A Lover Too Many

Inspector John Crow #1

by Roy Lewis

Looking for a classic murder mystery from an acclaimed crime writer?

Discover Inspector Crow of Scotland Yard. Enjoy a beautifully told story from a time before smart phones and DNA testing. Full of twists and turns, this will have you gripped from start to finish.

“Builds up to a good climax and keeps you reading.” The Observer

“If you have never had the pleasure of reading a mystery by Roy Lewis, you are in for a huge treat. Do yourself a favor and pick up “A Lover Too Many,” and any subsequent books by Roy Lewis. You might find other writers as good, but you will not find anyone better.” Barbara Bernstein

Peter Marlin’s wife is found strangled and he becomes the prime suspect. She’d only just returned from an unexplained absence of several months. And during that time, Peter had found a new lover. Everything points to the husband but there’s no real proof.

Inspector John Crow is called in to help the local police. But his new colleagues aren’t keen on an outsider. And Crow must solve the case before anyone else dies.

This fast-paced mystery will have you enthralled from the start. Set in England in the late 1960s, this is the first book to feature Inspector John Crow. More coming soon.

DISCOVER YOUR NEXT FAVOURITE MYSTERY WRITER

Perfect for fans of Peter James, Ruth Rendell, P.D. James and Peter Robinson.

Roy Lewis is one of the most critically acclaimed crime writers of his generation.

PRAISE FOR ROY LEWIS MYSTERIES

“Each Lewis seems to better the last. Here is an intriguing puzzle and likely police work and a fine picture of Northumbrian society and countryside” The Times

“Roy Lewis has demonstrated an enviable range both in geography and style…a nice neat story” The Financial Times

“Lots of cunning complications embracing conservation and financial fiddles” The Guardian

“A thorough, unpretentious and immensely solid piece of work with an interesting and likeable hero” Times Literary Supplement

“Tightly written, well paced and relentlessly accurate” Oxford Times

“Chilly drama with some stirring cliff hanger” Sunday Telegraph

THE DETECTIVE
Skeletally-built, mild-mannered Inspector John Crow is established in the Murder Squad in London and constantly meets hostility when he is called upon to work on murder cases in regional crime squads in Wales and the Midlands. He displays strong moral feelings, and a sensitivity which brings him into conflict with regional staff as he doggedly and successfully pursues the truth in cases where he is called in.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Mystery Thriller, British Literature, Murder Mystery, Fiction, Ebooks

202 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

John Royston Lewis, who published his fiction under the name Roy Lewis, was a prominent English crime writer who wrote more than 60 novels. He was also a teacher, and he taught Law for 10 years before being appointed as One of Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Further & Higher Education. He lived in the north of England where many of his novels are set.

Lewis is also the author of several law texts, which he published under the name J.R. Lewis.

Librarian's note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Louise Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

John Craw #1

Detective Inspector John Crow is very good at his job. Peter Martin's wife has been missing for months when she makes a reappearance. She is sitting in the living room. She's been strangled.

Peter Martin is a solicitor at a rather prestigious firm. But when he returns to work, he is told he can no longer work there. He goes to see his girlfriend, Shirley Walker. DI John Crow is sent from Scotland Yard to investigate. He is re-interviewing suspects and witnesses. With no modern technology that we have now, the case has to be solved the old fashioned way, a keen eye and a nose for sniffing out a criminal. Although we don't meet Crow until nearly the end of the book, Peter Martin also tries to find out more with the help of a private investigator he used in the course of his work.

This book is set in the 1960's. For the first 25% of the book, it is told from Peters point of view. I'm loving the old fashioned police procedurals that are turning up just now. The pace is fast, it's full of red herrings and with no mod cons, it's just hard work and gut feelings that solve this case. This is a good old fashioned mystery that I found quite enjoyable. I'm looking forward to reading from this promising new series.

I would like to thank Joffe Books and the author Roy Lewis for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Alan Cotterell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh dear, I did want to enjoy this book, but it was so lack-lustre and quite pedantic, especially in the parts which explained the legal background to some of the activities which made for quite heavy reading. Didn’t help that Inspector Crow was absent until about 25% into the book, which was probably only 40-50 pages. But it felt like an age and might have been more palatable if the book had been longer. Thank heavens for small mercies.
I did manage to read it through to the end although the temptation was to DNF. It just did not hold my attention, don’t think any of the characters were likable. My dislike of the book had nothing to do with it being set in a non-technological age (being in the 1960’s), I have read many set in this period lately and find them generally quite refreshing and thought provoking. It is just about worth hanging on for the big reveal at the end, just that the vast majority of the book…

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

A LOVER TOO MANY introduces the reader to Inspector John Crow. He's a very tall man, rail thin, bald head, almost looks skeletal. But he's very good at what he does.

Peter Marlin's wife had been gone several months when she makes a reappearance. Unfortunately she is in the sitting room having been strangled.

Crow comes from Scotland Yard to investigate. Prime suspect --- the husband, who had found a girlfriend while his wife was gone. Marlin was rather surprised when he learned that his wife had also been having an affair.

This is a fast-paced mystery filled with twists and turns and lots of finger pointing. Set in England in the late 1960s, solving crime is difficult .. .there were no cell phones, no DNA tests, no personal computers. All Crow has to rely on is his own gut feelings and finding hard proof. Plot and characters are rooted firmly in their environment.

I look forward to following Detective Crow through his further adventures.

Many thanks to the author / Joffe Books / Netgalley / Books n All Promotions / Jill Burkinshaw for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Joanna Larum · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was originally published in the 1960's and has now been re-published by Joffe books. It is, therefore, completely different from modern-day police procedurals. I have to admit to having read a couple of Roy Lewis's books in the late 70's and early 80's and not enjoying them but I wanted to read this one to see if my tastes had changed. Unfortunately, I still found the book to be rather lack-lustre and quite pedantic, especially in the parts which explained the legal background to some of the activities which made for quite heavy reading.
Peter Marlin's wife left him to live with her lover which gave Peter the chance to find a lover of his own. When his wife returned, without any explanation, Peter abandoned his girlfriend, only returning to her after his wife is found dead in their home. Peter, a solicitor, is the main suspect and, eventually, Inspector Crow is brought in from Scotland Yard to take over the investigation, but not before Peter has hired a private investigator, who is also murdered in Peter's house.
I read it to the end although the temptation was to abandon it. I can understand that many readers would enjoy the style of writing and enjoy the nostalgia of a trip down memory lane as the story itself is good but I'm afraid it is not one of my favourites.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

To my shame, prior to being invited to take part in the blog tour for ‘A Lover Too Many’, I hadn’t actually heard of Roy Lewis before. Well let me tell you, I have certainly heard of him now. I love a bit of nostalgia and so I picked up the book and eagerly dived straight in. I was not to be disappointed either because I loved reading ‘A Lover Too Many’ but more about that in a bit.
Peter Marlin is the main character we come across initially. His wife has died and he attends his wife’s inquest at Coroners Court, where the Coroner rules that Peter’s wife was murdered. Of course the finger of suspicion points at Peter in a big way. His life seems to start to fall to pieces from then on. He loses his job, people go out of their way to avoid him and he is constantly viewed with suspicion. When Inspector John Crow is brought into the story, Peter views him with suspicion as he thinks that Crow will just confirm what everybody else is thinking. How little does he know….. Inspector Crow is one of those police officers who go where the evidence is taking him and he isn’t swayed or influenced by public opinion. Crow is thorough, clever and above all he is honest. What will Detective Inspector Crow decide? Is Peter Marlin guilty of his wife’s murder? What will the verdict be? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
It took me a little while to get into this book because of the way it is written. It’s not that the book is badly written as that couldn’t be further from the truth. I find it to be very well written. This book was originally printed at the end of the 1960s when language, attitudes and writing styles were so much different to those that we have today. So when I got used to Roy’s writing style and the language he used, I really did get into this book and then some. Boy oh boy. I became seriously addicted to reading ‘A Lover Too Many’ as I was desperate to find out if Peter did kill his wife. I had my own suspicions as to what had happened but I was wrong. The more I read, the more I got into the story and the quicker the pages turned. I didn’t realise how quickly I was getting through the book until I looked up to check and saw that I was two thirds of the way through the book, which I was so disappointed about. I was enjoying the story and the characters so much that I just wanted the book to continue. I was so gripped by the writing that I began to interact with the book. Before anybody says anything, yes I know it’s a work of fiction but if I am enjoying a book, I tend to immerse myself in the book and I live the story. At times I felt like I was Crow’s unpaid and invisible assistant.
It’s true to say that I did enjoy reading ‘A Lover Too Many’ and I look forward to reading more of Roy’s books. I can’t wait to read the next instalment in the series featuring Detective Inspector Crow and here’s hoping that we don’t have too long to wait. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 and 1 /2 stars

The reader is in England in the late 1960’s. This book starts out a little different. It is told from Peter’s point of view for the first 25% or so, not the police as I usually read.

It begins with the coroner’s inquest. Peter Marlin is there. He is the husband of the slain woman Jeanette. She was missing from the home for several months before she suddenly came back. Peter ask where she was, but she wouldn’t tell him. When the verdict is returned “murder by person or person unknown” it comes as no surprise, but it is still a blow.

Peter is a solicitor at a rather prestigious firm. When he returns to work, the chief solicitor Stephen Sainsby calls him in the office and tells him that he can no longer work there. The firm is worried about how the murder of his wife would reflect on the firm.

So out of a job and with the specter of his wife’s death hanging over him, he goes to his girlfriend’s house. Her name is Shirley Walker. She has no sympathy for him as he confesses that he still loved his wife, but that he was “fond of her” (Shirley).

A new detective Inspector Crow from Scotland Yard is now going back and re-interviewing the suspects and witnesses. He goes to visit Shirley and Peter. Crow is very tall, very thin and bald. Peter is on the defensive immediately.

While this book was interesting, especially the writing style, it didn’t hold my interest. I have already forgotten many aspects of the plot. I liked Inspector Crow and the fact that it was a non-technological age (being in the 1960’s), did not bother me at all. In fact, it is refreshing to read about the age before there was DNA and so on. The reader really gets to appreciate the hard work that the detectives put into the investigation.

I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this book so that I may read, enjoy and review it.

[Cathy Geha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Lover Too Many by Roy Loomis
Inspector John Crow Book 1

Wanting to read what was touted as a reissue of a “classic mystery from an acclaimed writer” first published in the late 60’s I thought, “Why not?” I was in high school when this book was published and do remember days without cell phones and all the gadgets that no doubt have been developed to solve crimes more easily over the past fifty years or so. And, I kind of wondered how mystery novels have evolved over half a century, too. So, in I jumped meeting Inspector Crow on his first published murder mystery story.

The writing and crime solving and action is definitely different with less police procedural description and more description of people and thoughts and events instead. I believe in the past readers, including myself, relied on words to fill our minds and senses differently than we might these days when special effects and fast paced books and viewing options are so much more dynamic. That is not a bad thing…it just is.

I did enjoy the book. It took me back in time to an era when drinking and driving were more a norm than a taboo and to a time when societal expectations were different. Crow was reticent and didn’t seem to share his thinking often in solving of the case as many newer crime series tend to do. It was a tamer story in some ways rather than action-packed. I did some sleuthing of my own and have a feeling this book may be the author’s first published book as later series are all dated in the 80’s rather than earlier on. The blurb about the author says he has published over sixty books and I wonder how his writing developed over time so may look for another book by him in the future.

Did I enjoy the book? Yes & No
Yes because it is a classic and took me back in time
No because it did not grab my attention as quickly as some others
Would I read more in the series or by this author? I think so

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

[Shoshana · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw this title on NetGalley I grabbed it immediately. Roy Lewis is a wonderful author, and it appears that Joffe is bringing him to Kindle. Lewis was active from the 1960’s into this century, and I have read and enjoyed most of his sixty plus crime novels. His series about Arnold Landon, a man with an almost encyclopedic knowledge of medieval building, has always been one of my very favorites. I couldn’t be happier at the thought of being able to reread these terrific books on Kindle.

Inspector John Crow is new to me. I have been wondering if perhaps this series was not imported into the United States. It looks to me as if this was Lewis’s first crime novel, so maybe they never reached here. It is a pity, though, as this is a cracking book. The blurb says it is full of twists and turns and it surely is. I don’t like spoilers, so I am not going to give any. Suffice it to say that the book begins with an inquest, and never lets up from there.

The publisher reminds the reader that this book was published in 1969, before cellphones, the internet, and the ubiquitous computer. To a twenty-first century eye this gives a bit of a feeling of a period piece, but the book is not dated or slow because of that. Because technology has not invaded every possible space, the human dimension is that much larger, and the story is more interesting because of it.

“A Lover Too Many” is an excellent mystery. I couldn’t have predicted the outcome, and I enjoyed it all the way through. If Roy Lewis is an old friend, you will be glad to remind yourself of just how good a mystery can be. If you have never had the pleasure of reading a mystery by Roy Lewis, you are in for a huge treat. Do yourself a favor and pick up “A Lover Too Many,” and any subsequent books by Roy Lewis. You might find other writers as good, but you will not find anyone better.

[Misfits farm · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Lover Too Many- Roy Lewis-
A new book , a new author. Will I like the characters? Will the plot be sound? Will the format be similar to others or something completely different? I am pleased to say Yes, yes and yes- different. Peter’s wife has been found murdered and he was the one to find her. He had an affair a short while beforehand and although it had finished the police are looking at him as the main suspect. He works as a solicitor and the partners have decided that they can’t have someone in that position working for them so the partnership is being dissolved and Peter will have to find work elsewhere. This is the 1960’s . No mobiles (heck what did we ever do without them?), no DNA or CSI, just basic sleuthing- fingerprinting is about as far as it goes with good old common sense and a keen eye. Peter takes it on himself to try and find out more with the help of a private detective that he used in the course of his work. This is not the usual amateur sleuth read. There is just that something different about it. Maybe because Peter is a suspect himself. Inspector Crow (of which this is the first in the series) only makes key appearances towards the end of the book, but when he does he pulls it together very well. It took me a few chapters to get into this book but it was wonderful to slip back in time- even though at one point when he found his house in darkness my first thought was switch your mobile on to use as a torch- err perhaps not then! A different read and an enjoyable one. I look forward to the next Inspector crow mystery.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Lover Too Many" is book one in the Inspector John Crow series by Roy Lewis. Inspector John Crow caught the case of the murder of Jeanette Marlin. Jeanette's husband becomes the prime suspect due to the fact he was having an affair with another woman. However, the case was not so straight forward as first thought. The readers of "A Lover Too Many" will continue to follow Inspector John Crow to find out who killed Jeanette Marlin.

"A Lover Too Many" is an enjoyable book too read. I love the portrayal of the characters by Roy Lewis and the way they intertwine with each other thought out this book. "A Lover Too Many" is well written and researched by Roy Lewis. The description of the settings of "A Lover Too Many" is done excellently by Roy Lewis.

The readers of "A Lover Too Many" will learn about law enforcement procedures in England during the '60s. Also, the readers of "A Lover Too Many" will understand the consequences of blackmail for everyone involved.

I recommend this book.

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I am well aware that this story in set in the late '60s, I found the whole language style to be from this era as well and it was too hard-going for me. I felt like I was being spoken to by a very intelligent, older gent and I was left feeling a bit stupid......I packed it in at this line, "....she had many years ago shown her mettle when her husband died".....like very olde worlde English. I understood it, I just couldn't face 200+ pages of men calling each other "dear boy" and the like !!
I got as far as 16% in and then called it a day.....and we hadn't encountered the good Inspector by this time, so I can't comment on him.....but I awarded it an extra star because I hadn''t happened upon one single mistake by then, which is pretty marvellous. Lovely cover, too.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in 1969. Beautiful writing and intricate details. Lovely character development but a couple of niggles had me taking one star off my rating: 1. We dont see much of Crow for a good half of the book and 2. its a bit heavy on the financial aspect of one part of the story.

But I LOVED the authors style and I am working my way through the rest of the 'Crow' novels

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good old fashioned and solid mystery. I loved the atmosphere, the main character and the plot.
The language is fascinating as the setting.
This book aged well and I look forward to reading other John Crow mysteries.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Joffe Books and Netgalley for this ARC

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not too bad a read but not quite 5*.

[Mrs. Moira McGeough · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I have found a series to keep me entertained for a while. Set in the 1960s this murder mystery takes place before all the high tech aids today's police have and makes the human element much more central to the story. It starts with an inquest on the wife of Peter Marlin which seems too leave a great deal of suspicion lingering over his head. Inspector Crow is sent to review the case in his own open minded, evidence based way. It is difficult to say much without spoiling the tale for other readers, suffice to say there are plenty of dirty dealings and the final conclusion is dramatic and unexpected. This is the first book in the Inspector Crow series and I shall be reading the rest.

[Michael Ringel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great mystery

An easy read. Hard to put down. Keeps you guessing until the end. Plenty of suspects and plenty of twists.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review:
I was gifted a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. As always, my thoughts and opinions are my own and unaffected by the gift.
One of the most important things to remember when reading this book is that not only is it set in the 1960's it was written and originally published then as well.

While I love to see classic crime fiction reissued it is important to keep in mind the attitudes of the day were very different from the attitudes of today.

I know it's probable we all have read books and watched tv programmes set in the 60's but created recently and maybe you are wondering why I'm placing so much emphasis on the difference between something set in the 60's and something written in the 60's.

We live in a world that would be unrecognisable to a person from the 60's. Not just the technology and the scientific knowledge we take for granted these days, not only the attitudes to sex and relationships but also the very language itself has altered in many ways.

It is important to keep these factors in mind when reading this book otherwise you could be misled by references that are not intended to be understood in the way we would automatically interpret them.

Let me provide you with one example. A character is described as having a gay lifestyle. Today this would reference someone's sexuality but back then it would be used to describe someone carefree and uninhibited.

Peter Marlin's wife has been murdered, she and Peter had separated for a while but appear to have reconciled. She is then found dead in their home.
Although Peter has not been charged with any crime the consequences are immense.

It becomes common knowledge that Peter started a relationship with another woman after his wife left him and this is too much immorality for a small northern English town to bear. He is expected to resign his partnership in the firm he has worked in for many years. His lover is told she must resign her job or be sacked. To modern minds the idea of being sacked because of a relationship with a man whose marriage has broken down seems ludicrous but at the time it was perfectly acceptable.

The whole book shows a microcosm of a world that has all but disappeared.

​ Even if crime fiction is not usually your favourite reading genre this book is worth reading simply for the insight into a world that has all but disappeared.

[Robin Loves Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please see the rest of my reviews on my blog at www.robinlovesreading.blogspot.com.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

In this reissue of A Lover Too Many by Roy Lewis, Peter Martin's wife has been murdered. While not initially accused of the crime, there are a lot of questions to be asked. Part of the reason is that at one time Peter's wife left him for another. Peter himself has had his own dalliance with a woman named Shirley. Now that his wife has been found dead, these facts raise suspicion towards him. Peter is partner in a law firm, and now his job is at risk.

Inspector John Crow from Scotland Yard is now investigating, with Peter as the main suspect. Intent on proving his innocence, Peter hires a private investigator. However, things go horribly wrong when he is murdered in Peter's home. Will the nightmare that Peter is living ever end? By the way, the story was set in 1960s Scotland, so the approaches to the solving of this crime was handled far differently than it would be today

While I was very interested in the answers that would eventually be revealed, I found this story very difficult to get into. I struggled with Peter and some of the other characters. Also, I had to gloss over the legalese in this book. I felt it had no relevance to the story at hand. The first part of the book was told strictly from Peter's point of the book. The policing of the story takes up the rest of the book. After about 40% the book did gain traction and I was able to be entertained. While this may not quite be what I was looking for in a book, A Lover Too Many is the first in a new Inspector John Crow series, and that holds much promise.

Many thanks to Joffe Books and to Books n All Promotions for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Simon Leonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love it when new authors come along and Joffe have signed up someone with a massive back catalogue, Roy Lewis, so expect lots more reviews from me regarding him and his books.

This book is different from the usual Joffe books as it is set in the 60's, a time before forensics, DNA and the technology police use today, so takes things back to basics.

The language and issues in this book took some getting used to as the use of language and people's attitudes have changed so much in the 50 years since this book is set and originally written.  Once I got my head into what the book was about it was an enjoyable read, although a bit slow in places for my liking.

The book starts off with a woman's body being found and the police discovering she was strangled.  The main suspect is obviously her husband, as he has left her and is in a relationship with another woman, something that was frowned upon back in the 60's apparently.

Whilst the police are investigating the case they come upon lots of other suspects, along with blackmail and greed, so have to slowly rule everyone out the old fashioned way.

Although the book was slow in places it was still a nice read, and I will definitely be reading the next in the series once it is re-published.

[Aprilleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice mystery with a lot going on, but not so much that you can't keep everything straight as it's revealed. Not a lot of character development for Inspector Crow, but enough to make him interesting and whet the appetite for more. The main character here is Peter Marlin, an attorney and recent widower. We meet him as he's walking out of the inquest following his wife's murder. Things go downhill from there and it quickly becomes difficult to determine who can be trusted, particularly after learning a few things about his late wife. Did he know her at all?

Confused and disoriented by events happening around and to him, Peter stumbles through his days, trying to keep up at the office despite the impending dissolution of his partnership, and independently investigating his wife's murder because he's convinced Scotland Yard isn't paying proper attention to the information he's uncovered. It's a recipe for disaster, and it nearly gets him killed.

I did not figure out the culprit until just before the reveal, despite the change in his behavior. In fact, the author did an excellent job with sudden changes in the behavior of multiple characters making them all look potentially guilty. Nicely done!

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was sent this novel by Joffe Books to read and review, but I am sorry to say, that although I stuck with it to the end, it wasn’t my cup of tea. I found the writing style very strange and hard to understand in places – perhaps it was done deliberately to give the book an older feel since it was set in the 1960’s but to me it was hard going. The story itself offered lots of promise but then became bogged down with what I thought to be irrelevances and in places I actually found it all extremely boring. The writer goes into a huge amount of complicated legal detail which I didn’t understand, nor did I find in the least bit interesting and quite frankly not really necessary. If these large quantities of legalese had been omitted I am sure the story would have been much simpler to read as the parts that delved into the murder of Peter Marlin’s wife and subsequent events that were revealed to the reader made an enjoyable mystery, but too much time was taken up with what I could only view as padding. Some people may find this an interesting read but I’m afraid I am unable to recommend it.

[Eva Edge · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐
A Lover Too Many by Roy Lewis is an old-fashioned detective story that felt like murd£r mystery. This book is the first one in the Inspector John Crow series and firstly was published in 1960ties, republished in 2018!
It was interesting to witness how differently things were dealt with without all the modern tools, forensics, DNA, databases and the technology investigators use today!
This book was interesting in the way it was going but something was missing!
A lot was happening alongside the investigation. Was hard to follow legal jargon.

Peter Marlin lost everything... his wife left, and returned, and then she was found dead. He was asked to leave the legal firm he was a partner for many years. Of course, Peter is the main suspect! He decides to help himself by hiring a private investigator who later is found dead in Peter's home...

I am not a massive fan of detective stories and murd£r mysteries in general, but I chose this book because of the new cover! The doors! Looks like the most famous door in the book world as I collected 9 books with the same door on the cover! So I needed to read it! I didn't have a choice, ha, ha, ha!

[Mommy Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Roy Lewis and Joffe books for this electronic ARC of A Lover Too Many via @netgalley in exchange for an honnest review.

Peter’s wife has been murdered and he becomes one of the prime suspects. Peter works as a solicitor and his partners decides he will have to find work elsewhere so they won’t have to deal with the aftermath. He then takes it upon himself to find out more about his wife’s affairs and her death with the help of a private detective, who also gets murdered in Peter’s home. The story is set in the 1960s so fingerprints, common sense and a keen eye is pretty much as far as it goes.

I found the writting style hard to understand and the story, who sounded promising, had a few irrelevant parts. The author goes into a huge amount of legal details throughout the novel that I did not understand. I skimmed through quite a few pages in the hopes that the story would pick back up. Some people may find this an enjoyable read, but from my point of view, it did not quite meet my expectations.

[Vina · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A Lover Too Many” by Roy Lewis is a not too long, snappy, enjoyable book. Great for a travel read. It introduces a new detective, Inspector John Crow. Intelligent, shrewd, painstaking and enigmatic, he will probably be more fleshed out in the next seven books in this series, This book is the first.
This is a story of a successful lawyer whose wife suddenly walks away without explanation. Waiting for her is a heartbreaking experience till he meets another woman. His wife returns, just as suddenly as she left, offering no explanation. Then one day, she is found murdered at home. The husband is under a cloud,with innuendos to contend with. Suggestions are rife that because of his involvement with another woman, he wanted his wife out of the way.
Alongside, there is a boardroom trust and acquisition battle going on. Inspector John
Crow is tasked with solving this case. Whodunnit then?

[Peggy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to this audiobook. This is a pedestrian British mystery. The setting is 1960’s. A solicitor, Peter Marlin, is a suspect in the murder of his wife. He proclaims his innocence. His wife had left him for several months but had returned. Their relationship was strained and Peter had a brief affair during the estrangement, but broke it off upon his wife’s return. Peter is a partner in a law firm, but because of his scandal, he is being removed as partner. He is currently negotiating a take over of a trust by a holding company. This book is labeled as an Inspector Crow mystery. But I found the alleged main character to be mostly in the background. Told through the perspective of Peter, Crow is a poorly developed character. Slow and plodding, I couldn’t appreciate the big reveal of the actual murderer because I just didn’t care that much. The ending was much better than the majority of the book.

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enter Inspector John Crow of Scotland Yard, a strange looking man but don`t let his looks deceive you his mind is sharp and he`s exceptionally good at his job.
This tale is set in the 60`s and the writer captures the period well, in a time before the technical advances of today Inspector Crow comes into his own.
He has been called in to investigate the death of Jeannette Marlin, she was strangled to death and the prime suspect is her husband Peter Marlin.
As the story unfolds more suspects appear. Greed, blackmail and fraud all play their part in finally leading him to the killer.
This book is different from my usual, it started slow and built nicely into a really entertaining read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I`m looking forward to the next Inspector Crow mystery.
Thanks to Joffe books for the opportunity to read this as an ARC.

[Jacqui Huntley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well thought out plot. Little atmosphere, unsympathetic characters

A well thought out and argued plot but I felt little empathy with the characters and could have given up about a third of the way through the book. Kept going though and the last couple of chapters were better. I grew to like the Inspector and his quiet, dogged persistence and might try the next in the series. The story concerns the murder of a woman and the suspicion that her husband ‘did the deed’. She was an extrovert shall we say, had various lovers and a nasty attitude. He had his mistress but otherwise seemed a dull little solicitor. Of course there were twists and turns, blackmail, a dodgy financial deal and a further murder to help moves things along. Other than the lack of modern technology though, there was little atmosphere or anything to suggest that it was set some decades ago. Pity.

[Aileen (Ailz) Grist · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the book and still can't see where the title fits in. Saying that though I did enjoy the book. There's a murder and a disappearance, and several themes that could be fraught with difficulty - small people - why should they get along with another small person, just because they are the only ones around. A $2 million legacy to the town, it may only be a small town but what heppens when everyone has a different idea on what the money should be spent on. A sect who encouraged two of its members to walk away when their daughter need them the most.

The story is told cleverly and with humour - who wouoldn't want meatloaf with peppers everyday from a grumpy cook - I found the amateur sleuths interesting and enjoyed their interaction with the police.

[Evelyn Grabas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. I found that I could not put it down and stayed up all night till I finished.
Also, the characters were exceptionally created. Some you just loved and others you immediately hated. But all were vibrant and interesting. And, what a storyline. I love trying to figure out the solution before the end of the book, but was I ever stumped with this one.
As I am doing a review of this book, not a synopsis, which many reviewers are erroneously wont to do, I am not going to go into the intricacies or plot of the book as I do not wish to spoil it for other readers, but all I can say is that this book is well worth reading and I highly recommend it. I know I will be looking forward to the next book in this series.

[Simon Fenwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

The blurb on the cover states "A gripping crime mystery full of twists". Not for this reader I am afraid. Overly long chapters make for very heavy going despite the fact that it is not a long book by any means. Quite where the revisions were I don't know. It was published in 1969 & revised in 2018. In places it is full of legalese often so much so that you'd need to work in a solicitor's office to understand them. Elsewhere, there were some other very unusual words used almost as if it was written in olde worlde English. As for "gripping", I still wasn't gripped when I got to the end. This was the first book I had read by this author (one of twenty-five crime novels I had a freebies from the publisher on a special deal) and I'm afraid there won't be any more.