate read.
The Celtic Dagger is light reading with nothing cutting edge or unusual happening. This story just rolls along as the mystery unravels, more laid back on the sofa, than edge of your seat.
Two little things niggle and become repetitive, coats are taken off and cars pull away from the curb. Two common everyday actions, no mystery or significance there. Yet again I read about another coat being taken off and another car pulling away from a curb. Strange because Jill was born in Yorkshire, UK and I had to pinch myself with her non-British spelling of kerb.
I found The Celtic Dagger to be a tame, gentle, luke warm, run of the mill mystery that became an OKAY, 3 star read.
May 22, 2019
I like crime novels with a strong male lead. So when I saw this I was delighted! The start of the novel is great - and I like the character of Alistair Fitzjohn, but ... sigh, most of the detective work in the story seems to be done by the brother of the murder victim. Fitzjohn plays a very minor part really, to the extent that we don't get a decent understanding of him. He is just 'there', the copper who gets assigned to the case.
Shame really, because I wanted to read more about him.
Shame really, because I wanted to read more about him.
January 6, 2011
Dialogue. It's something I'm increasingly aware of, as it should be part of the way that an author can show (as opposed to tell) the reader what the characters are seeing, thinking, considering, experiencing. Combine really good dialogue with a feasible plot and an author can transport the reader to the world that they are building within the book. Poor dialogue on the other hand yanks the reader out of the immersion experience and makes a book a less enjoyable experience. Obviously the problem with this is defining what is "good dialogue". For this reader, it's all about creating realistic persona. Putting the characters into a place, or a timeframe and making them part of that environment. It is, after all, the way that we all communicate.
THE CELTIC DAGGER is a first book, and I'd normally try to be a little less exacting than with a seasoned writer, but even allowing for slack, I had some problems with this book. Obviously from the way I started this review, firstly, the dialogue. Frequently stilted, quite formal the dialogue gave the book an odd sort of historical feel that didn't quite seem to match with the action. I never really got a firm idea of the timeframe for the story. Even allowing for the book being set in the hallowed halls of academia, there was an overly "proper" feel that didn't jell with an Australian setting, and most particularly didn't create a realistic persona for the central police detective. It ended up giving the story a sort of floating feeling - not quite of a time or place that you could put your finger on.
The plot development also got a bit scratchy at points. The concentration is neither on the police side of the investigation, nor on the private investigation side undertaken by the prime suspect. Nothing necessarily wrong with that - it's an approach that can work very well, but in this case it seemed to get a little too scatter-gun and distracted. The reasons for the brother as a prime suspect weren't really all that convincing, and overall the plot lacked tension or any feeling of momentum. Which was a pity as some elements showed real potential, but they were glossed over too quickly and the reader pulled off in other, less satisfactory directions. None of which ever seemed to contribute to moving the plot forward, rather it left it too frequently roaming.
On the upside there were some interesting ideas, and the setting in academia certainly provides a lot of potential for a highly claustrophobic environment, littered with deliciously acrimonious personal relationships. A second book set in this world could be interesting to read - with the general story telling style and definitely the dialogue more relaxed and natural, and the plot points more carefully explored.
THE CELTIC DAGGER is a first book, and I'd normally try to be a little less exacting than with a seasoned writer, but even allowing for slack, I had some problems with this book. Obviously from the way I started this review, firstly, the dialogue. Frequently stilted, quite formal the dialogue gave the book an odd sort of historical feel that didn't quite seem to match with the action. I never really got a firm idea of the timeframe for the story. Even allowing for the book being set in the hallowed halls of academia, there was an overly "proper" feel that didn't jell with an Australian setting, and most particularly didn't create a realistic persona for the central police detective. It ended up giving the story a sort of floating feeling - not quite of a time or place that you could put your finger on.
The plot development also got a bit scratchy at points. The concentration is neither on the police side of the investigation, nor on the private investigation side undertaken by the prime suspect. Nothing necessarily wrong with that - it's an approach that can work very well, but in this case it seemed to get a little too scatter-gun and distracted. The reasons for the brother as a prime suspect weren't really all that convincing, and overall the plot lacked tension or any feeling of momentum. Which was a pity as some elements showed real potential, but they were glossed over too quickly and the reader pulled off in other, less satisfactory directions. None of which ever seemed to contribute to moving the plot forward, rather it left it too frequently roaming.
On the upside there were some interesting ideas, and the setting in academia certainly provides a lot of potential for a highly claustrophobic environment, littered with deliciously acrimonious personal relationships. A second book set in this world could be interesting to read - with the general story telling style and definitely the dialogue more relaxed and natural, and the plot points more carefully explored.
May 28, 2013
James Wearing flew to Melbourne from Sydney after the dinner at the University concluded. He had a paper to present two days later, and decided to go earlier after another uncomfortable argument with his brother Alex. They had been at odds their whole lives, and James always found Alex’s behaviour strange, but just could not get on with him. He was starting to feel he should move from Sydney and working with his brother, as since his wife Louise had died in a car accident two years earlier, the memories were always there…perhaps he needed to make a complete break, and start afresh.
When he received a telephone call from Miles, the museum’s co-ordinator, about the artifacts which had been lent to the University the day before, to say they were missing, James was shocked. The three pieces, including a celtic dagger, were all priceless; James was sure they would turn up somewhere. But the next phone call was the worst – Detective Chief Inspector Alistair Fitzjohn from Sydney called to advise him of his brother’s murder sometime during the night after the dinner.
On James’ arrival back in Sydney, he was shocked to discover Fitzjohn regarded him as a suspect in Alex’s murder. So deciding to try a little investigating himself to clear his name, he found himself getting deeper and deeper into a web of secrets that he had trouble understanding. His brother’s life was obviously not as it had seemed; suddenly the dangers that were pressing in on him were real.
With the involvement of blackmail, affairs, greed, jealousy and theft among other things, the twists and turns were swift and gripping. DCI Fitzjohn and his sidekick Detective Betts were kept busy but was James still on their suspect list? And would the killer strike again?
I really enjoyed this, my second Fitzjohn mystery by Aussie author Jill Paterson. I actually read book 2 first, and loved it. This one didn’t disappoint, and I’ll be looking out for more in the Fitzjohn series, hopefully not too far away!
When he received a telephone call from Miles, the museum’s co-ordinator, about the artifacts which had been lent to the University the day before, to say they were missing, James was shocked. The three pieces, including a celtic dagger, were all priceless; James was sure they would turn up somewhere. But the next phone call was the worst – Detective Chief Inspector Alistair Fitzjohn from Sydney called to advise him of his brother’s murder sometime during the night after the dinner.
On James’ arrival back in Sydney, he was shocked to discover Fitzjohn regarded him as a suspect in Alex’s murder. So deciding to try a little investigating himself to clear his name, he found himself getting deeper and deeper into a web of secrets that he had trouble understanding. His brother’s life was obviously not as it had seemed; suddenly the dangers that were pressing in on him were real.
With the involvement of blackmail, affairs, greed, jealousy and theft among other things, the twists and turns were swift and gripping. DCI Fitzjohn and his sidekick Detective Betts were kept busy but was James still on their suspect list? And would the killer strike again?
I really enjoyed this, my second Fitzjohn mystery by Aussie author Jill Paterson. I actually read book 2 first, and loved it. This one didn’t disappoint, and I’ll be looking out for more in the Fitzjohn series, hopefully not too far away!
March 23, 2025
This was a very good mystery full of tension and twists and turns in the plot.
December 12, 2015
It was okay. I read the whole thing, but I'm not sure why it is called a Fitzjohn Mystery. Fitzjohn hardly solved the murder at all. One of the other main characters did all. The work, with Fitzjohn being called in when police were needed to verify and give credibility to what was discovered. But it was a good enough story that I'll venture on to the next one.
October 23, 2017
A Fitzjohn Mystery is written on the cover. I'm not sure why it is called so, because contrary to the title, Fitzjohn barely made his presence, leaving the brother of the victim to do all the detective work and solving the case. The story was good but certainly no mystery was present.
December 27, 2010
Was lucky to win a copy of Jill's book in a GR giveawy - so looking forward to this unexpected Christmas Present.
Many thanks to Jill and GR!
Happy festive season!
Many thanks to Jill and GR!
Happy festive season!
April 5, 2015
An enjoyable cozy mystery with likeable characters and best of all it is set in Sydney, my city. I look forward to the second book in the series.
May 3, 2015
An entertaining, easy read. Police procedural, but in this story, Fitzjohn has the assistance of an interested civilian. As always, the Australian scene provides an additional dimension to the tale.
September 5, 2024
A good book
I enjoy books with short chapters. This worked well for me. But each chapter kept me intrigued for the next chapter. Will look forward to the rest of the series.
I enjoy books with short chapters. This worked well for me. But each chapter kept me intrigued for the next chapter. Will look forward to the rest of the series.
December 29, 2010
An eminent University Professor is murdered with an antique Celtic Dagger and with the Professor’s brother James Wearing being prime suspect, the race is on to clear his name. The premise is intriguing but Jill Paterson has presented us with a murder mystery which unfortunately does not deliver.
The plot itself is workable, but each plot pointer is only briefly touched upon, leaving the reader with no sense of anticipation or drama. The third person narrator is used like a bad director and even worse ‘he’ tells the story and ‘his’ delivery would make Ed Wood proud. Any story is better told via character dialogue, which in turn develops the character; you then get into the characters head and you begin to care about them. The narrator should just gently steer you into each scene. The characters in The Celtic Dagger are one dimensional, and I also had trouble with their names which caused me to recap several times to confirm who I was reading about.
The narration and dialogue is very stilted and I have now developed an aversion to the phrase “At that moment” along with its variation “At that same moment”. I was starting to shriek every time it was used, which was just about every other page.
There were two scenes that could have contained heightened drama: The Cliff Scene and The Stairwell Scene. But, again they are brushed over with a few lines and then the narrator switches us over to a new scene. I have read short stories that have got my heart pounding and Jill Paterson could have done so much more here to create some excitement level; the lack of it really affected my reading experience.
The love interest concerning the Inspector could have been expounded towards the end, I thought it was a nice touch, although Wearing’s imminent romance was a little corny (but I’m not much of a romantic) and as the novel is set in Australia I would have liked to have had more back story to the locations involved. The characters travel around a bit and if you are not familiar with the area it is very hard to visualise.
In summary, the ideas are there, but the author’s writing skills definitely need some work.
The plot itself is workable, but each plot pointer is only briefly touched upon, leaving the reader with no sense of anticipation or drama. The third person narrator is used like a bad director and even worse ‘he’ tells the story and ‘his’ delivery would make Ed Wood proud. Any story is better told via character dialogue, which in turn develops the character; you then get into the characters head and you begin to care about them. The narrator should just gently steer you into each scene. The characters in The Celtic Dagger are one dimensional, and I also had trouble with their names which caused me to recap several times to confirm who I was reading about.
The narration and dialogue is very stilted and I have now developed an aversion to the phrase “At that moment” along with its variation “At that same moment”. I was starting to shriek every time it was used, which was just about every other page.
There were two scenes that could have contained heightened drama: The Cliff Scene and The Stairwell Scene. But, again they are brushed over with a few lines and then the narrator switches us over to a new scene. I have read short stories that have got my heart pounding and Jill Paterson could have done so much more here to create some excitement level; the lack of it really affected my reading experience.
The love interest concerning the Inspector could have been expounded towards the end, I thought it was a nice touch, although Wearing’s imminent romance was a little corny (but I’m not much of a romantic) and as the novel is set in Australia I would have liked to have had more back story to the locations involved. The characters travel around a bit and if you are not familiar with the area it is very hard to visualise.
In summary, the ideas are there, but the author’s writing skills definitely need some work.
August 6, 2020
Per the author, this was written as a standalone & Fitzjohn was only a secondary character at that time.
Perhaps this was a first novel written well before its 2012 "publication date" as there was poor editing, the writing was 2D & the physical descriptions of characters and premises appeared to be dated even though there were brief mentions of cell phones and computers
Perhaps this was a first novel written well before its 2012 "publication date" as there was poor editing, the writing was 2D & the physical descriptions of characters and premises appeared to be dated even though there were brief mentions of cell phones and computers
July 9, 2015
“The Celtic Dagger” is another of the Kindle specials I have picked up that sounded interesting, and I am happy to say that this mystery was a good one. Author Jill Paterson has put together an interesting story with plausible, interesting characters. “The Celtic Dagger” is first a murder mystery; however, it is also the story of family relationships and some of those old well kept family secrets. With well crafted characters and a cleverly developed plot, Paterson’s mystery will keep you guessing until the murderer is finally revealed.
The story begins with a murder. University professor Alex Wearing is found murdered in his study. Assigned to the case is Detective Chief Inspector Alistair Fitzjohn, a detective from the old school, whose methodical, painstaking methods are viewed by some as archaic. His dogged pursuit for the killer zeros in on James, Alex’s brother, as the primary suspect.
I like the story! That’s the facts! “The Celtic Dagger” was a good, but not great mystery. However, it kept me entertained and involved in the story; the ending was intriguing and not easily guessed. Detective Fitzjohn is not the leading character in “The Celtic Dagger;” however, later Paterson decided to use him as a central character in an “Alistair Fitzjohn Series.” Yes, I will see how she continues the development of his character into future novels as I will read the next in the series: “Murder in the Rocks.” I do recommend the story, and I am looking forward to reading the next to see how Fitzjohn's character develops.
The story begins with a murder. University professor Alex Wearing is found murdered in his study. Assigned to the case is Detective Chief Inspector Alistair Fitzjohn, a detective from the old school, whose methodical, painstaking methods are viewed by some as archaic. His dogged pursuit for the killer zeros in on James, Alex’s brother, as the primary suspect.
I like the story! That’s the facts! “The Celtic Dagger” was a good, but not great mystery. However, it kept me entertained and involved in the story; the ending was intriguing and not easily guessed. Detective Fitzjohn is not the leading character in “The Celtic Dagger;” however, later Paterson decided to use him as a central character in an “Alistair Fitzjohn Series.” Yes, I will see how she continues the development of his character into future novels as I will read the next in the series: “Murder in the Rocks.” I do recommend the story, and I am looking forward to reading the next to see how Fitzjohn's character develops.
October 19, 2014
I've heard great things about this series but I tried this one and got to 13% and packed it in. It isn't for me. I hadn't known it was Australian for starters. Not a biggie but I don't know much about the place and therefore have no clue how far Sydney is from Melbourne, for example, which I should have known for the answer to a question I had near the beginning.
Plus it seems to be set way back in time. I know it isn't as there was mention of a mobile phone but it all seemed very old-fashioned in the way they spoke, etc....and I didn't like it.
The author for some bizarre reason sometimes uses speechmarks but also uses apostrophes for speechmarks too which I found really distracting. I've no idea why anyone would do that !! This sentence doesn't read right to me either-"There doesn't seem to be any other family members here in Sydney"....I would have thought it should be don't or do not. Maybe it's just me.
Anyway, I gave up with it and won't bother with others in the series.
Plus it seems to be set way back in time. I know it isn't as there was mention of a mobile phone but it all seemed very old-fashioned in the way they spoke, etc....and I didn't like it.
The author for some bizarre reason sometimes uses speechmarks but also uses apostrophes for speechmarks too which I found really distracting. I've no idea why anyone would do that !! This sentence doesn't read right to me either-"There doesn't seem to be any other family members here in Sydney"....I would have thought it should be don't or do not. Maybe it's just me.
Anyway, I gave up with it and won't bother with others in the series.
December 18, 2010
The story begins with a murder. Simple? Inspector Fitzjohn maybe thought so until his principal suspect is joined by numerous others. We have the mystery of disappearing antiques, revealing family intrigues and relationships, workplace politics and the continued presence of the victims brother - the chief suspect. This story keeps the reader 'solving' the crime until the very end when the murderer is revealed. I am now awaiting Inspector Fitzjohns next case.
December 31, 2010
Just received my book and I am so excited, looking forward to starting it today. The author Jill Paterson autographed and included a note card that was very thoughtful and greatly appreciated.
What a great book! It caught my interest from the very first page, and held it through out the whole story. The story flowed very well, and I was never bored. I enjoyed meeting the vast array of characters, and would love to see more about them in print.
What a great book! It caught my interest from the very first page, and held it through out the whole story. The story flowed very well, and I was never bored. I enjoyed meeting the vast array of characters, and would love to see more about them in print.
January 5, 2020
So far, I like the book and thought the main character would be Alistair Fitzjohn. Some of the characters don't seem well-developed nor some events in the story. Some areas seem to appear and resolve rather quickly without much history. Since she has written several more books since this one, I would like to continue reading to see how the storyline works out with Alistair Fitzjohn and how her writing develops.
April 27, 2014
Quick read with some strange nuances that I couldn't get past. Slipshod mentionings that did little to add to the story. Contrary to the title, I expected the actual inspector to investigate, when in fact, it was the suspect doing all the leg work. Fitzjohn made a rare appearance and added nothing. I was disappointed.
May 26, 2016
When University professor Alex Wearing is found dead Detective Chief Inspector Alistair Fitzjohn is assigned the case.
When Wearing's brother James believes he is the prime suspect he starts his own investigation. Leading to the discovery of stolen artifacts and blackmail.
An enjoyable enough read
When Wearing's brother James believes he is the prime suspect he starts his own investigation. Leading to the discovery of stolen artifacts and blackmail.
An enjoyable enough read
March 29, 2018
I started out really liking this story. But there were so many errors in the digital copy I had that it turned me off rather quickly. If I didn't already have so many books that I wanted to read I might keep going but I think I will just move on.
November 5, 2018
Set in Australia in the cold winter of July. The main character, Fitzjohn, didn't do much detecting here. Mostly, it was the brother of the first victim. That said, it was an interesting and twisted plot.
December 20, 2010
I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery. I couldn't predict the killer and it kept me interested the entire read. I'd like to read more books with these characters.
January 13, 2015
So-so
It would have been better if there were more of the chief detective (Fitzjohn) and less academic mish mash relationship
It would have been better if there were more of the chief detective (Fitzjohn) and less academic mish mash relationship
November 10, 2016
Rather predictable and Fitzjohn simply isn't the lead character in the solving of the mystery. But an enjoyable read nonetheless and I intend to continue the series.
January 31, 2018
I found this novel to be predictable and stilted. The story is filled with action, beginning with a murder and 3 missing artifacts, but in-depth details are scant.
February 25, 2021
The story overall was a pretty good murder mystery. I thought it progressed at an expected pace. There were some exciting spots of action.
I didn't rate this higher only because of my own nit picking about silly things. The dialogue between the characters felt off and I had a problem with how often people used each other's names in speaking BUT that could just be my American brain disconnected from an Australian conversation. Once the story was complete, I also had issue with the title because other than it being the murder weapon, The Celtic Dagger had little to do with the overall story and that was kind of a disappointing mislead. I really hoped that a professor of Archaeology killed by an artifact would have had more about the history of such an item and "justice" but it really didn't. My final nit pick is that this is noted as "Alistair Fitzjohn #1" but other than a basic introduction to the police detective, it was the victim's brother who completed most of the investigation, found most of the material witnesses, and confronted the murderer. I'm not saying the policeman wasn't important but he was far from integral in the storyline.
I did like the book! I might pickup another installment from this author now that I've got a feel for the style. I'll put my nasty American point of view on a shelf from the very beginning next time and I might like it even better,
I didn't rate this higher only because of my own nit picking about silly things. The dialogue between the characters felt off and I had a problem with how often people used each other's names in speaking BUT that could just be my American brain disconnected from an Australian conversation. Once the story was complete, I also had issue with the title because other than it being the murder weapon, The Celtic Dagger had little to do with the overall story and that was kind of a disappointing mislead. I really hoped that a professor of Archaeology killed by an artifact would have had more about the history of such an item and "justice" but it really didn't. My final nit pick is that this is noted as "Alistair Fitzjohn #1" but other than a basic introduction to the police detective, it was the victim's brother who completed most of the investigation, found most of the material witnesses, and confronted the murderer. I'm not saying the policeman wasn't important but he was far from integral in the storyline.
I did like the book! I might pickup another installment from this author now that I've got a feel for the style. I'll put my nasty American point of view on a shelf from the very beginning next time and I might like it even better,
September 20, 2023
This was an intriguing mystery, but I was a bit perplexed by the 'period' of the book. To me it read of a more historical setting, I think the language and patriarchal type writing - made me think of pre-1960's - but then there were more contemporary references that seemed out of place.
A college professor is found dead in his office, and the murder weapon is found in his brother's office, also a professor at the same university. It is no secret that there is animosity between the brothers and James Wear finds himself to be a suspect.
I did find it somewhat odd, that quite a few people who had 'died' unexpectedly in the past and it took so long for these to be deemed suspicious. Some puzzling red herrings too, but an okay first in a series.
The author notes, that when the book was written it wasn't planned as a series, so Alistair Fitzjohn only plays a 'bit part' in this first book. I will continue the series to see where this character goes as he was certainly one of the most interesting.
A college professor is found dead in his office, and the murder weapon is found in his brother's office, also a professor at the same university. It is no secret that there is animosity between the brothers and James Wear finds himself to be a suspect.
I did find it somewhat odd, that quite a few people who had 'died' unexpectedly in the past and it took so long for these to be deemed suspicious. Some puzzling red herrings too, but an okay first in a series.
The author notes, that when the book was written it wasn't planned as a series, so Alistair Fitzjohn only plays a 'bit part' in this first book. I will continue the series to see where this character goes as he was certainly one of the most interesting.
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