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Lancashire Detective #3
Elementary Murder
1894, Wigan. Miss Dorothea Gadsworth is interviewed for a teaching vacancy at George Street Elementary, but is ultimately dismissed as a candidate. The following Monday morning, her body is discovered in a locked classroom with a note by her side. DS Michael Brennan is called in to investigate what appears to be a straightforward suicide, but his instincts tell him there is more to this case than meets the eye. With the door locked from the inside, staff members with plenty to hide and a student missing from the school, DS Brennan, aided by the scowling Constable Jaggery, wrestles with one of his most intricate investigations yet.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 19, 2017
1 person is currently reading
61 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Wright
17 books11 followersAka Alan Wright
In 2009 A. J. Wright won the 2010 Dundee International Fiction Prize for his Victorian murder mystery Act of Murder. His writing is inspired by his two major interests: all things Victorian and classic works from the Golden Age of crime fiction. He lives near Wigan.
In 2009 A. J. Wright won the 2010 Dundee International Fiction Prize for his Victorian murder mystery Act of Murder. His writing is inspired by his two major interests: all things Victorian and classic works from the Golden Age of crime fiction. He lives near Wigan.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 28, 2017
Elementary Murder by A.J. Wright is set in Wigan, Lancashire 1894. This is book #2 in the Lancashire Detective Series. The listing here on Goodreads shows it as book #3, but that is incorrect. Elementary Murder can be read as a stand alone novel. Personally, I've not read any of the other books in this series. I believe that there are now three books in the LDS and books #1 & #3 are now on my spreadsheet of books to be read.
Wright gives excellent descriptions for characters, places, events etc. Wigan is a place that I have not frequented since the 1970s when I used to go to the northern soul events at Wigan Casino. The author states that George Street Elementary School is fictitious, but other names e.g. Salford, Bolton, Blackburn, Southport, St Catherine's Church (completed in 1841), Newburgh Station (now known as Parbold station) are real places/buildings. When Billy the description is excellent.
Miss Dorothea Gadsworth applies for a teaching post at George Street Elementary School, but she is unsuccessful. On Monday 24th September 1894, school caretaker, John Prendergast, finds her body in a locked classroom. A note is found, but when DS Michael Brennan and his sidekick Constable Jaggery start investigating, Dorothea's death is deemed to be murder even though it looks like suicide.
After speaking to Dorothea's parents, Brennan finds out that Dorothea recognised someone at the school. This person was involved in the death of Tilly Pollard who died in a drowning accident 15 years ago in Esthwaite Water.
Henry Tolley, the school inspector is the next person to be found dead. He has been murdered, but via a different method than Dorothea's death. Brennan wonders whether the deaths are linked or if he is he looking for 2 murdererers.
Billy Kelly, a 10 year old pupil at the school goes missing. Despite a search of the area, he cannot be found. Is he dead because he witnessed something?
Brennan and Jagger continue their investigations. There are plenty of red herrings, twists and turns to confuse you so that you switch back and forth between all the suspects. An excellent 5* read that I can thoroughly recommend.
Wright gives excellent descriptions for characters, places, events etc. Wigan is a place that I have not frequented since the 1970s when I used to go to the northern soul events at Wigan Casino. The author states that George Street Elementary School is fictitious, but other names e.g. Salford, Bolton, Blackburn, Southport, St Catherine's Church (completed in 1841), Newburgh Station (now known as Parbold station) are real places/buildings. When Billy the description is excellent.
Miss Dorothea Gadsworth applies for a teaching post at George Street Elementary School, but she is unsuccessful. On Monday 24th September 1894, school caretaker, John Prendergast, finds her body in a locked classroom. A note is found, but when DS Michael Brennan and his sidekick Constable Jaggery start investigating, Dorothea's death is deemed to be murder even though it looks like suicide.
After speaking to Dorothea's parents, Brennan finds out that Dorothea recognised someone at the school. This person was involved in the death of Tilly Pollard who died in a drowning accident 15 years ago in Esthwaite Water.
Henry Tolley, the school inspector is the next person to be found dead. He has been murdered, but via a different method than Dorothea's death. Brennan wonders whether the deaths are linked or if he is he looking for 2 murdererers.
Billy Kelly, a 10 year old pupil at the school goes missing. Despite a search of the area, he cannot be found. Is he dead because he witnessed something?
Brennan and Jagger continue their investigations. There are plenty of red herrings, twists and turns to confuse you so that you switch back and forth between all the suspects. An excellent 5* read that I can thoroughly recommend.
December 10, 2017
I hadn't heard of this author or this book series until I picked it up in a 3 for £5 from the works and what a wonderful hidden treasure it was. When a teacher is killed after she fails an interview to join the primary school in Wigan it is at first thought it is suicide but the dogged Sergeant Brennan suspects there is more to the death than meets the eye.
Over the next three hundred pages there are more murders, a small boy disappears and the local headmaster is attacked. Is the school cursed or is there really more to it than that?
I fell into the obvious trap the author left for me and thought I was one step ahead of the good sergeant but alas no. The final reveal is unexpected and rather sad.
This is the second in the series and not having read the first didn't spoil this one so I will be looking out for that and any subsequent book in the Lancashire detective series.
Over the next three hundred pages there are more murders, a small boy disappears and the local headmaster is attacked. Is the school cursed or is there really more to it than that?
I fell into the obvious trap the author left for me and thought I was one step ahead of the good sergeant but alas no. The final reveal is unexpected and rather sad.
This is the second in the series and not having read the first didn't spoil this one so I will be looking out for that and any subsequent book in the Lancashire detective series.
June 4, 2020
Set in 1894 in Wigan, England, in the heart of coal country, this tale of the rougher side of Victorian life is rich in historic detail. The applicant for a teaching position is found dead in the school after hours, an apparent suicide. At the same time the inspector of schools is on a regular visit, a young student goes missing, and a teacher struggles to manage his teaching. The headmaster, Mr. Weston, is nearly beside himself with one problem piled on another.
The mystery involves the story of a child who drowns years earlier when the young girl who was supposed to be watching her goes off with her boyfriend. In some obscure way, this early scandal seems to be connected to the present, but Sergeant Brennan can find no link.
The investigation by Brennan and his reliable and stolid partner, Constable Jaggery, involves in part chasing down people who disappear, escape, lie, then run and hide again. The mysteries are resolved satisfactorily, with a twist that reminds the reader of how harsh life was even when some were trying to be kind. The view of the life of the miners and their families is unsparing and historically accurate, enriching the reader's understanding of the motivations of the characters. Not a fast-paced read, but a steady one with a look at a part of the world not often seen in crime fiction.
The mystery involves the story of a child who drowns years earlier when the young girl who was supposed to be watching her goes off with her boyfriend. In some obscure way, this early scandal seems to be connected to the present, but Sergeant Brennan can find no link.
The investigation by Brennan and his reliable and stolid partner, Constable Jaggery, involves in part chasing down people who disappear, escape, lie, then run and hide again. The mysteries are resolved satisfactorily, with a twist that reminds the reader of how harsh life was even when some were trying to be kind. The view of the life of the miners and their families is unsparing and historically accurate, enriching the reader's understanding of the motivations of the characters. Not a fast-paced read, but a steady one with a look at a part of the world not often seen in crime fiction.
December 31, 2017
Historical mystery set in Wigan, 1894. A young candidate for a teaching post at the Elementary School fails to get the job, and is later discovered dead in a locked classroom. Everyone assumes it is suicide, but DS Brennan is not convinced and begins to uncover lies and secrets from the past.
Enjoyable story, and I liked the Northern setting - with so many Victorian mysteries set in London, this gives an interesting and different perspective, and the author really brings the school setting to life. The plot was well-constructed and moved along smoothly, and DS Brennan is a sympathetic protagonist (ably assisted by a more comical foil in his constable, Jaggery).
I received a free copy of this book from a competition held by the publisher, and I'll now be going back to read the first in the series.
Enjoyable story, and I liked the Northern setting - with so many Victorian mysteries set in London, this gives an interesting and different perspective, and the author really brings the school setting to life. The plot was well-constructed and moved along smoothly, and DS Brennan is a sympathetic protagonist (ably assisted by a more comical foil in his constable, Jaggery).
I received a free copy of this book from a competition held by the publisher, and I'll now be going back to read the first in the series.
August 20, 2020
Absolutely brilliant. Clever and gripping. Now need to read the other books in the series.
February 2, 2020
Elementary Murder is a crime novel set near the place that I live, Wigan, which is one one of the first things that drew me to this book in the first place.
It is a murder mystery that starts with the body of a teacher found in a school classroom by the caretaker which is originally presumed to be a suicide, but which turns out to be nothing of the sort and opened up lots of cans of worms about some of the teachers in the school where the body of the young woman was found, thanks to the teancity of the detective who was sent to the crime scene, who just refused to accept what seemed initially like an open and shut case.
The story wasn't just set in Wigan but went a little bit futher afield and some of the action even took part outside of Wigan. Most of the action however did take place in the town and I found it most interesting trying to work out where the places the characters visited actually were and tried to imagine in my head the locations as they were when the book was set.
The main detective character of the story Brennan was quite well drawn but the most interesting characters were the supporting characters, most notably the teachers in the school where the body was found and also some of the local characters who added a lot of colour to the story and bought the whole story to life for me.
I didn't guess who the murderer was until it was revealed in the text and it did sort of surprise me as it certainly was not as obvious until it was spelled out to me, but it all made sense in the end.
It is a murder mystery that starts with the body of a teacher found in a school classroom by the caretaker which is originally presumed to be a suicide, but which turns out to be nothing of the sort and opened up lots of cans of worms about some of the teachers in the school where the body of the young woman was found, thanks to the teancity of the detective who was sent to the crime scene, who just refused to accept what seemed initially like an open and shut case.
The story wasn't just set in Wigan but went a little bit futher afield and some of the action even took part outside of Wigan. Most of the action however did take place in the town and I found it most interesting trying to work out where the places the characters visited actually were and tried to imagine in my head the locations as they were when the book was set.
The main detective character of the story Brennan was quite well drawn but the most interesting characters were the supporting characters, most notably the teachers in the school where the body was found and also some of the local characters who added a lot of colour to the story and bought the whole story to life for me.
I didn't guess who the murderer was until it was revealed in the text and it did sort of surprise me as it certainly was not as obvious until it was spelled out to me, but it all made sense in the end.
January 25, 2021
I was bought this for Christmas by my grandad and I kept putting it at the bottom of my TBR pile. Over a year later, I finally got round to it (thanks to lockdown!)
The novel chronicles Sergeant Brennan's investigation into a death at the local school in Wigan. Now this is set in 1894, so there's no quick forensics. However, soon enough Brennan starts to build his case but more deaths occur!
Eventually, of course, Brennan captures the villain after a few red herrings and some interesting twists and turns.
Now the story is good. The characters are interesting. The twists are well planned and not too predictable... But I didn't get excited about this book! I think it might have been the way it was written. It was quite long winded in places. Overall I enjoyed the plot but found the whole thing, just OK.
The novel chronicles Sergeant Brennan's investigation into a death at the local school in Wigan. Now this is set in 1894, so there's no quick forensics. However, soon enough Brennan starts to build his case but more deaths occur!
Eventually, of course, Brennan captures the villain after a few red herrings and some interesting twists and turns.
Now the story is good. The characters are interesting. The twists are well planned and not too predictable... But I didn't get excited about this book! I think it might have been the way it was written. It was quite long winded in places. Overall I enjoyed the plot but found the whole thing, just OK.
November 30, 2017
A very good, colourful cast of supporting characters. This novel was a joy to read for the setting and the relationships between the characters. Unfortunately, this diverse and great cast made the detective himself a little pale. I never quite grew to like him, but that's maybe because I haven't read the others in the series. Recommended also for a few nice twists in the murder mystery.
December 25, 2019
Excellent historical crime writing. Set in 1894 in Wigan DS Brennan is asked to investigate an apparent suicide of a failed interviewee at a school. He is not convinced and when more events linked to the school and the staff are uncovered then DS Brennan leads Constable Jaggery in unveiling the links and searching for a lost school boy from the same school nice solid book
October 20, 2020
Good interesting story started very slowly and I wasn't sure I liked it but as it progress I started to enjoy it. Story revolves around a school in a poor northern town, you get a real feel for the attitudes of the people and the hardness of their lives.
June 19, 2021
School murder mystery.
An intriguing plot revolving around a group of school teachers in late 19th century Wigan. Well constructed with interesting well described characters. The abrupt change from one scene to another on occasion is why I removed one star.
An intriguing plot revolving around a group of school teachers in late 19th century Wigan. Well constructed with interesting well described characters. The abrupt change from one scene to another on occasion is why I removed one star.
March 21, 2018
Really good detective fiction set in Wigan. It is the second novel I have read by this author and loved them both. Very atmospheric and kept me guessing throughout.
August 16, 2018
Really good story full of puzzling things and comes together really well at the end.
August 23, 2019
I enjoyed this book. The fact that it is set in my home town makes it interesting to read. It is a simple, old-fashioned 'who dunnit' and I enjoyed this for a change.
August 26, 2019
Good to read a good who done it set in a different location and times past.
Satisfying reading about plenty of characters and suspects.
Strange that the investigators seemed rather bland.
Satisfying reading about plenty of characters and suspects.
Strange that the investigators seemed rather bland.
September 15, 2019
A solid, old-fashioned murder mystery set in the north of England in 1894.
June 20, 2018
A book set in Victorian Lancashire but by a modern day author. I'm not sure how accurate the detail is but it seemed right and read ok. The actual story was quite involved and I didn't figure it out until quite near the end. Not great but not bad either, I quite enjoyed it and read it in one session.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews