Corpse in the Kitchen

Trewley & Stone #1

by Sarah J. Mason

The Phoenix Group takes over the lodge of a deserted manor home and sets up camp so members can put the group's "live off the land" philosophy into practice. But then a Phoenix member is found dead, smothered with a lump of bread dough. Everyone is baffled--except detectives Trewley and Stone.

Genres: Mystery

219 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 1993

About the author

Aka Hamilton Crane

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

"RISING CRIME
"She was baking bread -- until an unknown party turned the staff of life into the stuff of death . . . and choked her with a wad of raw dough. Now the heat i son . . . and only Trewley and Stone canfind out who cooked up this fiendish murder . . .

"MEET TREWLEY AND STONE
"Detective superintendent Trewley has years of experience probing the dark secrets of cozy English village life. But even he can use a bit of help sometimes. That's where Stone comes in: with the mind of a scientist and a black belt in judo, she's the perfect partner for tough old Trewley . . . and together, they're the perfect crime-solving team:"

Apparently I've read another in this series and I must have liked it because I found this one, but to be honest . . . I wasn't too impressed. Trewley is a very stock character: the grumpy old growly old detective, fat and stiff, but with a mind that cuts through the seeming inconsistencies. Stone is much better: a smart, modern young woman, who humors and wheedles Trerwley while providing a solid scientific approach. I wouldn't recommend the series.

[Eugene · Rating 2 out of 5]

1st in the series, second I’ve read. While it was an OK read, it wasn’t particularly engaging or strong in any area. To begin with, it took about half the book for any actual developments of any sort, much of it was just talk-talk-talky, and in this outing DS Trewley comes off as an acerbic and officious stiffneck, not a protagonist one could embrace. Mercifully, at a bit over 200 pages it’s a quick read, and the reveal was at least of interest.
A group of squatters seems to have taken up residence in a vacant manor house in a “gated” community whose gates don’t seem any too functional. All too soon one of the squatters is found dead, and when DS Trewley and Sergeant Stone arrive to begin investigating, the group is not much interested in divulging any information. Stone is adept at countering Trewley’s truculence and getting folks to open up, and they are eventually able to nab the miscreant but not before another death. I’ll the read others (I’ve got them), but at this point I’m not expecting much…

[Lila · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent enough classic British cozy. No recipes here. I couldn't quite visualize the death though. Stone, younger and female, with a biology background pairs up nicely with Trewley, a grizzled father of three teenager daughters. Add in squatting hippies and a silly corporate retreat to this small English village to set up the plot. This is the first I have read from this author, and I would be willing to read more of this series.

[Sarah A · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cozy with several twists. A fun mystery hat kept me going but I got the murderer a bit early.