A Crowded Coffin

Harriet Quigley Mysteries #2

by Nicola Slade

It is late summer in Hampshirem and former headmistress, Harriet Quigley, is enjoying life. Her cousin Sam is moving next door and the only cloud on the horizon is village gossip about a man who disappeared months earlier, and a more recent near-fatal accident. Suddenly it's all going pear-shaped - and sensible, practical Harriet has only herself to blame. Sam has warned her not to play at being Miss Marple but despite her cousin's strictures Harriet is suspicious about several newcomers and she's been asking discreet questions. There's an enigmatic artist, a good-looking vicar, a handsome Texan, a millionaire orchid-fancier, and Elvis, the plumber. To cap it all someone's seen the family ghost and only her young cousin Edith takes Harriet's anxieties seriously. With a sudden death in Winchester Cathedral, a treasure hunt that attracts unwelcome attentions, and history that looms uncomfortably close, Harriet finds herself trapped somewhere very nasty - and she's not alone.

Genres: Mystery

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second of the Harriet Quigley Mysteries which is shaping up to be an excellent series. I know there is one more book after this one and I hope more will follow.

The main character is a strong personality who is well-liked and respected in her local area. The relationship between her and her cousin is central to the books, as is her character, and it's refreshing to have two more mature characters who others trust and look to for guidance as the main focus of the books, rather than being seen as elderly and therefore dismissed as not relevant.

The title is a clever one which you don't fully appreciate until after you finish the book.

[GeraniumCat · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read Nicola Slade's first book in this series, Murder Fortissimo, I decided that I thoroughly approved of retired headmistress Harriet Quigley's cautious approach to investigation; hmm, perhaps that was her convalescent status in the first book, because here she's a good deal more gung-ho. Okay, she always convinces herself there's a good reason not to wait but, like her cousin Sam, I keep wanting to tell her to be more careful! And that a young artist who's recovering from a long period of privation ought to be tucked up in bed at night, and not recruited to go hunting criminals in the dark with women who ought to know better! Maybe Sam is right and Harriet is just a bit too keen on becoming the Miss Marple of Locksley.

Events here are very much focused on Harriet and her family. Sam is moving in next door, something they both anticipate with pleasure. Meanwhile another cousin, Walter Attlin, has had a accident in which he was knocked down by a car. His grand-daughter Edith comes rushing home from the States where she's been working for several years, full of concern and determined to stay and look after her grandparents. She finds Walter's making a good recovery, except for insisting that someone did it on purpose. There are new people sharing her family home now, too: Karen the housekeeper and her Polish husband, and Rory Attlin, an artist who seems to be a hitherto unheard-of relation.

Edith and Harriet are both very concerned about the apparent attack on Walter, although he now refuses to say any more about it. Harriet is also curious about a young archivist who disappeared after visiting the local pub, and then there are the figures spotted moving around after dark near the Attlins' farm. There are newcomers to the village too -- could one of them be responsible for Walter's "accident"? There do seem to be a number of suspiciously dented cars around...

Not listed in the Dramatis Personae at the start of A Crowded Coffin is the Attlin family's farmhouse, although you feel it should be there; once known as the Angel House, Locksley Farm Place dates back centuries, perhaps to a Roman villa on the same site. The author conveys the sense of the house's age and antiquity seamlessly, as Rory learns its history and explores its nooks and crannies, and the reader is left with an impression of great solidity and warmth which permeates the whole book, transforming it from just another murder-mystery into an intimate experience. Harriet Quigley is rapidly joining Sheila Malory as an old-friend-of-the-family who just happens to get involved in mysteries, and I look forward to hearing about her further exploits!

[Damaskcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walter Attlin – a distant relative of Harriet Quigley’s – is knocked into a ditch by a car which doesn’t stop. Fortunately he is rescued and treated in hospital for minor injuries. But what did he see in the Burial Field which had attracted his attention just before the accident?

Harriet is puzzled and not a little disturbed by what she feels is not an accident. Edith – Walter’s granddaughter – has returned home to find a lodger staying with her grandparents. She feels a little suspicious about him bit isn’t sure why. Then there’s the vicar who seems to have an unhealthy interest in Roman remains and an American who may or may not be prospecting for oil.

Before all mysteries are solved and a missing person located, Harriet Quigley, retired headmistress and her beloved cousin Sam Hathaway, will find themselves in danger. Can they find out what is going on and expose the villains before time runs out for everyone? This interesting and well written mystery has an interesting background of history and archaeology. The ending is tense and exciting and it is far from clear for quite a while whether the mystery will be solved.

This is the second book featuring Harriet Quigley and I shall be interested to read future books in the series. If you enjoy the cosy crime/mystery genre then you will enjoy this book.

[Paula R C R. C. Readman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-paced, easy to read book with wonderful characters. I love Nicola's character, the sensible and practical Harriet Quigley. She's the sort of person you would want as a best friend as there's never a dull moment.

The settings for 'A Crowded Coffin' are well drawn and helps to bring the story alive as the plot unfolds. Starting with the disappearance of a man, which sets tongues wagging in the village to the near-fatal accident involving a cousin of Harriet, from the first page you are up and running.

I look forward to reading the next book.