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Inspector Blades #1
The Body Under the Sands
A terrible crime that no one witnessed. Two suspects that everyone believes are guilty...
Two soldiers recently returned from the Great War are spending their summer larking about, chasing girls, drinking, smoking, and forlornly trying to find gainful employment. Their lives are turned upside down when a girl is murdered on the seafront and they fall under suspicion.
The accusations against them snowball. Surely it was them that other beachgoers saw with the girl, Anne Talbot. Surely, they fit the description. They had extra money that day: the proceeds from robbing her? And one of the men’s suits was stained red – surely not just the result of blackberry picking?
They are convicted by a juggernaut of evidence, although most is circumstantial. And in fact, they were with Anne Talbot that day. But did they do it? Inspector Blades and seconded Scotland Yard investigator CI David Walker are pretty sure they did. And they are determined to make the men go down for the horrific crime.
Facing the death penalty, one of the men begins to suspect his friend did in fact commit the murder. But will he betray his brother in arms to save his own skin?
THE BODY UNDER THE SANDS is a highly original murder mystery set in the years after the First World War in the fictional northern seaside town of Birtleby. A gripping murder mystery, the book is also an entertaining insight into the mores of the time, the human consequences of war, and the fallibility of humankind.
Two soldiers recently returned from the Great War are spending their summer larking about, chasing girls, drinking, smoking, and forlornly trying to find gainful employment. Their lives are turned upside down when a girl is murdered on the seafront and they fall under suspicion.
The accusations against them snowball. Surely it was them that other beachgoers saw with the girl, Anne Talbot. Surely, they fit the description. They had extra money that day: the proceeds from robbing her? And one of the men’s suits was stained red – surely not just the result of blackberry picking?
They are convicted by a juggernaut of evidence, although most is circumstantial. And in fact, they were with Anne Talbot that day. But did they do it? Inspector Blades and seconded Scotland Yard investigator CI David Walker are pretty sure they did. And they are determined to make the men go down for the horrific crime.
Facing the death penalty, one of the men begins to suspect his friend did in fact commit the murder. But will he betray his brother in arms to save his own skin?
THE BODY UNDER THE SANDS is a highly original murder mystery set in the years after the First World War in the fictional northern seaside town of Birtleby. A gripping murder mystery, the book is also an entertaining insight into the mores of the time, the human consequences of war, and the fallibility of humankind.
308 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 14, 2018
70 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 30, 2018
I enjoyed this book very much. Not only is there a good crime story with believable characters, but the historical background and the difficulties for young men returning after the war makes for an interesting and thought-provoking story. I think the prologue is one of the best I've ever read.
September 19, 2020
The story moved slowly, probably like the year and place of its setting, 1920 Britain. And although the author "solved" the murder mystery, the inspector and local police didn't. In fact, the wrong person was found guilty and hung. What this book did for me was give me ways to see how war continues to live in the lives of those fighting in it. And how those lives are never ever able to go back to the way they were before the war. It also convinced me further that circumstantial evidence is not proof of guilt and should not be allowed that power.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2020
1920.When a body of a young female is discovered on Birtleby Beach two soldiers come under suspicion. Inspector Blades investigates at first but soon Chief Inspector Walker of Scotland Yard heads up the inquiry. But will this be the only death
An enjoyable and well-written historical mystery
An enjoyable and well-written historical mystery
August 25, 2021
Set in 1920 on the seaside of a small Yorkshire village, the body of a woman is discovered. Two young men are quickly put under arrest suspected of murder through circumstancial evidence....
The story, plot and characters keep you guessing and you just want to read further. However, what also kept my attention was the author's ability to show a realistic aftermath of WWI in people's way of thinking, living. The troubled souls of the young men whose lives/education actually stopped at the onset of the war, while leaving them in a state of hopelessness as to their future in the aftermath of the war. Very well written, I had the feeling the author had written this book in 1920, I was so immersed in this little village! The writing perfectly fits the setting of the novel. A great read!
The story, plot and characters keep you guessing and you just want to read further. However, what also kept my attention was the author's ability to show a realistic aftermath of WWI in people's way of thinking, living. The troubled souls of the young men whose lives/education actually stopped at the onset of the war, while leaving them in a state of hopelessness as to their future in the aftermath of the war. Very well written, I had the feeling the author had written this book in 1920, I was so immersed in this little village! The writing perfectly fits the setting of the novel. A great read!
November 19, 2024
Not a particularly interesting mystery apart from a twist at the end. Inspector Blades who is presumably the protagonist of this series doesn't even end up heading the enquiry - that is given to an Inspector from Scotland Yard, and probably just as well given what happens. I didn't like the young woman who got murdered, I didn't like the two soldiers accused of the crime. I have four books in this series on my Kindle so may read one more.
May 23, 2021
A thoughtful, subtly drawn novel about the fragile years teetering between the trauma of WWI and the relative freedom of the 1920s. The period is well researched and acutely depicted, and the mechanism of the murder is unravelled in an intelligent and plausible manner. A distinctive and sonorous voice in the genre.
February 1, 2026
The strength lies in the understanding of the pressure and expectation on men - the lasting impact of war on those trained and expected to kill , the need for police to solve a crime to reassure a community living in fear. The narrative is a bit convoluted and strung out, but the understanding of social expectations, especially in the 1920s is strong and powerful.
September 17, 2021
Ok .. Not So much about the Police But a Great insite into the Time Just after WW1 .. Any number could Have Been the Murderer But the Poor old Police Had none of todays Help .. Still a Good Start to a Series
October 21, 2019
A very good debut novel, well drawn characters and placed in a well drawn post WWI world.
November 27, 2018
A fine debut novel by a talented writer. The Body Under the Sands is about two former soldiers accused of the murder of a young woman in a fictional seaside resort in Yorkshire. The book is set in the aftermath of The First World War and captures the time perfectly. It was a period of significant social change in respect of the position of women in society, the human and economic cost of the war, and the dreams and aspirations of a new generation adjusting to an altered world. The plot involves the investigation of the crimes and the subsequent sentencing of the men. And how they respond differently to the accusations made against them. A deep and engaging title that is original and makes you reflect.
April 23, 2023
Enjoyable read, with a point of view that I've not encountered before in the mystery genre. I recommend it!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews