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The County Guides #3
Westmorland Alone
Welcome to Westmorland. Perhaps the most scenic county in England! Home of the poets! Land of the great artists! District of the Great lakes! And the scene of a mysterious crime…
Swanton Morley, the People’s Professor, once again sets off in his Lagonda to continue his history of England, The County Guides.
Stranded in the market town of Appleby after a tragic rail crash, Morley, his daughter Miriam and his assistant Stephen Sefton find themselves drawn into a world of country fairs, gypsy lore and Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling. When a woman’s body is discovered at an archaeological dig, for Morley there’s only one possible could it be murder?
Join Morley, Miriam and Sefton as they journey along the Great North road and the Settle-Carlisle Line into the dark heart of 1930s England.
Swanton Morley, the People’s Professor, once again sets off in his Lagonda to continue his history of England, The County Guides.
Stranded in the market town of Appleby after a tragic rail crash, Morley, his daughter Miriam and his assistant Stephen Sefton find themselves drawn into a world of country fairs, gypsy lore and Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling. When a woman’s body is discovered at an archaeological dig, for Morley there’s only one possible could it be murder?
Join Morley, Miriam and Sefton as they journey along the Great North road and the Settle-Carlisle Line into the dark heart of 1930s England.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published February 25, 2016
14 people are currently reading
181 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 1, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyed this & smiled pretty much all the way through it. It's great fun, clever, witty, and a proper cosy mystery with fab characters. I looked forward to reading it every night and was sorry to finish it. Will definitely be reading more of these county guides.
September 8, 2016
This is the third in the Counties of England series and is the best of the three so far. The train crash is extremely vivid in its description and the reactions of the people are well considered. I liked the fact that when the mother meets Swanton later it is hatred that she feels even though he did nothing really wrong - unless holding a child out a train window is wrong as well as illegal. Swanton comes to life more in this one, too, so that you can see how much PTSD (as we would call it) he has brought back from Spain and the fact that he is going to suffer from it for a long time to come. The murder is quite complicated and unwinding the various parts takes a fair length of time, time in which we can deal with gypsies, police officers, pharmacists, fair goers and railway officials.
We get more of the politics of the time, too, and the feelings of people about the future.
It has been pointed out to me that the train on the cover is a North American one, not a British one. Rather too bad, that, because train fans would enjoy this mystery.
We get more of the politics of the time, too, and the feelings of people about the future.
It has been pointed out to me that the train on the cover is a North American one, not a British one. Rather too bad, that, because train fans would enjoy this mystery.
March 12, 2016
Oh I'm so glad Swanton Morley, Miriam and Stephen Sefton are back in the Lagonda and this time up to the Lake District. Only problem is I read it in one big greedy gulp and now I have to wait for the delights that Essex has to offer.
June 6, 2016
easy going murder mystery book based in westmorland the latest in the series in the style of the 1930's
August 29, 2022
I picked this up for cheap in a charity shop and assumed it would be some sort of cosy pastiche of the Golden Age crime novel, but it has a surprisingly dark edge to the whimsy. Ostensibly it’s the Arthur Mee mysteries, with Swanton Morley as our detective, a hyper prolific polymath, autodidact and raconteur who comes across as Sir Henry Merrivale’s knockabout younger sibling
What’s more interesting is the narrator, Stephen Sefton who, aside from a slightly cliched prickly relationship with Morley’s daughter, is a veteran of the Spanish Civil War and is patently still shell shocked by his experiences. It’s nicely done, with his PTSD kicking in when a body is inevitably found, but also clearly in denial about his mental health. It’s a nicely shaded part of what would otherwise be a far too saccharine romp. It’s no classic but the deaths have significantly more emotional weight than they usually have in books of this kind. A very pleasant surprise
What’s more interesting is the narrator, Stephen Sefton who, aside from a slightly cliched prickly relationship with Morley’s daughter, is a veteran of the Spanish Civil War and is patently still shell shocked by his experiences. It’s nicely done, with his PTSD kicking in when a body is inevitably found, but also clearly in denial about his mental health. It’s a nicely shaded part of what would otherwise be a far too saccharine romp. It’s no classic but the deaths have significantly more emotional weight than they usually have in books of this kind. A very pleasant surprise
July 7, 2021
An entertaining Golden-Age type of murder mystery, and interesting that it is set in my neck of the British woods. Having not read any others from this series, I was rather put off initially by being relentlessly showered by the author's research, and the joke about the protagonist endlessly referencing Morley's back catalogue of books did wear very thin. But I soon learnt to skip over the duller passages (something I never normally do)and it was enjoying nonetheless, plus I did find out plenty about Shap, the standing stones, gypsy life, etc. I also managed to work out who the murderer was, which may be a first for me ...
PS. I do appreciate this is - to some extent - a send-up of the genre, but this book would be even better if it adopted the 'less is more' approach.
PS. I do appreciate this is - to some extent - a send-up of the genre, but this book would be even better if it adopted the 'less is more' approach.
November 28, 2016
This is the third book in a series, but the first I've read. I certainly plan to go back to the others now. This is a cosy murder mystery set in the 1930s, but it has a bit of bite. (Self-proclaimed) Professor Morley, his daughter Miriam and factotum Sefton are travelling the counties of England to write a guidebook about each, and apparently stumbling over a murder every time. Morley is exuberant and this book could have been lighter than air, but it's brought down to earth by Sefton, a troubled soul who acts as narrator.
Despite the fact the cover clearly depicts a derailed train, I was more surprised than I should have been when a train crashed in one of the early chapters because apparently I'm an idiot.
Despite the fact the cover clearly depicts a derailed train, I was more surprised than I should have been when a train crashed in one of the early chapters because apparently I'm an idiot.
June 14, 2017
For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
September 15, 2021
Loved this book from start to finish but I guess I enjoy a good British murder mystery, lovely countryside and a verbose man who spouts information like a fountain. The five book series ‘County Guides to Murder’ written by Ian Sansom are driving tours of England’s home counties with an eccentric People's Professor, Swanton Morley, who writes travel guide books while his daughter/chauffeur Miriam and his assistant Stephen Sefton get into quite a few tricky situations. They manage to talk their way out of most things without too much damage done to themselves or the Lagonda, their touring car.
Under the surface there bubbles love, loss, anger, suppression, and crime. Meanwhile, when it comes to 1930s countryside and people’s lives, diarist Morley goes off at the drop of a hat to discuss just about everything he knows, a veritable mine of information which I enjoyed. Miriam is impossibly glamorous and Sefton keeps himself to himself with good reason. My suggestion would be to listen to the audio book read by Mike Grady. He gives the whole story a richer texture. Previously I read Ian Sansom’s Mobile Library series and have only just discovered this series, so I have more county guide books to read and I'm happy about that!
Under the surface there bubbles love, loss, anger, suppression, and crime. Meanwhile, when it comes to 1930s countryside and people’s lives, diarist Morley goes off at the drop of a hat to discuss just about everything he knows, a veritable mine of information which I enjoyed. Miriam is impossibly glamorous and Sefton keeps himself to himself with good reason. My suggestion would be to listen to the audio book read by Mike Grady. He gives the whole story a richer texture. Previously I read Ian Sansom’s Mobile Library series and have only just discovered this series, so I have more county guide books to read and I'm happy about that!
November 8, 2021
I took a very long time to finish this book. Which is not my habit.
I am a lifelong admirer of well-written detection and, more especially, of so-called Golden Age detective stories. This work tries to be both well-written and an homage/pastiche/derivative of (or from) the Golden Age.
Regrettably, it succeeds at neither. It is well written only in the sense that it is literate. That is, it is possessed of only a few grammatical or syntactical errors. It lacks any precision of plotting or insightfulness of character that might lift it above the mire of also-ran novels of its type.
The three principal characters share the same intensely irritating nature and lack of any agreeable attributes. Clumsy attempts to link the narrator and his employer's daughter are eye-watering in their clodishness. Said employer is possibly the most annoying protagonist of his type ever to have been invented.
This is to say nothing of the I'll-researched Roma elements, the dodgy Westmerian geography and time/distance reasoning and the almost complete absence of an ethical or moral underpinning to the whole plot.
Oh, and the hinted-at same-sex attraction? A mere lark, a throw-away element of a completely disposable book.
I am a lifelong admirer of well-written detection and, more especially, of so-called Golden Age detective stories. This work tries to be both well-written and an homage/pastiche/derivative of (or from) the Golden Age.
Regrettably, it succeeds at neither. It is well written only in the sense that it is literate. That is, it is possessed of only a few grammatical or syntactical errors. It lacks any precision of plotting or insightfulness of character that might lift it above the mire of also-ran novels of its type.
The three principal characters share the same intensely irritating nature and lack of any agreeable attributes. Clumsy attempts to link the narrator and his employer's daughter are eye-watering in their clodishness. Said employer is possibly the most annoying protagonist of his type ever to have been invented.
This is to say nothing of the I'll-researched Roma elements, the dodgy Westmerian geography and time/distance reasoning and the almost complete absence of an ethical or moral underpinning to the whole plot.
Oh, and the hinted-at same-sex attraction? A mere lark, a throw-away element of a completely disposable book.
June 3, 2022
Definitely better than the first book in the series, which was a bit too zany for its own good. Sansom has turned it down just a bit for this one and added in a bit more gravitas. The serious tone (PTSD, train crash, gypsy hardship) has to fight through a thicket of silliness and more references to non-existent books than is really wise. But it does just about hold together and it’s hard not to get caught up in the enthusiasm.
May 31, 2017
I liked this, I didn't love it. I find Morley quite hard to put up with at the best of times, and in this Sefton is quite hard to take too so it makes for a trying time at times. But the mystery is good, even if I wished it had been resolved a different way. I have my issues with this series, yet I keep reading it, so it must be doing something right I guess?!
May 13, 2018
A fun read. The characters are interesting and there are amusing lines, but the plot is a bit unorganized. The crime that would normally be the focus of a mystery novel is pushed to the background for much of the book, leaving the question of: what is the main driver of this story?
December 26, 2018
I almost gave up on this book but am glad I kept reading. The writer paints good pictures of life in the English country and with a touch of humor. Easy to read and relaxing to follow as a murder mystery is solved. I plan to read more in this series.
January 14, 2021
This is a particularly good one in the series. The plot was really interesting - the train crash, the body found at the archaeological dig, and the descriptions of the area. Themes of prejudice, moral responsibility, right and wrong. It was great!
October 26, 2017
A very entertaining mix of nostalgia, trivia and murder mystery, with some great characters, superbly voiced on the audiobook by Mike Grady. Looking forward to Essex Poison ....
April 15, 2018
My favourite so far..... I listened to Ian Sansom or Arthur Mee and enjoyed reflecting on the Mee/Morley similarities.
April 3, 2020
There is something different about this book that makes it interesting will read another.
February 3, 2023
Another excellent offering from Ian Sansom, the characters just keep getting better, and the stories are charming.
November 30, 2024
Love this series
May 2, 2018
I just found Swanton Morley SO irritating. Don't think I'll be reading more in the series.
July 1, 2016
A third outing for the eccentric trio, this time involving a trip to Westmorland, a fatal train crash, a suspicious death and various other adventures (oh, and Stephen has possibly killed someone just before leaving London). Deft capturing of the late 1930s, the autodidact polymath and the prejudices of that time (and, it seems, this time too). On to Essex!
October 31, 2016
I find this series very entertaining. The juxtaposition of the personalities of the three main characters provides a lot of it. The mystery in this one is very well developed, too. The setting in 1930's England is good, and for those who know the area probably even better, as I didn't take the time to look up all the features mentioned.
December 13, 2016
c2016: This was DNF sadly. It was just so slow to take off. I was listening to the 'talking book' version and the voice used for Morley was just so irritating that I found it impossible to focus on the plot. Sadly, unable to recommend to the normal crew.
December 31, 2016
Another fantastic book in the series.
February 9, 2021
A bit like Morley, these books can be both amusing and overwhelming with trivia. I do admire Samsom keeping me interested even though none of his main characters are likeable.
May 1, 2017
I actually really quite enjoyed this once I got used to the style - bit Jeeves and Wooster crossed with Miss Marple. An easy read but a good story and an interesting setting. Seemed to be well researched as I learnt stuff about the area.
Read
May 26, 2017Humorous affectionate send up of all those 30's thrillers we love
April 22, 2019
Took a while to get into it as the characters are full on! But once I did I quite enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews