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Ngaire Blakes #1
The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton
Paul Worthington just confessed to a murder that never happened. Magdalene Lynton died forty years a vivacious teenager who fell victim to a grotesque, accidental drowning. The coroner's office issued a verdict of death by misadventure and filed her case. The farming commune she'd lived within, splintered apart. Her body was left behind in a small, private cemetery encircled by acres of fallow ground.
Until Paul Worthington confessed to her murder.
Magdalene's case lands with Ngaire Blakes, a Maori detective recovering from a brutal stabbing. After fighting for the resources to investigate, Ngaire discovers that Paul's confession doesn't fit with the facts of Magdalene's death. The trouble is, neither does the original verdict.
Together with her partner, Deb, Ngaire digs deeper into the case to uncover inconsistencies, lies, and mortal danger.
The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton is the first book in a new series of mystery novels set in the deep shadows of New Zealand. If you savor tightly raveled mysteries, strong female leads, and psychologically unsettled minds, then you'll enjoy Katherine Hayton's opening story in a compelling new trilogy.
Buy The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton to unravel the mystery today.
Until Paul Worthington confessed to her murder.
Magdalene's case lands with Ngaire Blakes, a Maori detective recovering from a brutal stabbing. After fighting for the resources to investigate, Ngaire discovers that Paul's confession doesn't fit with the facts of Magdalene's death. The trouble is, neither does the original verdict.
Together with her partner, Deb, Ngaire digs deeper into the case to uncover inconsistencies, lies, and mortal danger.
The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton is the first book in a new series of mystery novels set in the deep shadows of New Zealand. If you savor tightly raveled mysteries, strong female leads, and psychologically unsettled minds, then you'll enjoy Katherine Hayton's opening story in a compelling new trilogy.
Buy The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton to unravel the mystery today.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 29, 2016
991 people are currently reading
1011 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Hayton
64 books496 followersI'm a middle-aged woman who works in insurance, doesn't have children or pets, can't drive, has lived in Christchurch my entire life, and currently reside a two-minute walk from where I was born.
For some reason, I've developed a rich fantasy life.
I like to write mysteries, some set in my hometown of Christchurch, others ninety minutes up the road in the beautiful township of Hanmer Springs, or in the quasi-fictional town of Pinetar. These mysteries range from hard-hitting psychological thrillers, through to police procedurals, or the lighter adventure of a cozy mystery.
For some reason, I've developed a rich fantasy life.
I like to write mysteries, some set in my hometown of Christchurch, others ninety minutes up the road in the beautiful township of Hanmer Springs, or in the quasi-fictional town of Pinetar. These mysteries range from hard-hitting psychological thrillers, through to police procedurals, or the lighter adventure of a cozy mystery.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
September 9, 2020
EXCERPT: A man walked through the double doors, wavering on his feet as the suction from the closing doors pulled him off balance. The mother and grandmother each made an initial movement, as if to help, then sat back, staring at the ground. The little girl jabbed her chair at him, once, twice - the world's smallest lion tamer - then retreated to her mother's lap.
Ngaire understood why. Every pore of the man's body exuded death. He reminded her of an autumn leaf left to mummify in the dry winter air - no substance, no flesh to his bones. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle. With no offers of assistance, he crept forward, his feet never leaving the carpet. Minutes passed.
The thick plastic panels that enclosed Ngaire behind the front counter formed her excuse not to help. To walk around to the other side, she'd have to unlock two doors with her passkey - and then what? Let him stand and tremble while she walked back?
The man still had a meter to go when she manufactured a broad smile and asked, 'Can I help you?' In training, an officer had instructed her to channel Gold Coast surfers when she faced the public, a method sure to produce a happy grin with no concerns. Far more tiring than 'resting bitch' face, but also more likely to yield positive results.
He reached the counter at last and pulled a passport out of his jacket pocket with shaking fingers. He tried to give it to Ngaire, but she nodded at the desk tray. When he dropped it in there, she picked it up and flipped through the front pages, stopping at the photograph.
In the picture, a gray scale man with thick hair kept a straight face for the camera, although happy, upturned lines still radiated from the corners of his eyes and mouth. The name was Paul Worthington, and Ngaire worked out his age from his date of birth: fifty three. She pushed the book back to him, thinking 'Surf, sun, sand. Smile, girl.' The poster child for cancer returned her stare, his face blank, and she tried to swallow past her sympathy, her pity. Her eyebrows raised in inquiry.
'My identification,' he said. 'So you know I'm serious.' He leaned forward until her nostrils filled with mild acid and dank grapes. 'I want to confess to a murder.'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Magdalene Lynton died forty years ago: a vivacious teenager who fell victim to a grotesque, accidental drowning. The coroner's office issued a verdict of death by misadventure and filed her case. The farming commune she'd lived within, splintered apart. Her body was left behind in a small, private cemetery encircled by acres of fallow ground.
Until Paul Worthington confessed to her murder.
Magdalene's case lands with Ngaire Blakes, a Maori detective recovering from a brutal stabbing. After fighting for the resources to investigate, Ngaire discovers that Paul's confession doesn't fit with the facts of Magdalene's death. The trouble is, neither does the original verdict.
Together with her partner, Deb, Ngaire digs deeper into the case to uncover inconsistencies, lies, and mortal danger.
MY THOUGHTS: This is a good twisty tale set in and around Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand, and the first in a series of three books about a female, Maori detective who seems to be a magnet for trouble.
We don't learn much about Ngaire, or any other of the characters that are likely to appear in the other books in this series, which is a pity. The characters need a little rounding out. We know far more about the characters connected with this forty year old crime, and we are unlikely to come across them again in the series, except, perhaps, for William (aka Billy) the lawyer. But there are some interesting characters, very interesting characters, some with hidden depths, others with hidden secrets. It's not immediately clear who falls into which camp.
I did notice a few Americanisms creep in: e,g. Mom, instead of the kiwi 'Mum', which particularly annoyed me.
But, that aside, The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton is an interesting story. Nothing is simple, nothing quite what it seems. The plot is well constructed, and kept my interest throughout. The mystery unfolds quite slowly, but that doesn't mean there is nothing happening. We learn everything as the investigative team does. The ending was certainly not what I expected. Either time. But it was spectacularly perfect.
😊😊😊.7
FOR THE ARMCHAIR TRAVELLER: Christchurch, known for its English heritage, is located on the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Flat-bottomed punts glide on the Avon River, which meanders through the city centre. On its banks are cycling paths, the green expanse of Hagley Park and Christchurch Botanic Gardens. In 2010 and 2011, earthquakes destroyed many of the historic centre's stone-built buildings. These earthquakes are referred to in The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton.
The Waimakariri River is one of the largest rivers in Canterbury, on the eastern coast of New Zealand's South Island. It flows for 151 kilometres in a generally southeastward direction from the Southern Alps across the Canterbury Plains to the Pacific Ocean.
THE AUTHOR: Katherine Hayton is a middle-aged woman who works in insurance, doesn't have children or pets, can't drive, has lived in Christchurch her entire life, and resides a two-minute walk from where she was born.
For some reason, she's developed a rich fantasy life.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to author Katherine Hayton via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage
Ngaire understood why. Every pore of the man's body exuded death. He reminded her of an autumn leaf left to mummify in the dry winter air - no substance, no flesh to his bones. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle. With no offers of assistance, he crept forward, his feet never leaving the carpet. Minutes passed.
The thick plastic panels that enclosed Ngaire behind the front counter formed her excuse not to help. To walk around to the other side, she'd have to unlock two doors with her passkey - and then what? Let him stand and tremble while she walked back?
The man still had a meter to go when she manufactured a broad smile and asked, 'Can I help you?' In training, an officer had instructed her to channel Gold Coast surfers when she faced the public, a method sure to produce a happy grin with no concerns. Far more tiring than 'resting bitch' face, but also more likely to yield positive results.
He reached the counter at last and pulled a passport out of his jacket pocket with shaking fingers. He tried to give it to Ngaire, but she nodded at the desk tray. When he dropped it in there, she picked it up and flipped through the front pages, stopping at the photograph.
In the picture, a gray scale man with thick hair kept a straight face for the camera, although happy, upturned lines still radiated from the corners of his eyes and mouth. The name was Paul Worthington, and Ngaire worked out his age from his date of birth: fifty three. She pushed the book back to him, thinking 'Surf, sun, sand. Smile, girl.' The poster child for cancer returned her stare, his face blank, and she tried to swallow past her sympathy, her pity. Her eyebrows raised in inquiry.
'My identification,' he said. 'So you know I'm serious.' He leaned forward until her nostrils filled with mild acid and dank grapes. 'I want to confess to a murder.'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Magdalene Lynton died forty years ago: a vivacious teenager who fell victim to a grotesque, accidental drowning. The coroner's office issued a verdict of death by misadventure and filed her case. The farming commune she'd lived within, splintered apart. Her body was left behind in a small, private cemetery encircled by acres of fallow ground.
Until Paul Worthington confessed to her murder.
Magdalene's case lands with Ngaire Blakes, a Maori detective recovering from a brutal stabbing. After fighting for the resources to investigate, Ngaire discovers that Paul's confession doesn't fit with the facts of Magdalene's death. The trouble is, neither does the original verdict.
Together with her partner, Deb, Ngaire digs deeper into the case to uncover inconsistencies, lies, and mortal danger.
MY THOUGHTS: This is a good twisty tale set in and around Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand, and the first in a series of three books about a female, Maori detective who seems to be a magnet for trouble.
We don't learn much about Ngaire, or any other of the characters that are likely to appear in the other books in this series, which is a pity. The characters need a little rounding out. We know far more about the characters connected with this forty year old crime, and we are unlikely to come across them again in the series, except, perhaps, for William (aka Billy) the lawyer. But there are some interesting characters, very interesting characters, some with hidden depths, others with hidden secrets. It's not immediately clear who falls into which camp.
I did notice a few Americanisms creep in: e,g. Mom, instead of the kiwi 'Mum', which particularly annoyed me.
But, that aside, The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton is an interesting story. Nothing is simple, nothing quite what it seems. The plot is well constructed, and kept my interest throughout. The mystery unfolds quite slowly, but that doesn't mean there is nothing happening. We learn everything as the investigative team does. The ending was certainly not what I expected. Either time. But it was spectacularly perfect.
😊😊😊.7
FOR THE ARMCHAIR TRAVELLER: Christchurch, known for its English heritage, is located on the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Flat-bottomed punts glide on the Avon River, which meanders through the city centre. On its banks are cycling paths, the green expanse of Hagley Park and Christchurch Botanic Gardens. In 2010 and 2011, earthquakes destroyed many of the historic centre's stone-built buildings. These earthquakes are referred to in The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton.
The Waimakariri River is one of the largest rivers in Canterbury, on the eastern coast of New Zealand's South Island. It flows for 151 kilometres in a generally southeastward direction from the Southern Alps across the Canterbury Plains to the Pacific Ocean.
THE AUTHOR: Katherine Hayton is a middle-aged woman who works in insurance, doesn't have children or pets, can't drive, has lived in Christchurch her entire life, and resides a two-minute walk from where she was born.
For some reason, she's developed a rich fantasy life.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to author Katherine Hayton via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage
May 1, 2016
I wish to thank Net Galley and especially Katherine Hayton for asking me to read her new novel and gifting me a copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
I read and enjoyed one of Ms. Hayton’s previous books Breathe and Release a few months ago so was eager to take on her next offering, The Three Deaths of Magdalene. This story, which I liked even better, involves a 40-year-old cold case—the murder versus accidental death of a 14-year-old girl who had belonged to a cult. The case resurfaces when a dying old man comes to the police and confesses to killing the girl decades ago. This automatically reopens the case; one that supervising Detective Sergeant Gascoigne is not too interested in. His help consists of DC Ngaire (pronounced Ny-ree) Blakes, a good cop hindered by a severe case of PTSD, and her partner and seemingly only friend left on the force DC Deb Weedon.
Positives:
I loved the New Zealand setting. It was a nice change to follow a police procedural in a country where law enforcement personnel are not allowed to carry guns—the most lethal weapons the cops possess are Tasers and pepper spray. This led to some novel approaches to dealing with bad situations. I thought the plot was very clever and engaging, especially for a relatively new author. There are a ton of twists to the tale that kept throwing me off whenever I felt I was getting close to the answers. The story kept me thinking, but even so, the ending caught me flat-footed! The wrap up was great. I must also laud Ms. Hayton for her excellent straightforward writing style and the pacing, which fit the story well, and for handling a cold case with a single timeline.
Negatives:
It took me a while to connect with Ngaire and Deb as there is little personal info/background provided in the early chapters. I finally did warm up to Ngaire, and to a lesser extent Deb. They are said to be buddies, but I couldn’t FEEL that at all until late in the book. DS Gascoigne is not at all developed and I couldn’t see the basis of his personal relationship with one of the other characters. I also wanted to know more about Finlay. By the end of the book, however, I was quite fond of Ngaire though there is still a lot for the reader to learn about her. I do see where this novel is the first of a trilogy. The 2nd book is almost complete and based on its title, The Second Stage of Grief, I suspect we will be seeing more of Ngaire’s history unfold.
In summary, this was a very engaging read with excellent plotting, though I would have loved more character development. I do believe this is coming in book 2 and think this series will be well worth following; I know I will be looking out for the next installment. Recommended to all looking for a good twisty tale!
I read and enjoyed one of Ms. Hayton’s previous books Breathe and Release a few months ago so was eager to take on her next offering, The Three Deaths of Magdalene. This story, which I liked even better, involves a 40-year-old cold case—the murder versus accidental death of a 14-year-old girl who had belonged to a cult. The case resurfaces when a dying old man comes to the police and confesses to killing the girl decades ago. This automatically reopens the case; one that supervising Detective Sergeant Gascoigne is not too interested in. His help consists of DC Ngaire (pronounced Ny-ree) Blakes, a good cop hindered by a severe case of PTSD, and her partner and seemingly only friend left on the force DC Deb Weedon.
Positives:
I loved the New Zealand setting. It was a nice change to follow a police procedural in a country where law enforcement personnel are not allowed to carry guns—the most lethal weapons the cops possess are Tasers and pepper spray. This led to some novel approaches to dealing with bad situations. I thought the plot was very clever and engaging, especially for a relatively new author. There are a ton of twists to the tale that kept throwing me off whenever I felt I was getting close to the answers. The story kept me thinking, but even so, the ending caught me flat-footed! The wrap up was great. I must also laud Ms. Hayton for her excellent straightforward writing style and the pacing, which fit the story well, and for handling a cold case with a single timeline.
Negatives:
It took me a while to connect with Ngaire and Deb as there is little personal info/background provided in the early chapters. I finally did warm up to Ngaire, and to a lesser extent Deb. They are said to be buddies, but I couldn’t FEEL that at all until late in the book. DS Gascoigne is not at all developed and I couldn’t see the basis of his personal relationship with one of the other characters. I also wanted to know more about Finlay. By the end of the book, however, I was quite fond of Ngaire though there is still a lot for the reader to learn about her. I do see where this novel is the first of a trilogy. The 2nd book is almost complete and based on its title, The Second Stage of Grief, I suspect we will be seeing more of Ngaire’s history unfold.
In summary, this was a very engaging read with excellent plotting, though I would have loved more character development. I do believe this is coming in book 2 and think this series will be well worth following; I know I will be looking out for the next installment. Recommended to all looking for a good twisty tale!
July 15, 2017
The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton (Ngaire Blakes #1) by Katherine Hayton is a very different mystery. It unfolds different, the story is told different, the whole feel is different. It is hard to explain. It isn't perfect but I enjoyed it none the less. A dying man confesses to a murder about 40 yrs earlier that was already solved. Did he do it? Did either of them do it? Is there someone else? It is very exciting book, a suspense but unfolds so differently that the reader just gets sneak glances, and moves on. I enjoyed it and was surprised by it all at the same time.
August 11, 2018
I had discovered the writing of Katherine Hayton two years ago and was really keen to try another offering from this talented author hailing from New Zealand. I decided to get my teeth stuck into The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton, just the title itself has great appeal and mystery and the synopsis really secured the deal. This one was one to be read.
The book introduces Ngaire Blakes (pronounced Ni-ree I think) who is frustrated sitting behind a police station reception desk on lesser duties after sustaining a rather nasty injury when an elderly man wanders in one day, shuffling along and announces something that makes Ngaire's day (and coming months) so much more interesting than she could of hoped for. It was a really good hook start to a novel and had my interest piqued straight away.
The timeline flicks us back to the past to give us some background on the investigation that begins which Ngaire is determined to be involved in (injury or not), she is a pretty gutsy, strong and determined female character and I really grew to like her as the book rolled out. Once you have a taste of what went before and the picture of how Magdelene Lynton died (or was it?) you know you have a thriller crime mystery on your hands.
The plot twists and weaves and throws in a fair few red herrings on the trail of truth, justice and answers. It took me quite a while to be fairly sure in my own mind who did what and even then I got some of it wrong. I found the plot really engaging, paced very well and didn't give me a moment of boredom. There are plenty of really interesting characters along the way and whilst Magdelene may be dead, I very much felt her spirit throughout the novel and so wanted justice and answers on her behalf. I was cheering Ngiare on all the way.
Ngaire isn't a picture perfect character, she has elements of light and shade and I admired her tenacity and imperfections, it made her more real. Once the book started to highlight the story of the Christian Cult that come into question things got really interesting and I was super eager to find out the ending.
My only criticism at all of this novel is this. It's set in New Zealand, I used to live in Australia and have visited New Zealand and was once engaged to a Maori young man from NZ. Very briefly it touches on Ngaire possibly being of Maori origin (natives to New Zealand) but there was not any more expanded upon it, nor about any other Maori culture or people - which in NZ is a bit unusual as it's a big part of the heritage. I would have loved her character to have had more expansion on this. I also didn't feel I could get a good visual grasp on Ngaire at all such as height, skin colour, eye colour, so we probably all have a different picture of her for sure.
The book also uses Americanised spelling and wording, for example the word "mom" is used, it would NEVER be heard in New Zealand (or Australia) and it really threw the book out a bit for me. I felt the atmosphere that could have been established, the culture, the people, the location had nothing to do with NZ, in fact, the book could have been set just about anywhere. I am not sure if it's because the book is being presented to the USA market but I was sad that the beauty of New Zealand and all that goes with it was not realistic in this novel. That is the only reason this book did not score higher with me and might not bother most people.
Nevertheless I really enjoyed the book and raced through it and will absolutely be following up with reading the next book in the series featuring Ngaire Blakes. I think Katherine Hayton is a good writer who can weave a great story and really keep the reader engaged. 4 stars from me!
Many thanks to the author and publisher for my copy of the book to read in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Thanks for reading my review! If you enjoyed it please leave me a “like” or a comment, I love to interact with other book lovers! For more of my book reviews, plenty of awesome books to win, author interviews and features come over to join me for book fun at: https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
To follow me on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/promotethatbook
To enquire about joining my reviewers team: http://goo.gl/forms/GWMOvlofZg
Finally to enquire about my book publicity services: http://goo.gl/forms/eVwa2HFKnK
The book introduces Ngaire Blakes (pronounced Ni-ree I think) who is frustrated sitting behind a police station reception desk on lesser duties after sustaining a rather nasty injury when an elderly man wanders in one day, shuffling along and announces something that makes Ngaire's day (and coming months) so much more interesting than she could of hoped for. It was a really good hook start to a novel and had my interest piqued straight away.
The timeline flicks us back to the past to give us some background on the investigation that begins which Ngaire is determined to be involved in (injury or not), she is a pretty gutsy, strong and determined female character and I really grew to like her as the book rolled out. Once you have a taste of what went before and the picture of how Magdelene Lynton died (or was it?) you know you have a thriller crime mystery on your hands.
The plot twists and weaves and throws in a fair few red herrings on the trail of truth, justice and answers. It took me quite a while to be fairly sure in my own mind who did what and even then I got some of it wrong. I found the plot really engaging, paced very well and didn't give me a moment of boredom. There are plenty of really interesting characters along the way and whilst Magdelene may be dead, I very much felt her spirit throughout the novel and so wanted justice and answers on her behalf. I was cheering Ngiare on all the way.
Ngaire isn't a picture perfect character, she has elements of light and shade and I admired her tenacity and imperfections, it made her more real. Once the book started to highlight the story of the Christian Cult that come into question things got really interesting and I was super eager to find out the ending.
My only criticism at all of this novel is this. It's set in New Zealand, I used to live in Australia and have visited New Zealand and was once engaged to a Maori young man from NZ. Very briefly it touches on Ngaire possibly being of Maori origin (natives to New Zealand) but there was not any more expanded upon it, nor about any other Maori culture or people - which in NZ is a bit unusual as it's a big part of the heritage. I would have loved her character to have had more expansion on this. I also didn't feel I could get a good visual grasp on Ngaire at all such as height, skin colour, eye colour, so we probably all have a different picture of her for sure.
The book also uses Americanised spelling and wording, for example the word "mom" is used, it would NEVER be heard in New Zealand (or Australia) and it really threw the book out a bit for me. I felt the atmosphere that could have been established, the culture, the people, the location had nothing to do with NZ, in fact, the book could have been set just about anywhere. I am not sure if it's because the book is being presented to the USA market but I was sad that the beauty of New Zealand and all that goes with it was not realistic in this novel. That is the only reason this book did not score higher with me and might not bother most people.
Nevertheless I really enjoyed the book and raced through it and will absolutely be following up with reading the next book in the series featuring Ngaire Blakes. I think Katherine Hayton is a good writer who can weave a great story and really keep the reader engaged. 4 stars from me!
Many thanks to the author and publisher for my copy of the book to read in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Thanks for reading my review! If you enjoyed it please leave me a “like” or a comment, I love to interact with other book lovers! For more of my book reviews, plenty of awesome books to win, author interviews and features come over to join me for book fun at: https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
To follow me on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/promotethatbook
To enquire about joining my reviewers team: http://goo.gl/forms/GWMOvlofZg
Finally to enquire about my book publicity services: http://goo.gl/forms/eVwa2HFKnK
March 27, 2016
Review: THE THREE DEATHS OF MAGDALENE LAYTON by Katherine Hatton
A superbly engrossing and absorbing mystery operating on multiple levels, THE THREE DEATHS OF MAGDALENE LAYTON is a marvel penned by an accomplished author. I don't even know where to begin to summarize. Suffice it to say, the reader's heartstrings will be repeatedly wrenched, and there will be in turns surprise, shock, and grief. Many characters suffer, and yes, some few are constructed of the stuff of monsters. Author Hayton, a New Zealand native, frequently references factual local crimes [which I looked up], adding to the fictional story both local color and human interest. Rest assured, this is an unforgettable novel.
A superbly engrossing and absorbing mystery operating on multiple levels, THE THREE DEATHS OF MAGDALENE LAYTON is a marvel penned by an accomplished author. I don't even know where to begin to summarize. Suffice it to say, the reader's heartstrings will be repeatedly wrenched, and there will be in turns surprise, shock, and grief. Many characters suffer, and yes, some few are constructed of the stuff of monsters. Author Hayton, a New Zealand native, frequently references factual local crimes [which I looked up], adding to the fictional story both local color and human interest. Rest assured, this is an unforgettable novel.
November 10, 2016
New series! New female detective!
Like, like, like!
As in many of the books I've read lately, we have a strong female main character: Inspector Ngaire Blakes. But she's different: she's kind of a mess at the moment as she's been on sick leave due to an "incident" at a party, where she was attacked. Back at work, she has many issues regarding her colleagues, and feels judged by her peers.
She's also insubordinate and stubborn, and will get in trouble due to it.
The plot centers around Paul, a very sick man who arrives at the police station and confesses to a crime that happened 40 years before.
As Ngaire investigates, she will find that there are many holes in his story, and consequently sets out to investigate Magdalene's family and friends.
Looking forward to reading Book 2 of the series.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Like, like, like!
As in many of the books I've read lately, we have a strong female main character: Inspector Ngaire Blakes. But she's different: she's kind of a mess at the moment as she's been on sick leave due to an "incident" at a party, where she was attacked. Back at work, she has many issues regarding her colleagues, and feels judged by her peers.
She's also insubordinate and stubborn, and will get in trouble due to it.
The plot centers around Paul, a very sick man who arrives at the police station and confesses to a crime that happened 40 years before.
As Ngaire investigates, she will find that there are many holes in his story, and consequently sets out to investigate Magdalene's family and friends.
Looking forward to reading Book 2 of the series.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 9, 2016
Do you promise that your detectives shall well and truly detect the crimes presented to them using those wits which it may please you to bestow upon them and not placing reliance on nor making use of Divine Revelation, Feminine Intuition, Mumbo Jumbo, Jiggery-Pokery, Coincidence, or Act of God?
While Katherine Hayton is too young and too antipodean (quite literally) to have been a member of the famed Detection Club, she follows the oath faithfully which makes her a winner in this mystery lover’s heart. The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton, a classic mystery in the best sense of the word, is the first of what I hope will be a continuing series featuring Ngaire Blakes, a police detective whose compassion is matched only by her doggedness.
The story begins with a cadaverous man, Paul Worthington, coming into her station to confess to a rape and murder he committed forty years ago. One problem, it was classified as an accidental drowning so evidence is scarce and no one is eager to devote police time and resources to investigate a closed case, particularly if the killer is at death’s door anyway.
However, Ngaire thinks Magdalene deserves the truth and wants to find out what really happened. She is ably assisted by her colleague Deb and her reporter friend Finlay. Their investigation leads them to a religious commune and its neighbors, all dispersed by time and tragedy. There’s Magdalene’s parents Abe and Mary, her boyfriend Billy, now a lawyer whom Paul implicates in Maggie’s death. There’s Isaiah, who was a child with Magdalene on the commune, who seems mysterious, or perhaps a bit unlearned and asocial.Then there is the oddly incommunicative Mikel, a detective Billy hires to investigate the investigation. There are other members of the commune as well and hints of it being less benign than it might seem on the surface.
Ngaire is on limited duty, recovering from a knife attack nearly a year earlier and haunted by fear. This investigation leads her into one of the more harrowing near-death experiences I have read this year. Most of her investigating in the last part of the book is done on her own, off-work due to her injuries and really, in no position to be fetching her mail, let alone tracking murderers.
If you like classic fair-play mysteries, The Three Deaths of Magdalene Layton is just what you need. It is fair, but not obvious. You may identify the killer before its spelled out on the page, but only if you’re paying attention. The clues are there, the motives are there, and you can draw the right conclusions, but it’s not obvious or heavy-handed, at least I did not think so. This is a solid mystery, avoiding the cute and cozy without being exploitively violent or voyeuristically sexual. You will feel pity for poor Maggie, but you will not feel tainted by reading about what happened.
There is one failing in this book and I have to point it out because I hope there will be a second Ngaire Blakes mystery and I don’t want to see it repeated. Ngaire suffers from very understandable fears that are the result of being attacked and stabbed in the leg and torso, alive only through luck and bad aim. She is also attacked and left to die in this book. She feels incompetent in her work and feels a failure because she is afraid. No matter that she repeatedly faces those fears, puts them aside and goes into dangerous situation, she feels her fear makes her weak. Where is the person telling her that courage is being afraid and still doing forward? Where is her awakening that the shame is not in being fearful, it’s it letting fear control your life. She may live with fear, but she is in control.
It’s a peeve of mine that women detectives are so often required to manifest imposter syndrome in some way. Don’t we all love Temperance Brennan (Bones) who would laugh in the face of imposter syndrome. Really, women don’t need insecure women as heroes. So Ngaire, let it go.
I received an electronic galley of this book from the author through NetGalley.
From my blog: https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
While Katherine Hayton is too young and too antipodean (quite literally) to have been a member of the famed Detection Club, she follows the oath faithfully which makes her a winner in this mystery lover’s heart. The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton, a classic mystery in the best sense of the word, is the first of what I hope will be a continuing series featuring Ngaire Blakes, a police detective whose compassion is matched only by her doggedness.
The story begins with a cadaverous man, Paul Worthington, coming into her station to confess to a rape and murder he committed forty years ago. One problem, it was classified as an accidental drowning so evidence is scarce and no one is eager to devote police time and resources to investigate a closed case, particularly if the killer is at death’s door anyway.
However, Ngaire thinks Magdalene deserves the truth and wants to find out what really happened. She is ably assisted by her colleague Deb and her reporter friend Finlay. Their investigation leads them to a religious commune and its neighbors, all dispersed by time and tragedy. There’s Magdalene’s parents Abe and Mary, her boyfriend Billy, now a lawyer whom Paul implicates in Maggie’s death. There’s Isaiah, who was a child with Magdalene on the commune, who seems mysterious, or perhaps a bit unlearned and asocial.Then there is the oddly incommunicative Mikel, a detective Billy hires to investigate the investigation. There are other members of the commune as well and hints of it being less benign than it might seem on the surface.
Ngaire is on limited duty, recovering from a knife attack nearly a year earlier and haunted by fear. This investigation leads her into one of the more harrowing near-death experiences I have read this year. Most of her investigating in the last part of the book is done on her own, off-work due to her injuries and really, in no position to be fetching her mail, let alone tracking murderers.
If you like classic fair-play mysteries, The Three Deaths of Magdalene Layton is just what you need. It is fair, but not obvious. You may identify the killer before its spelled out on the page, but only if you’re paying attention. The clues are there, the motives are there, and you can draw the right conclusions, but it’s not obvious or heavy-handed, at least I did not think so. This is a solid mystery, avoiding the cute and cozy without being exploitively violent or voyeuristically sexual. You will feel pity for poor Maggie, but you will not feel tainted by reading about what happened.
There is one failing in this book and I have to point it out because I hope there will be a second Ngaire Blakes mystery and I don’t want to see it repeated. Ngaire suffers from very understandable fears that are the result of being attacked and stabbed in the leg and torso, alive only through luck and bad aim. She is also attacked and left to die in this book. She feels incompetent in her work and feels a failure because she is afraid. No matter that she repeatedly faces those fears, puts them aside and goes into dangerous situation, she feels her fear makes her weak. Where is the person telling her that courage is being afraid and still doing forward? Where is her awakening that the shame is not in being fearful, it’s it letting fear control your life. She may live with fear, but she is in control.
It’s a peeve of mine that women detectives are so often required to manifest imposter syndrome in some way. Don’t we all love Temperance Brennan (Bones) who would laugh in the face of imposter syndrome. Really, women don’t need insecure women as heroes. So Ngaire, let it go.
I received an electronic galley of this book from the author through NetGalley.
From my blog: https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
May 25, 2018
THE THREE DEATHS OF MAGDALENE LYNTON is the first in a new series from New Zealand author Katherine Hayton, followed by THE SECOND STAGE OF GRIEF and THE ONLY SECRET SHE KEEPS. The last of these, THE ONLY SECRET SHE KEEPS, has been long listed in the 2018 Ngaio Marsh Awards which will come as no surprise if you've been lucky enough to follow the evolving story of Ngaire Blakes.
The central character in this series, Detective Ngaire Blakes, really works. A flawed, grumpy, complicated woman, frustrated at being stuck behind the police station reception desk recuperating from nasty injuries received in an earlier case. She's a good combination of knowns and unknowns, as there is much to Blakes and her background that you'll have to take on face value. This first book doesn't waste a lot of time on backstory for her or her colleagues, it assumes that you'll work out this is a policewoman with a past and roll with it. It's also a location with a past history, and some of the classic elements of small-town connectedness and combined past histories, again a fair bit of which you'll just have to take as given. Overall this creates an extra level of mystery, and makes sure that things don't bog down in the personal past, keeping the pace of the revelations - past and present - tight, fast and flowing freely.
The blurb gives readers a pretty good idea where the title for this novel comes from. Magdalene Lynton died 40 years ago drowned in a farm slurry. Or in a dirty shed. Or did she? The plot device of three possible deaths of the one woman is an interesting idea to start out with, but add the complication of 40 years ago and things get very twisty indeed. There's a lot of red herrings for Blakes and the reader to sort through, there's a heap of confusion and doubt everywhere, and at the centre of the mess there's an investigator that's determined, flawed, pig-headed, and extremely real. It's one of those pleasing confluences of good characters, good plot and interesting sidelines. About the only downside is a slightly unclear sense of place with the incorporation of American spelling and terminology muddying the waters (pun sort of intended - what with farm slurry and the whole thing...).
Despite that minor niggle, the main aim of THE THREE DEATHS OF MAGDALENE LYNTON: introducing a new, intriguing and interesting character in New Zealand Crime fiction delivers in spades. Enough to make this reader pick up the second book in the series, THE SECOND STAGE OF GRIEF, pretty well straight away.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
The central character in this series, Detective Ngaire Blakes, really works. A flawed, grumpy, complicated woman, frustrated at being stuck behind the police station reception desk recuperating from nasty injuries received in an earlier case. She's a good combination of knowns and unknowns, as there is much to Blakes and her background that you'll have to take on face value. This first book doesn't waste a lot of time on backstory for her or her colleagues, it assumes that you'll work out this is a policewoman with a past and roll with it. It's also a location with a past history, and some of the classic elements of small-town connectedness and combined past histories, again a fair bit of which you'll just have to take as given. Overall this creates an extra level of mystery, and makes sure that things don't bog down in the personal past, keeping the pace of the revelations - past and present - tight, fast and flowing freely.
The blurb gives readers a pretty good idea where the title for this novel comes from. Magdalene Lynton died 40 years ago drowned in a farm slurry. Or in a dirty shed. Or did she? The plot device of three possible deaths of the one woman is an interesting idea to start out with, but add the complication of 40 years ago and things get very twisty indeed. There's a lot of red herrings for Blakes and the reader to sort through, there's a heap of confusion and doubt everywhere, and at the centre of the mess there's an investigator that's determined, flawed, pig-headed, and extremely real. It's one of those pleasing confluences of good characters, good plot and interesting sidelines. About the only downside is a slightly unclear sense of place with the incorporation of American spelling and terminology muddying the waters (pun sort of intended - what with farm slurry and the whole thing...).
Despite that minor niggle, the main aim of THE THREE DEATHS OF MAGDALENE LYNTON: introducing a new, intriguing and interesting character in New Zealand Crime fiction delivers in spades. Enough to make this reader pick up the second book in the series, THE SECOND STAGE OF GRIEF, pretty well straight away.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
March 29, 2016
Although my primary reading genres these days are fantasy and romance/erotica, detectives, especially police procedurals, have always held a special place in my heart, so when I received this book in exchange for voting for it rather casually in the Kindle Scout program, I got a pleasant surprise. Which just goes to show that you should venture outside of your preferred genre from time to time...life lesson there...anyway, this book took me back to the joy I felt when reading, for instance, a Dalziel and Pascoe novel, with the same kind of realism, well-developed and flawed characters, and tight plotting that ratcheted up the tension until I found myself snatching paragraphs while waiting for my web browsers to load, desperate to find out what happened next.
The story starts when Ngaire, a New Zealand police officer currently on desk duty while recovering from an attack, has to deal with what she thinks is a false confession by a dying man for a death that happened forty years ago. But then it seems that maybe the confession isn't so false after all...or is it? What really happened to rebellious teenager Magdalene Lynton on the religious commune where her parents lived? Can the cops find out, and will doing so bring closure, or tear people apart?
Ngaire is a very sympathetic character, the "good cop" against her partner Deb's (and props for having two female cops work together, by the way) more abrasive personality, even as she struggles with her own demons. The setup and the plotting, as mentioned above, keep the tension high from beginning to end, with a satisfying resolution. Fans of detective fiction should definitely enjoy this new addition to the genre's ranks.
The story starts when Ngaire, a New Zealand police officer currently on desk duty while recovering from an attack, has to deal with what she thinks is a false confession by a dying man for a death that happened forty years ago. But then it seems that maybe the confession isn't so false after all...or is it? What really happened to rebellious teenager Magdalene Lynton on the religious commune where her parents lived? Can the cops find out, and will doing so bring closure, or tear people apart?
Ngaire is a very sympathetic character, the "good cop" against her partner Deb's (and props for having two female cops work together, by the way) more abrasive personality, even as she struggles with her own demons. The setup and the plotting, as mentioned above, keep the tension high from beginning to end, with a satisfying resolution. Fans of detective fiction should definitely enjoy this new addition to the genre's ranks.
April 6, 2016
4.5 Stars
Magdalene Lynton died 40 years ago. Paul Worthington, with a diagnosis of terminal cancer, walks into the local law enforcement building and confesses to raping and then strangling Magdalene, then tossing her body into the river. But did he?
Detective Ngaire Blakes investigates and what she finds is not consistent with Worthington's account of what really happened. The official version says Magdalene Lynton drowned and choked to death in a slurry tank and her bloated body was found three days later.
As Blakes tries to follow the dots, she faces more danger than she thought possible. Who is it that doesn't want her looking into the past? And why?
As this story takes place in New Zealand, I found some of the sentence structures confusing, as well as some of the local vernacular. This led to some uneven reading for me.
I liked Blakes and her female partner. I thought they worked well together. They were very well defined. Lots of twists and turns to follow, which totally enriched the story.
This is not the first book I've read by Katherine Hayton, and it certainly won't be the last.
Many thanks to the author / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Magdalene Lynton died 40 years ago. Paul Worthington, with a diagnosis of terminal cancer, walks into the local law enforcement building and confesses to raping and then strangling Magdalene, then tossing her body into the river. But did he?
Detective Ngaire Blakes investigates and what she finds is not consistent with Worthington's account of what really happened. The official version says Magdalene Lynton drowned and choked to death in a slurry tank and her bloated body was found three days later.
As Blakes tries to follow the dots, she faces more danger than she thought possible. Who is it that doesn't want her looking into the past? And why?
As this story takes place in New Zealand, I found some of the sentence structures confusing, as well as some of the local vernacular. This led to some uneven reading for me.
I liked Blakes and her female partner. I thought they worked well together. They were very well defined. Lots of twists and turns to follow, which totally enriched the story.
This is not the first book I've read by Katherine Hayton, and it certainly won't be the last.
Many thanks to the author / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
May 12, 2017
This book was read for my Reading Challenge Around the World in 80+ Books
The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton by Katherine Hayton was a quick book that I read in less than 24 hours. But I’m not sure if that’s a compliment. The mystery was interesting enough, and the characters were OK. But I just found it lacking overall. It was set in the New Zealand city of Christchurch, and other than the author mentioning it, I really couldn’t tell where this book was set. It was pretty generic. The story itself held my attention, and I definitely kept reading for resolution. Detective Ngaire Blakes is investigating a cold case, a really cold case, a 40 year murder of a teen girl. Even though someone has confessed to this long unsolved crime, something just doesn’t add up for Detective Blakes. The deeper she goes, the more the story unravels, and it appears there’s still someone alive who doesn’t want the truth to come out. It’s a good beach or vacation read, which is exactly where I read it. It’s just wasn’t a favorite.
The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton by Katherine Hayton was a quick book that I read in less than 24 hours. But I’m not sure if that’s a compliment. The mystery was interesting enough, and the characters were OK. But I just found it lacking overall. It was set in the New Zealand city of Christchurch, and other than the author mentioning it, I really couldn’t tell where this book was set. It was pretty generic. The story itself held my attention, and I definitely kept reading for resolution. Detective Ngaire Blakes is investigating a cold case, a really cold case, a 40 year murder of a teen girl. Even though someone has confessed to this long unsolved crime, something just doesn’t add up for Detective Blakes. The deeper she goes, the more the story unravels, and it appears there’s still someone alive who doesn’t want the truth to come out. It’s a good beach or vacation read, which is exactly where I read it. It’s just wasn’t a favorite.
May 3, 2016
I got a free copy of The Three Deaths Of Magdalene Lynton after nominating it on Kindle Scout, and was eager to get reading it.
It is a Police mystery book set in New Zealand and focusing on Detective Constable Ngaire Blakes who gets thrown back in to an old case when a dying man walks in to her station and confesses to murder. The murder in question was that of Magdalene Lynton 40 years ago, which had been recorded as an accidental death. Now Ngaire Blakes has to find out if the dying man Paul Worthington really is telling the truth and Magdalene's death wasn't as accidental as once thought. But not everyone seems so happy for the truth to be revealed, leaving an already vulnerable Ngaire in a dangerous position.
I really enjoyed the twists and turns in the story, which kept me on my toes right till the end. I thought that the different stories around the murder told by the different characters were well thought out, with each story giving us a bit more detail to help us piece together Magdalene's death. From what I can gather I think this may be the first book in a series and I would be happy with that if that was the case, as I feel although this book made a good start on the character development there is a lot more room for Ngaire especially to develop. With hopefully even more time and information given to us about her past and the attack that put her in such a vulnerable state in this book.
Overall I am glad I nominated the book and got a chance to find this authors work, I'll be looking out for some of her other stories now too.
It is a Police mystery book set in New Zealand and focusing on Detective Constable Ngaire Blakes who gets thrown back in to an old case when a dying man walks in to her station and confesses to murder. The murder in question was that of Magdalene Lynton 40 years ago, which had been recorded as an accidental death. Now Ngaire Blakes has to find out if the dying man Paul Worthington really is telling the truth and Magdalene's death wasn't as accidental as once thought. But not everyone seems so happy for the truth to be revealed, leaving an already vulnerable Ngaire in a dangerous position.
I really enjoyed the twists and turns in the story, which kept me on my toes right till the end. I thought that the different stories around the murder told by the different characters were well thought out, with each story giving us a bit more detail to help us piece together Magdalene's death. From what I can gather I think this may be the first book in a series and I would be happy with that if that was the case, as I feel although this book made a good start on the character development there is a lot more room for Ngaire especially to develop. With hopefully even more time and information given to us about her past and the attack that put her in such a vulnerable state in this book.
Overall I am glad I nominated the book and got a chance to find this authors work, I'll be looking out for some of her other stories now too.
September 10, 2018
I downloaded this ebook when the author offered it as a free promotion on Bookbub. I'm very glad I did. I was initially drawn in by the New Zealand setting and mention of the main character's Maori heritage. My only disappointment was that neither of these were significant to the story-- the tale could have played out in New Jersey and it would have made no difference. Despite this, this novel kept me turning the pages. On the bright side, the characters in this mystery were engaging and well-written. Ngaire was simultaneously vulnerable and brave, a detective who was suffering the after effects of a violent encounter. Reporter Finlay was an undemanding yet supportive unconventional love interest. I very much enjoyed how their growing relationship played out and that the author created an unusual but believable budding romance. The mystery kept me guessing until the end, but there were sufficient bread crumbs along the way to create a satisfying ending.
August 13, 2018
Well written but very bleak
The writing style and the storyline of the book deserve five stars. That’s the positive.
I don’t usually focus on the negative but I really had to remove one star for each of the following:
1. The overall bleakness with absolutely no humorous moments to lighten the mood, despite the presence of a promising male sidekick and an interesting female police partner
2. A main character that is hard to relate to, given that she barely escapes death twice but never learns from her mistakes and time and again goes out to dangerous locations half cocked and without protection.
I won’t be reading other books in this series, as it is just too bleak for me. The book really needs some comic relief to help keep morale high, even if the subject is intense.
The writing style and the storyline of the book deserve five stars. That’s the positive.
I don’t usually focus on the negative but I really had to remove one star for each of the following:
1. The overall bleakness with absolutely no humorous moments to lighten the mood, despite the presence of a promising male sidekick and an interesting female police partner
2. A main character that is hard to relate to, given that she barely escapes death twice but never learns from her mistakes and time and again goes out to dangerous locations half cocked and without protection.
I won’t be reading other books in this series, as it is just too bleak for me. The book really needs some comic relief to help keep morale high, even if the subject is intense.
April 30, 2016
I've had a great time reading this original investigation. The plot is well-built, and the balance is perfect between action, new elements, revelation from the past... The readers are given enough hints to draft their own theories as they go along.
The author's writing is excellent. I particularly like the way she distils everyday life details throughout the novel. The text is very visual without being too descriptive. When they are well chosen, few words are enough to convey an atmosphere. The characters have strong personalities, and Ngaire is a very humane detective, which gives strength to the story.
A very good detective novel, off the beaten tracks.
The author's writing is excellent. I particularly like the way she distils everyday life details throughout the novel. The text is very visual without being too descriptive. When they are well chosen, few words are enough to convey an atmosphere. The characters have strong personalities, and Ngaire is a very humane detective, which gives strength to the story.
A very good detective novel, off the beaten tracks.
May 23, 2018
Page turner
I read this book in one day. It does involve a cult but it's not heavy into that. What I most enjoyed was the characters. Everyone is not who they seem. And as the story progresses with its twists and turns, they do surprise you. It's actually a 3.5 story if I could. The main character interested me and at the same time had her own issues that didn't add to the story. A little dramatic and basically a by line. I did like this book enough that I would read another by the author. However, I would hope Nagaire Blakes is all better in the next book.
I read this book in one day. It does involve a cult but it's not heavy into that. What I most enjoyed was the characters. Everyone is not who they seem. And as the story progresses with its twists and turns, they do surprise you. It's actually a 3.5 story if I could. The main character interested me and at the same time had her own issues that didn't add to the story. A little dramatic and basically a by line. I did like this book enough that I would read another by the author. However, I would hope Nagaire Blakes is all better in the next book.
July 6, 2023
What I liked about this story was how realistic and practical it was. There was thrill and mystery and all the loose threads tie up together in the end (in an interesting fashion) so I had a good time reading this. At times I did feel like a few too many plot elements were unnecessary so it felt a little convoluted. Also, there are a few disturbing events and I have a low tolerance for this but I liked the story overall - a nice afternoon read.
May 10, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. The author did an excellent job of creating an eventful story that had many intricate twists to keep me guessing
July 6, 2018
A less than hard to put down read, decent plot, little set description.
February 19, 2019
This was an interesting book. It was well written.
September 14, 2016
My copy of this book was kindly sent to me by the author, Katherine Hayton, in return for an honest review.
The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton is the second book I read by indie author Katherine Hayton. The first one was Skeletal, which is described as a ‘supernatural thriller’, and relates the story of the murder of a teenage girl who is bullied at school and slowly descends into madness. I think I gave Katherine 3 stars for Skeletal, inasmuch as I’d love to have seen the protagonist’s mental illness differently explored. The title however stayed in my mind, as did Katherine’s name as an author of promise. So much so that, when Katherine asked for readers for her new novel, I did not hesitate. I knew it would be a crime thriller, and I knew Katherine would not disappoint my expectations. And she didn’t.
This new book of hers, The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton, tells exactly the story of its title. There is a teenage girl, Magdalene Lynton, who lives in a religious commune with rather strict rules. Like all teenagers I have ever known, this girl rebels. And then she gets killed.
Forty years on, a man on the verge of death walks into a police station, identifies himself and confesses to the murder of Magdalene Lynton. He is interviewed by Ngaire Blakes, a policewoman who had been through a stabbing incident and who now carries her own shadows and fears and anxieties, and her partner and friend Debra Weedon.
Instinct tells Ngaire there is something to the man’s story, and she digs up the cold case file. And that is when she discovers that the man’s confession of the crime does not fit the evidence collected forty years previously.
So how did Magdalene die? Was she strangled during rape and her body dumped in the local river, like Paul Worthington confessed to? Did she drown in the sludge pool at the commune’s farm, like the coroner’s report stated? Why was she drenched and bloodied when she came to Worthington’s barn? Was she really pregnant? And who by? Was it by this boyfriend that keeps being mentioned, or is the truth too sinister to contemplate? Did he really kill her, as he has been blaming himself his whole life for doing? And what was her real name, Magdalene or Claire, as she insisted people called her? Who is this boy that keeps popping up as Magdalene’s only friend at the commune, and her sidecar lift to school? Why does everyone who lived at the commune when Magdalene died seem to remember events in exactly the same way? And why do they seem to be concealing more than what they are revealing?
Thread by thread, and with the help of Ngaire’s school friend Finlay Ewan, a journalist who had researched the death through his interest in 1970s religious cults, Ngaire and Deb put together a full picture of a girl at odds with her family and environment, creative and talented and full of life, who left a vivid, loving, admiring memory in the people who knew her.
And thread by thread Ngaire, at the risk of her own life as she is savagely beaten and thrown into the sludge pool to die, reconstitutes the last days of the girl’s life, and the events that led to her death. In the process, Ngaire is confronted with the fears that had haunted her since her stabbing, and her own insecurities as a policewoman.
The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton is a lovely book, a light psychological thriller that is captivating and entertaining throughout. It is a story where nothing is what it seems to be, and where we’re confronted with the gap between what people are, what they think of themselves, and what they are seen to be. There’s a cold blood, disturbed killer called Worthington when there’s nothing worthy about him, and who appears to be an honourable man finally doing the right thing before death takes him; a ‘cop’ who seems to be cowardly and dishonourable but who in the end is just another damaged soul, going through life the best she can and doing a good job of it. And there’s a version of events and people that appears to be carefully hewn in order to mislead Ngaire’s investigation — or was it just the disturbed near deathbed rant of a man no longer in full possession of his mind?
And what exactly is the relationship between Ngaire and Finlay?
Katherine leaves us plenty of threads for us to speculate on what can be going on, and to try and reconstitute our own chain of events. Some are little clues to what is really happening, as for instance when Isaiah tells Ngaire and Deb that ‘[Magdalene] belonged to [Abe]’. Some are just misdirections, in this hall of mirrors of a crime story. She also has quite a turn with words, with absolute genius moments like the one regarding eye teeth and lawyers.
Throughout, we’re permanently told not to take anything at face value. It’s just that we’re not listening: we’re too busy following the clues and speculating, and we take things at face value at our own peril, just like Ngaire. It is so much so that when the end comes, it comes with something so unexpected that we’re thrown back, almost as if caught off our feet; and we hang in there, in the story and outside it, thinking how it is at the same time so absolutely terrible, and such a loving and the most natural thing to happen.
I can think of many ways in which the characters and the plot could have been differently carved and exploited, making this a grittier, darker thriller. But then it would be a completely different kettle of fish, and it would not be Katherine Hayton, this distinctiveness of her narrative voice and subtlety lost.
And let’s just put it this way: I don’t think I will ever see eye teeth quite in the same light. Ever. Again.
The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton is the second book I read by indie author Katherine Hayton. The first one was Skeletal, which is described as a ‘supernatural thriller’, and relates the story of the murder of a teenage girl who is bullied at school and slowly descends into madness. I think I gave Katherine 3 stars for Skeletal, inasmuch as I’d love to have seen the protagonist’s mental illness differently explored. The title however stayed in my mind, as did Katherine’s name as an author of promise. So much so that, when Katherine asked for readers for her new novel, I did not hesitate. I knew it would be a crime thriller, and I knew Katherine would not disappoint my expectations. And she didn’t.
This new book of hers, The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton, tells exactly the story of its title. There is a teenage girl, Magdalene Lynton, who lives in a religious commune with rather strict rules. Like all teenagers I have ever known, this girl rebels. And then she gets killed.
Forty years on, a man on the verge of death walks into a police station, identifies himself and confesses to the murder of Magdalene Lynton. He is interviewed by Ngaire Blakes, a policewoman who had been through a stabbing incident and who now carries her own shadows and fears and anxieties, and her partner and friend Debra Weedon.
Instinct tells Ngaire there is something to the man’s story, and she digs up the cold case file. And that is when she discovers that the man’s confession of the crime does not fit the evidence collected forty years previously.
So how did Magdalene die? Was she strangled during rape and her body dumped in the local river, like Paul Worthington confessed to? Did she drown in the sludge pool at the commune’s farm, like the coroner’s report stated? Why was she drenched and bloodied when she came to Worthington’s barn? Was she really pregnant? And who by? Was it by this boyfriend that keeps being mentioned, or is the truth too sinister to contemplate? Did he really kill her, as he has been blaming himself his whole life for doing? And what was her real name, Magdalene or Claire, as she insisted people called her? Who is this boy that keeps popping up as Magdalene’s only friend at the commune, and her sidecar lift to school? Why does everyone who lived at the commune when Magdalene died seem to remember events in exactly the same way? And why do they seem to be concealing more than what they are revealing?
Thread by thread, and with the help of Ngaire’s school friend Finlay Ewan, a journalist who had researched the death through his interest in 1970s religious cults, Ngaire and Deb put together a full picture of a girl at odds with her family and environment, creative and talented and full of life, who left a vivid, loving, admiring memory in the people who knew her.
And thread by thread Ngaire, at the risk of her own life as she is savagely beaten and thrown into the sludge pool to die, reconstitutes the last days of the girl’s life, and the events that led to her death. In the process, Ngaire is confronted with the fears that had haunted her since her stabbing, and her own insecurities as a policewoman.
The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton is a lovely book, a light psychological thriller that is captivating and entertaining throughout. It is a story where nothing is what it seems to be, and where we’re confronted with the gap between what people are, what they think of themselves, and what they are seen to be. There’s a cold blood, disturbed killer called Worthington when there’s nothing worthy about him, and who appears to be an honourable man finally doing the right thing before death takes him; a ‘cop’ who seems to be cowardly and dishonourable but who in the end is just another damaged soul, going through life the best she can and doing a good job of it. And there’s a version of events and people that appears to be carefully hewn in order to mislead Ngaire’s investigation — or was it just the disturbed near deathbed rant of a man no longer in full possession of his mind?
And what exactly is the relationship between Ngaire and Finlay?
Katherine leaves us plenty of threads for us to speculate on what can be going on, and to try and reconstitute our own chain of events. Some are little clues to what is really happening, as for instance when Isaiah tells Ngaire and Deb that ‘[Magdalene] belonged to [Abe]’. Some are just misdirections, in this hall of mirrors of a crime story. She also has quite a turn with words, with absolute genius moments like the one regarding eye teeth and lawyers.
Throughout, we’re permanently told not to take anything at face value. It’s just that we’re not listening: we’re too busy following the clues and speculating, and we take things at face value at our own peril, just like Ngaire. It is so much so that when the end comes, it comes with something so unexpected that we’re thrown back, almost as if caught off our feet; and we hang in there, in the story and outside it, thinking how it is at the same time so absolutely terrible, and such a loving and the most natural thing to happen.
I can think of many ways in which the characters and the plot could have been differently carved and exploited, making this a grittier, darker thriller. But then it would be a completely different kettle of fish, and it would not be Katherine Hayton, this distinctiveness of her narrative voice and subtlety lost.
And let’s just put it this way: I don’t think I will ever see eye teeth quite in the same light. Ever. Again.
June 15, 2021
This New Zealand author was new to me, although now looking on Goodreads it seems she has written heaps of books - several crime or mystery series - mostly e-books so no wonder I hadn't come across them.
The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton is set in and around Christchurch. I didn't really get much of a sense of it as a specific location in this novel, although I know fairly well. The story drew me in from the start - a 50-something man dying of cancer shuffles in to the cop shop to confess to a murder committed when he was a teenager. But did he in fact commit it? There are plenty of twists, turns and platters spinning in the well-thought-out plot, and the story belts along at a great pace.
However a few things didn't quite gel. One was that the reader is told that the main character, detective Ngaire Blakes, is Māori, but there's only a couple of things that back this up: her appearance, and her bristling at the term "you people" (then she realises the person speaking means "you people - the police" not "you people - Māori"). Other than this, there's no sense of her identity as Māori, her culture, family, friendships, reactions of (and interactions with) others etc. In fact I wanted more insight and depth to Ngaire's character overall.
The rural religious cult/community was potentially a rich mine for the plot, characters and motives, and I felt much more could have been made of this, certainly from earlier on in the book.
A minor thing that bugged me was the US spellings in a book set in Aotearoa - and the odd mistake like a plant being described that sounded like convolvulus, but was named old man's beard - but an editor like me is bound to be hypersensitive to these things! Overall a readable novel with a satisfying end.
The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton is set in and around Christchurch. I didn't really get much of a sense of it as a specific location in this novel, although I know fairly well. The story drew me in from the start - a 50-something man dying of cancer shuffles in to the cop shop to confess to a murder committed when he was a teenager. But did he in fact commit it? There are plenty of twists, turns and platters spinning in the well-thought-out plot, and the story belts along at a great pace.
However a few things didn't quite gel. One was that the reader is told that the main character, detective Ngaire Blakes, is Māori, but there's only a couple of things that back this up: her appearance, and her bristling at the term "you people" (then she realises the person speaking means "you people - the police" not "you people - Māori"). Other than this, there's no sense of her identity as Māori, her culture, family, friendships, reactions of (and interactions with) others etc. In fact I wanted more insight and depth to Ngaire's character overall.
The rural religious cult/community was potentially a rich mine for the plot, characters and motives, and I felt much more could have been made of this, certainly from earlier on in the book.
A minor thing that bugged me was the US spellings in a book set in Aotearoa - and the odd mistake like a plant being described that sounded like convolvulus, but was named old man's beard - but an editor like me is bound to be hypersensitive to these things! Overall a readable novel with a satisfying end.
June 26, 2018
I read a preview of this whodunit in the Kindle Scout program a couple of years ago and thought it among the most promising of that crop of Scout books, and when I settled in for a light read this summer, I soon found that Katherine Hayton fulfills expectations with a bit extra. The story opens with a dying cancer victim turning himself in to the police for a 40yo murder, but of course the story must develop beyond that point. What is really delightful is Hayton's facility with character development. Ngaire Blakes is a complex character even in a lighthearted presentation of New Zealand police procedural, and Hayton hooks us with questions that may well be answered in future books in the series. All the characters are interestingly compelling--Finlay and Blakes especially--though "Billy" could use some more work for a consistently satisfying presentation.
August 12, 2017
Ngaire (Ny-ree) Blakes is Maori and a detective in the modern day Christchurch, New Zealand police department. I couldn't quite give it four stars because at midpoint I felt like throwing in the towel. I'm glad I stuck it out because we finally began to understand why Ngaire was such an ineffectual detective, making one bad decision after another. I just can't understand or sympathize with a cop that doesn't wait for back up, especially when there is nothing imminent to warrant haste. It's just stupid or glory hunting, neither of which makes a protagonist likeable or respectable. I'll chalk it up to her revealed issues and hope that it's not prevalent in the next book of the series.
August 26, 2018
Unique
I do not put spoilers in my reviews. I love to read about detectives and police in other parts of the world. I have a keen interest in Irish detectives. I didn't remember reading anything from down under, either in New Zealand or Australia.. (With the exception of "The Man From Snowy River"). So reading this book was an experiment. It was successful because this novel in unique and so interesting. I really like Ngaire as well as Deb and Finley. I hope to read more about them in the future. I highly recommend this book.
I do not put spoilers in my reviews. I love to read about detectives and police in other parts of the world. I have a keen interest in Irish detectives. I didn't remember reading anything from down under, either in New Zealand or Australia.. (With the exception of "The Man From Snowy River"). So reading this book was an experiment. It was successful because this novel in unique and so interesting. I really like Ngaire as well as Deb and Finley. I hope to read more about them in the future. I highly recommend this book.
March 1, 2019
Will read the rest of the series at some point. On the plus side, the plot twists were clever and the main characters were likable. (I especially liked the relationship between Finlay and Ngaire.) But as someone who has lived in Christchurch, NZ and elsewhere on the South Island, I was disappointed in that I got no sense of place from the story whatsoever (apart from the protagonist's first name). It could just as easily have been happening in the UK or even here in the U.S. But I still enjoyed it, once the story got going.
May 25, 2018
I guess the title should have warned me of the rambling nature of this story. At times I was as confused as Detective Blakes was and I'm still not sure who or how many people actually were involved in the murder of Magdalene Lynton and/or the attempted murder of Ngaire Blakes. Nevertheless, it's a page turner and I could only put it down when I fell asleep reading it and could no longer force my eyelids up for a few more pages! I highly recommend Ms. Hayton's writing!
August 23, 2018
The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton is a unique take on the solution to a cold case. A daring police officer with a rebellious nature determines to find the truth to an odd murder. The death of a young girl, who was a member of a religious cult, is a tangle of suspects, motives, and would-be murderers.
This was my first time to read anything by Magdalene Lynton, and I am eager to read more of her work.
This was my first time to read anything by Magdalene Lynton, and I am eager to read more of her work.
August 24, 2018
Great Story
I thought the story was very interesting, and the characters had depth. I really wanted to give this book 5 Stars but at times I felt the flow of the story was a bit off. Even half way through the book I had to re-read passages because I thought I had missed something important. I attributed the disjointed writing to this author's particular style and I'm pleased to say I did not give up on the book as a whole. Well worth the read!
I thought the story was very interesting, and the characters had depth. I really wanted to give this book 5 Stars but at times I felt the flow of the story was a bit off. Even half way through the book I had to re-read passages because I thought I had missed something important. I attributed the disjointed writing to this author's particular style and I'm pleased to say I did not give up on the book as a whole. Well worth the read!
September 1, 2018
Great story.......well stories
I really enjoyed this book. I have not read a book set in New Zealand before; I'm think I would have liked a bit more background on people and customs, but it was good anyway. It was amazingly well plotted to say there were four of five threads of stories on the go, it did not get overwhelming, good work!!
I really enjoyed this book. I have not read a book set in New Zealand before; I'm think I would have liked a bit more background on people and customs, but it was good anyway. It was amazingly well plotted to say there were four of five threads of stories on the go, it did not get overwhelming, good work!!
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