The Room of the Dead

Betty Church Mystery #2

by M.R.C. Kasasian

"December, 1939

Having solved the case of the Suffolk Vampire, Inspector Betty Church and her colleagues at Sackwater Police Station have settled back down to business. There's the elderly Mr Fern who keeps losing his slippers, Sylvia Satin's thirteenth birthday party to attend and the scintillating case of the missing bookmark to solve.

Though peace and quiet are all well and good, Betty soon finds herself longing for some cold-blooded murder.

When a bomb is dropped on a residential street, both peace and quiet are broken and it seems the war has finally reached Sackwater. But Betty cannot stop the Hun, however hard she tries. So when the body of one of the bomb victims is found stretched out like an angel on Sackwater's beach, Betty concentrates on finding the enemy much closer to home...

"

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Historical Mystery, Crime, Detective, British Literature

432 pages, Hardcover

Published July 11, 2019

About the author

Martin Kasasian was raised in Lancashire. He has had careers as varied as factory hand, wine waiter, veterinary assistant, fairground worker and dentist. He lives with his wife in Suffolk in the summer and in a village in Malta in the winter.

Reviews

[Shelly Lincoln · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this better than the first in the series - the characters do grow on you. And the whodunit was well crafted. Happily March Middleton makes an appearance, adding to the eccentric and unconventional cast.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Head of Zeus for an advance copy of The Room of the Dead, the second novel set in wartime Suffolk to feature DI Betty Church.

After the Suffolk Vampire it’s all quiet in Sackwater and Betty is getting bored but a bomb, then a dead body on the beach, then several missing people put paid to the boredom.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Room of the Dead which is a wry take on wartime life in a small town that made me laugh. As an added bonus it has a good mystery with a most unusual solution. The novel is told exclusively from Betty Church’s first person point of view and it suits both the plot and her character as it allows the reader great insight into the way her mind works and maintains the suspense of whodunnit, why and how. It was great fun trying to guess these elements but the author keeps a tight hold of his cards and I was clueless until the reveal.

Betty Church is an inspired creation being very much of her times. She is doubly handicapped being a woman and only having one arm so the point is that without the war she wouldn’t be a police inspector. The police in Sackwater would be lost without her, however, as she seems to be the only one with a modicum of capability. She runs a tight ship and the men seem in awe, if not frightened of her. Having said that the bar is not very high. It is fun to read about her efforts to manage her woefully incompetent staff and try to imagine how much fun the author had trying to dream up ever increasing levels of stupidity for them.

The Room of the Dead is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Room of the Dead is the second in the author’s Betty Church Mystery series. True to form, I’m reading the series out of order, having read the first and third books – Betty Church And The Suffolk Vampire and The Ghost Tree – before this one. However, at least I can reassure readers new to the series that The Room of the Dead works perfectly well as a standalone. There are brief references to events in the first book, but nothing that would spoil your enjoyment of this one.

The book sees the return of the mostly hapless collection of individuals who constitute the Sackwater police force: Constable ‘Dodo’ Chivers (as barmy as her name suggests), Constable Box, Constable Bank-Anthony (‘Bantony’), Constable Rivers, identical twins Constables Lysander and Algernon Grinder-Snipes, Sergeant Briggs (‘Brigsy’) and the perpetual thorn in Betty’s side, Inspector Sharkey (referred to as ‘Old Scrapie’, although not within his hearing).

You’ll have deduced by now that the author has a penchant for giving his characters unusual names such as Simnal Cranditch and Garrison Orchard. And if you’ve read any of the author’s other books you’ll be prepared for the frequent puns, wordplay and quirky chapter titles. As a John Buchan fan, my favourite was ‘The Twenty-Nine Steps’, although where the other ten went I’ve no idea!

When it comes to solving cases, once again Betty demonstrates she has more brains in her little finger than all of her officers put together. And she’s going to need all that brain power as the investigation gets increasingly complex.  Fans of the author’s Gower Street Detective series, will be pleased to see March Middleton, Betty’s godmother, turn up to lend a hand and demonstrate the miraculous powers of observation and deduction she learned from the Gower Street detective himself, Sidney Grice.  I love Betty as a character and was delighted at – hold the front page – a hint of romance in the air… or among the sand dunes to be more precise.

The Room of the Dead is engagingly silly at times and some readers may tire of the frequent fun poked at the Suffolk accent, but it’s entertaining nonetheless and the solution to the mystery turns out to be slightly darker than you may have expected.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspector Betty Church has a lot on her hands -- well one hand -- in The Room of the Dead, the second in this WWII police series. There's a little girl that's lost her family in a Nazi bombing, a stabbed vicar, a dead man on the beach, a missing couple, and eventually, a missing child. In between she's got to keep her misfit group of constables, mostly missing superintendent and surly fellow inspector (who's very unhappy that she's his boss) in line and on the job as best she can. She does this with a steely sense of purpose and the best series of one-liners you will ever find in a murder mystery. Shall I give you an example? I shall:

Betty and her constable, Dodo (one that is constantly in need of correction) are walking along the promenade. They pass an old woman. Dodo asks Betty if she notices something about her.

"Several things," I replied warily, because senior officers cannot admit to being less observant than their juniors. It would be like the pope saying Correct me if I'm wrong. What did you notice?"

"She was very old," Dodo told me with great satisfaction.

And then there's her love life, and she has to deal with that, too. Betty's got a lot to deal with, in fact. Including one of the most amazing "end of the story" settings you'll come across in a very long time, one that comes about because war is a horrible thing and does terrible things to people.

I truly enjoyed reading this book, and I think you will, too.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed The Room of the Dead - book 2 in the Betty Church series.
It's a great series, with quirky characters, plenty of humour, and clever plot twists.
I found this book a bit darker than the first, and there's a creepy plot twist that'll keep you on the edge of your seat.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I did not care for Kasasian's earlier series--and a character from those books makes an appearance here, as well--I really liked this. Betty Church is back as a police inspector in her dingy hometown, with her rather horrible parents and a bunch of fairly incompetent police officers in her charge. Her supposed fiance is off at war, while she lives on a house boat with his father. There's not much crime in little Sackwater, but there seem to be some strange disappearances, like the elderly married couple who leave their house one day and never come back. The verdict on the vicar's death is that it's a strange accident, but Betty isn't quite so sure. Then a five-year-old boy disappears, too, and Betty is determined to find him. She also finds a truly chilling murderer, but she may not live long enough to prevent still more deaths. But there's a lot of humor in this one, too. I look forward to reading the others in this series.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second book in the series sees Inspector Betty Church investigate a series of strange disappearances and the odd dead body which begin to crop up. Sackwater is usually a boring place but in December 1939, these occurrences and the backdrop of WWII mean that life is anything but quiet for Betty and her colleagues.

If you can get past the colloquialisms and strange manner of talking from some of the characters, it was actually a rather good story. From about halfway through the book, Constable 'Dodo' Chivers is thankfully convinced to drop the baby talk which makes her a little more bearable - even Inspector Sharkey may turn out to be human after all. There is some gentle humour and a little romance for Betty as well. I award this an improving 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4)

[Ann Dewar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like the March Middleton books, the Betty Church series relies on a combination of (generally) murder plot, dark humour and strong characterisation.

The author sucks you into the silliness of what Shakespeare critics would have termed ‘the mechanicals’ - the twins and Dodo - so that the impact of the dramatic events are heightened.

There are lots of emotional moments as well as lots of wry smiles along the way. I’m still not sure how I would classify M.R.C Kasian’s books but once you get used to the rhythm of them, they are fantastic.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was heaps better than the first Betty Church mystery, The Suffolk Vampire. The annoying characters were a lot less so or got satisfyingly told off and the mysteries were much juicier and more believable, if less palatable.

I absolutely adore Emma Gregory as a narrator. She does all the voices so well, even the male ones.

[H. Daley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Odd!

[Kathryn Malkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love this series of books. I love the sarcasm and dry humour. The cast of characters are a real mixed bag, some you love, some get on your nerves, and some you hate. The solution was a surprise I didn't see it coming at all. A solid 5 stars from me.

[Mark Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very decent murder mystery. Mercifully free of the juvenile language of previous books it is a great story, sees a great cameo from the previous series and has an unexpected and somewhat creepy twist. Really rather good

[Elaine Aldred · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the excitement of the Suffolk vampire, life in sleepy Sackwater has settled once again into its usual mundane monotony for Inspector Betty Church and her colleagues. The highlight of the day being trying to find lost slippers. But when a body is found on Sackwater’s beach and people begin to go missing, then life for Betty, like the war, begins to move on apace.

I was introduced to Betty Church through the audiobook of Betty Church and the Suffolk Vampire. This meant I was able to read this second book with Emma Gregory’s wonderful array of character voices in my head.

It is true the incompetence of Betty’s fellow police officers beggars belief. Indeed, the story does at times feel like quite a pantomime. But that’s the fun of this series and you need to approach the book with the frame of mind of pulling up a ration-free mug of tea and plate biscuits, then sit back to luxuriate in the well plotted story.

The way the characters were developed in the first book means that meeting them again is like meeting old friends who would disappoint you if they didn’t do what they do. Much in the same way you crave for Private Frazer in Dad’s Army to rumble “We’re all doomed” at least once an episode with impeccable timing. No matter how many times you watch the vintage BBC comedy and know what’s coming (yes I can speak the lines with the characters), there are still nuances of performance or set design to look forward to. There is very much a Dad’s Army feel about the Betty Church series and is why they should be enjoyed for the same reasons no matter how many times you read the books.

If you’re struck down, as I have been recently by summer flu, you need a comfort read to distract you while you cough and sniffle your way through your bedbound day. The Room of the Dead was as soothing as a hot toddy.

However, comedy will only work if the delivery is impeccable. The reason the two Betty Church novels work so well is the competence and quality of M R C Kasasian’s writing. It takes a very assured author to pull off pure slapstick and Kasasian is all that. One minute you’re chuckling at Betty’s rapier wit internal commentary, then your suddenly plunged into the stress of a potentially life-threatening situation. At times, the two can even occur concurrently.

It helps that the much put upon Betty arrived in the first novel pretty much fully formed and acts as the fulcrum for the whole show. The word indomitable does come to mind, but this is wonderfully offset by things never going quite right for the poor woman, yet she keeps going. It probably doesn’t help that Betty is living in the shadow of her godmother the truly indomitable March Middleton of The Gower Street detective series. But if you have read those you can see a very different March in the Betty Church series and understand, given her abrupt and intolerant guardian, the legendary detective Sidney Grice, how she developed into the woman consulted by heads of state. I have a feeling that come the 1960s Betty will be in the similar position.

I was also struck with the authentic feel of the time (which now is at the beginning of the war, before Dunkirk). I spent a great deal of time gleaning insights into this time from my grandparents and parents, all of which resonates with Betty’s world. There is a wonderful attention to detail which says Kasasian has done his homework.

As this series is set, for the moment in the second world war (think Foyles War), there is terrific room for manoeuvre and developing characters amongst some very well thought out murder mysteries.

The Room of the Dead was courtesy of Head of Zeus via NetGalley.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting.

I have to admit I was very puzzled by 'whodunnit' in this one up until the 'reveal', very good writing.

This book didn't grip me quite as much as the first one. I think that was a combination of me being a bit hit and miss with my listening and the book seeming to be a bit disjointed. However once I got into it more I did enjoy it and just to warn you it gets very dark very quickly.

Just one loose end I don't think was tied up, but hopefully that will be sorted out in the next book.

I will say this book has one of the best scenes ever written, all I'll say is it involves nun's. 🤣

[Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was better than the first one, the characters have settled in. There was much less 'all men are incompetent' or at least it wasn't underlined and all in caps... I don't remember quite as much dialect in the first one, it took a little getting used to. The story seemed to meander a bit and waffle on with unrelated crimes, which were eventually all tied up nicely and solved. Not without peril to our one armed heroine of course, nice to see the cover matching this time too...

[Amanda Pope · Rating 2 out of 5]

Betty is unfortunately just not a match for Sidney Grice. The plot is just as intriguing but the characters are basically annoying. I found this book a struggle whereas I thoroughly enjoyed the Gower Street books.

[Tripfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cosy crime set in WW2 SUFFOLK



This is no. 2 in the Betty Church Mystery series: no. 1 is Betty Church And The Suffolk Vampire, The Ghost Tree is No. 3 and this cosy crime works fine as a standalone.

This is the story of Suffolk folk and of the police officers based at Sackwater police station, where Betty Church is the star sleuth. Her colleagues have some strange names in the Dickensian tradition, which adds whimsy to this tale of backwater life. Crime is low and consists mainly of tracking down an AWOL pensioner and determining the whereabouts of a missing bookmark. A bomb, however, is dropped (WW2 has, until now, seemed a long way away but the war has clearly arrived on home turf) and then a man’s body is discovered on the beach, which gets Betty’s investigative juices flowing.

The novel meanders around the lives of the people based in this quaint, bucolic area, it is entertaining and engaging, with just a slice of darkness. The author has an easy-to-read writing style that carries the reader along, with nicely drawn characters populating the pages, all peppered with humour and good observation.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Betty Church and the Room of the Dead is an unusual crime story and a delight. Kasasian writes with a unique quirky humour, very clever plotting and a good mystery. The setting in the Second World War in Suffolk feels true to the time; the backdrop of the war and weather feel completely authentic. I particularly enjoyed the elements and scenes of life in the 40s and 50s. The description of the pipe smoker’s accoutrement is perfect - that was my father! Probably what I like best is the way the author develops his characters as he did with his previous series. Characters feel real real (even though a little bizarre at times) as they do not stand still and remain stuck in their behaviours. They grow and learn as we do ourselves.

So an excellent read that stays with you long afterwards.

Spoiler alert! Best scene: When Dodo explains why she talks the way she does and Betty tells her to stop. Oh a pricking of the eyes here.

#netgalley #BettyChurch #TheRoomoftheDead

[Kelly Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having read all of Kasasian's books including the first in this series, my expectations were high. He has had an enlightened ability to construct believable female narrative voices. This time, however, I felt Betty was portrayed as much more of a stereotype and terribly conventional which was disappointing.

And, I really don't know what it was about this instalment, but it really didn't engage me. It actually took me several weeks to complete, going back to it only after down time between other books. It still has the humour but not as much, Betty is still fighting the good fight but not as much, the sub-plots are interesting but not as much. So, I suppose that's it; it's just diminished, not as good, lacking.

[Charlotte Pawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second outing with Inspector Betty Church in Sackwater. The setting is the Second World War where the war has not quite reached Sackwater. There is very little crime until the first bomb dropped changing lives forever. The characters in Sackwater are so individual and original. They are definitely of their time period. The great humour comes from the special relationship Betty has with her police constables. All are special and would not be allowed in any other force. When the crimes become more complicated can these individuals shine.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of this mystery might be the most harrowing thing Kasasian has ever presented us with. And this is an author who regularly describes the destruction of eyes in graphic detail.

It's not quite an excellent mystery because it isn't solvable for Kasasian's detective, let alone the reader, but everything does make some degree of sense.

The discourse on feminism becomes more explicit in this book but I'm still not quite sure if it's a "I'm not like other girls" trait for Kasasian's heroines or if he's trying to portray that women aren't a monolith with a single opinion by showing all the female resistance to Betty Church.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with this series when I read the first instalment and was looking forward to reading the second one.
I had high expectations and can say that they were met.
I love to meet again the quirky cast of characters, I laughed and found the book engrossing and entertaining.
Now I look forward to reading the next book by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this series generally, though not as much as the Sidney Grice one. It was lovely to have a bigger appearance from March this time! I like Betty, most characters, and even Sharkey has grown on me slightly; but I absolutely cannot bear Dodo or the Grinder-Snipes. I presume they are meant to provide some comedic value but I just find them highly irritating and find myself reading faster just to get past their bits. If there is another book I will probably read it!

[Gaye Elder · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strangely wonderful book. I wish the first book in the series were available, and I will certainly read the next if there is one. The characters are remarkably eccentric, yet I wanted to know more from them and about them. Just when I think things are getting too silly to contend with, there's a plot twist that raises my curiosity to the degree that I must read on. I almost put the book aside more than once, but I'm very glad I didn't. This was a very good read.

[Karen (Living Unabridged) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unusually for a series, this second effort is better than its predecessor. The annoying supporting cast is minimized (though still annoying), the diverse threads and seemingly insignificant bits of the story are tied together, and best of all, Betty's horrible parents have very little to do with the plot. Kasasian has an ear for dialogue, a penchant for ridiculous names, and a good sense of what makes a twist unexpected. This particular tale is sad, and hopeful, and creepy all at once.

[Bea Byrne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Few issues:
I do not think the author has ever met a 5 or 8 year old. Which is a shame since they are a key part of the story.
The lead character forms opinions and changes her mind on the flimsiest basis.
The lead character, despite being a senior officer, flies off the handle and compromises her own morals at the first opportunity. She’s a ghastly woman.

[Cindy B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting enough, very long—12 hrs.? Narrator did OK (some voices very high pitched & grating). References to the Holy Bible-all negative. Main character “believes in God, then not, refers to wrong verses for context”. Plays Bible-verse roulette. Cannot recommend for Christians. Others may like it. 2-1/2 ⭐️⭐️🔆 for storyline.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable. The humour is still deftly handled and the characters are getting more solid. I have a major issue with the plot but happily the positives outweigh the negatives so able to recommend to the normal crew.

[Stuart McIntosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply love this series by MRC Kasasian. Enjoyed the previous series and am loving this "spin off". Great characters, great humour, good murder mystery with twists and superb writing. The audible books have the perfect narrator in Emma Gregory

[Nancy Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much to the good, some rather bad, and one part very bad

Great protagonist; good humorous element for the most part, but sometimes just too ridiculous; as to the kidnapper and murderer? totally unbelievable to the point of absurdity.