Stone Cold, Stone Dead

Ingrid Langley and Patrick Gillard Mystery #21

by Margaret Duffy

An unwelcome blast from the past puts Patrick and Ingrid back in harm’s way . . .

Nicholas Haldane was dead, but he wouldn’t lie down. And now Julian Hardy, the man who hired him in a bid to destroy Richard Daws, a top official in the National Crime Agency, is out of prison and has changed his surname to Mannering.

Patrick Gillard, working for the agency but within the Avon and Somerset force with his wife Ingrid Langley, receives a request from MI5, for whom he used to work, to investigate Mannering. They are then called in when his cleaner makes a shocking discovery.

Meanwhile, an enigmatic couple calling themselves Simon and Natasha Graves turn up in the village, intent on pestering Patrick’s recently widowed mother. Could there be a connection to Mannering?

Patrick and Ingrid are soon embroiled in a deeply personal and disturbing case.

208 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2018

About the author

Margaret Duffy has worked for both the Inland Revenue and the Ministry of Defence. She now lives in Devon in a one-time crossing-keeper`s cottage.

When not writing, Margaret works as a garden designer.

Reviews

[Margaret Duke-Wyer]

In 2017 I reviewed ‘Murders.com’ and I am sad to say that I didn’t really like the style. That said, I thought I would review this new book in the series.

Once again I found that the list of characters and the various organisations that Patrick and Ingrid were involved in rather confusing and it took quite a while before I had the characters in place. This was not helped by discovering the corpse (before he was a corpse, or course) had changed his name!

Amongst all the characters are Simon and Natasha Graves who present themselves to Patrick’s recently widowed mother with a view to ousting her from the Annexe to Patrick’s home. While enlisting the help of the neighbours they continue to pester our protagonists. In all honesty I found myself waiting for them to reappear as I found this aspect most interesting – I suspect because I just couldn’t believe that anyone could be so thick-skinned. As for the other characters – hmm! Ingrid was just as annoying as in the previous book, smug is just too mild to describe her. I might call her a bad mother as she seems intent on investigating anything and everything and seems to muster just about anybody to support the nanny in her duties whilst she is either off investigating, or pretending to write a book. I am not convinced that she is believable at all.

I do apologise Ms Duffy that I have not given a glowing review, but I did have a weird sort of fascination whilst reading. What I am sure of is that there will be very many people who will love this book because it is reminiscent of the Golden Age of Detectives – in my opinion.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

[Alison Eden]

#StoneCold,StoneDead #NetGalley This was, I think, Book 20/21 in the Patrick Gillard/Ingrid Langley crime series and I feel I could definitely have benefitted from reading at least the more recent books. This is a shame as I don't always want to go back to the very beginning when I stumble on a crime series new to me and I prefer it if it can be more easily read as a standalone. That said, this was an intriguing storyline with lots of action and various twists and turns to keep the reader entertained. The writing style was easy to read although I did struggle initially to understand who was who in the, quite large, list of characters - this may have something to do with the fact that I hadn't read previous books. I enjoyed the fact that this was written from the perspective of Patrick's wife although I have to admit that I didn't really warm to her - as a mother she didn't really come across as hugely maternal, preferring to put herself in dangerous positions rather than looking after her children which included a small baby. I also didn't fully understand what her role in NCA was but again I suspect that this was covered earlier in the series. I did like the character of Patrick and also his friend James and loved the way they interacted with each other. Finally, I felt that the ending didn't fully convince me what had actually happened to "Sir Julian" and I found myself feeling a bit frustrated. Would I read others in this series - yes, particularly to get a better handle on the background information

[Tom Sturtridge]

Unfortunately, Stone Cold, Stone Dead did nothing to excite or persuade me to continue the series or at times the rest of the book. Being described as a thriller/mystery, it contained little of either. The mass of characters became confusing with little distinguishing them from eachother and at times it becomes confusing which characters are talking to eachother.

There were a few sections where tension was built and I was looking forward to where it might lead, but any tension that is built is quickly drained away to basic description or a complete change in scene which dissipates that previously built tension. The second half of the book is significantly improved from the first half. More build, more action, plots progress and things actually happen. But unfortunately, it's not enough to save the entire novel. Being just a tad over 200 pages there's little room for fluff and the first 100 or so pages felt like just that. First half was 1 🌟 and second half was 3 🌟 🌟 🌟.

Leading to an overall OK-ish book but definitely nothing special. A little disappointing in fact. Not sure if this is due to being the first entry in the series I've read or just because it's all in all disappointing. Either way, lacking the thrills and mystery needed in a book of this genre and style. 2 stars 🌟🌟

[Susan]

Patrick Gillard and wife Ingrid Langley have received a request from MI5. An organisaton that he used to work for to investigate a man that they knew as Julian Hardy but now calls himself Mannering. Then Mannering's body is found.
I didn't take to any of the characters or the story, and think it would have been better to have read previous books in the series. I certainly can't recommend this as a standalone novel.
A NetGalley Book

[Dana]

When I requested this book I didn't realise it was from a well-established series, but having said that it was quite easy to pick up and read as a stand alone. The story was quite readable and all action seemed to take place 'off-stage' so it came across as a cosy mystery despite all the dead bodies.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Margaret Duffy/Severn House Publishers for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Alison]

You either love these books or you hate them. Personally I find them rollicking good tales, quite Bondesque in places. Tommy and Tuppence Beresford in a modern setting.

[Michele bookloverforever]

Great series.

Some years ago I read a little paperback teitled "A Murder of Crows" and fell completely in love with the main characters. This is an exciting, violent, thrilling series full of family love, heartbreak, crime, spies, murder, kidnapping, theft, burglary...

[Sandra Berryman]

I first started reading Ms.Duffy in 1988, reading quite a few of her earlier Ingrid Langley/Patrick Gillard novels, so I was looking forward to this latest addition in the series. It didn't take long to get into the pace of the book although I probably would have understood it better if I had read her later books before starting this one. If you are picking up this book I would suggest you read her previous ones first, as it just helps to understand all the characters better. Overall, I found that her earlier books were more interesting. I received this e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

[Lauren]

What a joy it has been to pick up a book and read it within the day. This isn’t to say that it was very short, or that I am a super-fast reader, but that it was a fast paced, lively and enjoyable story that despite being several books into the ‘Ingrid Langley and Patrick Gillard Mystery Series’ was neither so tied down in the background to the series that the first chapter felt like a blast from the past (nor was it confusing coming so late in the series that I felt I needed that first chapter as I just described) but was a great stand-alone book that I immediately got my teeth into and didn’t want to put it down.

The Gillard’s are still reeling from the death of Patrick’s Vicar father; helping his mother Elspeth adjust to widow-dome and caring for their own children when news that a former foe Sir Julian Hardy, whom they believed to be in prison has been released, changed his name to Julian Mannering and moved into the area and M15 want to enlist the aid of Patrick to ‘observe and monitor’ his movements. The plot takes a twist however when his cleaner finds him dead in his new home.

Whilst the Gillard’s are investigating this, a couple know as Natasha and Simon Graves begin to harass Elspeth, wanting her to give up living in the Annex of the house Patrick and Ingrid live in - which used to belong to the church and is on the church grounds – so they can live there and offer their services to the church. At the same time the words ‘Old Bitch’ are written on her living room window and somebody walked around banging on the windows late at night. Naturally the Gillards also want to get to the bottom of what this couple are up to and if any of these occurrences are linked together.

I will admit that when I first began to read the book I was a little confused as a lot of this happens early on but from about the third chapter I had fully immersed myself into the storyline and had grasped all the sub-plots within the main plot.

The story is told from the viewpoint of Ingrid Gillard as she dabbles with being a mother and part-time investigator alongside her husband. There is mention of Ingrid being a writer, but she doesn’t do too much of this within the book.

I would say that I definitely felt an upper middle-class vibe from the characters and with this in mind it is possibly easier to understand how Ingrid and Patrick are happy to leave their children with nannies rather than one of them staying home full-time. I understand from other reviewers that this was somewhat of a bone of contention with them. Reading them as upper middle-class rather than working class also makes the characters more life-like.

Duffy is obviously an experienced writer, this being something like book 21 and as such I would like to read some of her earlier works to see how both she as a writer and the Gillards as characters have evolved over the years, as this is always something worth noting as a reader. There is also the danger that her characters could become tiresome and the plots lose some of their edge as the books progress, a flaw I have seen in other book series’ of length. Having come into the series this late there are naturally questions I would like to know the answer to, and I can see myself looking out for some earlier works.

I would recommend this book, however if you don’t like joining a book that is already so far into the series you might not find it to your liking, hence only giving 4 stars instead of 5.

Finally I would like to thank Margaret Duffy, Severn House and NetGalley for letting me read this book in return for an honest review.

[Crittermom]

Rarely has there been such a complementary pair as Patrick and Ingrid - intellectually and physically. Patrick Gillard, formerly of MI5, now working for the National Crime Agency, has a long list of enemies, some hopefully dead, but others who have apparently cheated the grave and now have plans to finish what they started.

The Patrick and Ingrid Gillard thrillers are twisty but believable tales, which have a strong human component. Patrick is disabled, but it doesn’t slow him down. (He has two artificial legs). Just as there are evil and weak characters, there are ones who are kind and funny. It varies, and the foibles of individuals impact the plot a great deal. One of the subplots of Stone Cold, Stone Dead, involve a pair of supposed lay readers attempting to intimidate Patrick’s mother into leaving her home. Through promise of funds and manipulation, various townspeople are convinced of the couple’s right to move in - despite their lack of references. Deception plays a major role throughout Stone Cold Stone Dead.

As always there is murder, action, and plenty of deception, as well as a healthy dose of familial support and love. Stone Cold Stone Dead is a good novel, but somehow it lacks the punch of Margaret Duffy’s other works. As Patrick takes on a new job as an insurance investigator, it seems clear that Duffy feels that she, as well as Patrick and Ingrid need some time to refresh.

4 / 5

I received a copy of Stone Cold, Stone Dead from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

-- Crittermom

[Elite Group]

Lack of pace leaves me cold

I really struggled to read this book. The writing is stilted and lacks the pace that sets the tone for a thriller and the characters did not ring true for me. The plot is terribly convoluted and seemingly random people keep popping up. I am always keen to give any book the benefit of the doubt, but I cannot say much more than that the book was very disappointing.

Patrick Gillard and his wife Ingrid Langley become embroiled in a strange case that involves a change of identity relating to a man that tried to harm them in the past. The lack of pace makes this a really difficult read and I don’t have anything positive to say about this book.

Gillian

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review