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Inspector John Crow #6
A Cotswolds Murder
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.
THIS BOOK WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AS “A PART OF VIRTUE.”
“A genuine whodunit with a plethora of likely murderers, a remote setting, a rustic sex life, an engaging cop and even a timetable” Western Daily Express
MURDER AMIDST THE COTSWOLDS BEAUTY
Chuck Lindop is found with his head bashed in at the caravan site he manages. He was a charming man, but something of a rogue.
Inspector Crow arrives in the idyllic Cotswolds to find out who killed him. There had been a lot of comings and goings at the caravan park and many of those involved didn’t like Chuck.
And was Chuck involved in a recent outbreak of burglaries? There’s also the problem that the area was full of visitors for Stowford fair.
Who wanted Chuck dead and why?
A fiendish mystery for Detective Crow to solve in his inimitable way.
Set in England in the early 70s, this is the sixth 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
“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.
INSPECTOR CROW BOOKS
Book 1: A LOVER TOO MANY
Book 2: ERROR OF JUDGMENT
Book 3: THE WOODS MURDER
Book 4: MURDER FOR MONEY
Book 5: MURDER IN THE MINE
Book 6: A COTSWOLDS MURDER
MORE COMING SOON!
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.
THIS BOOK WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AS “A PART OF VIRTUE.”
“A genuine whodunit with a plethora of likely murderers, a remote setting, a rustic sex life, an engaging cop and even a timetable” Western Daily Express
MURDER AMIDST THE COTSWOLDS BEAUTY
Chuck Lindop is found with his head bashed in at the caravan site he manages. He was a charming man, but something of a rogue.
Inspector Crow arrives in the idyllic Cotswolds to find out who killed him. There had been a lot of comings and goings at the caravan park and many of those involved didn’t like Chuck.
And was Chuck involved in a recent outbreak of burglaries? There’s also the problem that the area was full of visitors for Stowford fair.
Who wanted Chuck dead and why?
A fiendish mystery for Detective Crow to solve in his inimitable way.
Set in England in the early 70s, this is the sixth 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
“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.
INSPECTOR CROW BOOKS
Book 1: A LOVER TOO MANY
Book 2: ERROR OF JUDGMENT
Book 3: THE WOODS MURDER
Book 4: MURDER FOR MONEY
Book 5: MURDER IN THE MINE
Book 6: A COTSWOLDS MURDER
MORE COMING SOON!
193 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1975
988 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Roy Lewis
174 books74 followersJohn 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
September 25, 2019
I do like the main character in this series, Inspector Crow of Scotland Yard is not your average detective and has a keen sense of justice which doesn't always mesh with the law. Set before the advent of computers, mobile phones and other high tech aids these books have a very different pace to the modern procedural police novels. Set in the beautiful, peaceful Cotswolds the murder of Chuck Lindop seems quite shocking. As the plot unfolds it shows a Cotswolds that is not as peaceful as it seems revealing an underbelly of dirty dealings and plenty of suspects to be investigated. Well plotted with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing.
August 9, 2019
A Cotswolds Murder is book six in the Inspector Crow series by Roy Lewis. Inspector Crow caught a case of the death of Chuck Lindop, who managers a caravan park in the Cotswolds and had a bad reputation with the locals. The case provides several problems for Inspector Crow to get a handle on to solve the case. The readers of A Cotswolds Murder will continue to follow the twist and turns in Inspector Crow investigation to find out if the death of Chuck Lindop murdered or accident.
I enjoyed reading A Cotswolds Murder. I like that Roy Lewis portrayed his main character, Inspector Crow, in a way that is different from other detectives in this genre. I love Roy Lewis portrayal of his characters and the way they interact with each other throughout this book. A Cotswolds Murder is well written and researched by Roy Lewis, and he does a fantastic job in describing his settings.
The readers of A Cotswolds Murder will learn about investigating a murder in the Cotswolds during the 1970's. Also, the readers of A Cotswolds Murder will understand the Northumbrian countryside and their society during the '70s.
I recommend this book.
I enjoyed reading A Cotswolds Murder. I like that Roy Lewis portrayed his main character, Inspector Crow, in a way that is different from other detectives in this genre. I love Roy Lewis portrayal of his characters and the way they interact with each other throughout this book. A Cotswolds Murder is well written and researched by Roy Lewis, and he does a fantastic job in describing his settings.
The readers of A Cotswolds Murder will learn about investigating a murder in the Cotswolds during the 1970's. Also, the readers of A Cotswolds Murder will understand the Northumbrian countryside and their society during the '70s.
I recommend this book.
May 21, 2019
Andrew Keene was having problems with the caravan park manager where he and his pregnant wife Sara were living in a caravan they had bought from the manager. But when he went to confront the manager, Chuck Lindop, things turned ugly and a fight ensued. Some time later, Lindop was dead and Sara went into labour. The preliminary police investigation could not determine who the perpetrator was, so Chief Inspector John Crow was brought in. His investigation combined with the resources of the local police uncovered a number of suspects and curious events. So who killed Chuck Lindop? And who else was behind a number of local burglaries that might have involved Lindop? Can Crow get to the bottom of the puzzling case?
The first two chapters laid out the events of the evening of the murder. I found this a little tedious but it seemed to indicate who the murderer was. It was only on the arrival of Crow in Chapter 3 where the investigation really took off. I thought that the frustration the police faced in sorting out the puzzling events of the evening of the murder raised the tension. Combine this with theft, burglary, gypsies, a local carnival, and the secretive nature of many of the witnesses and it was hard to see what conclusion the police would arrive at. The climax and ending demonstrated that a surprise was install even when the events of the evening of the murder seemed to clearly indicate who the murderer was. In the end was justice really served? And the final sentence revealed a further twist. I gave the story 4 stars.
The first two chapters laid out the events of the evening of the murder. I found this a little tedious but it seemed to indicate who the murderer was. It was only on the arrival of Crow in Chapter 3 where the investigation really took off. I thought that the frustration the police faced in sorting out the puzzling events of the evening of the murder raised the tension. Combine this with theft, burglary, gypsies, a local carnival, and the secretive nature of many of the witnesses and it was hard to see what conclusion the police would arrive at. The climax and ending demonstrated that a surprise was install even when the events of the evening of the murder seemed to clearly indicate who the murderer was. In the end was justice really served? And the final sentence revealed a further twist. I gave the story 4 stars.
January 2, 2020
A Surprising Ending
The author sets his mystery in the English district of Cotswold. He uses many word pictures of the area’s mountains, rivers, forests, and man-made dwellings to do so believably and effectively.
He gives his Inspector Crow idiosyncrasies which serve to give him his personality. It is this personality which makes Inspector Crow memorable and unique.
The plot seems simple at first. A man is murdered after provoking a quarrel. But then things become more complicated from there. The ending is surprising!♥️🐑☃️✝️🔔🌲✡️❄️♥️
The author sets his mystery in the English district of Cotswold. He uses many word pictures of the area’s mountains, rivers, forests, and man-made dwellings to do so believably and effectively.
He gives his Inspector Crow idiosyncrasies which serve to give him his personality. It is this personality which makes Inspector Crow memorable and unique.
The plot seems simple at first. A man is murdered after provoking a quarrel. But then things become more complicated from there. The ending is surprising!♥️🐑☃️✝️🔔🌲✡️❄️♥️
Read
September 23, 2019Difficult and confusing
The beautiful and serene Cotswolds. A young couple pulled into a mobile home buying scheme . Newly married , and far from any towns . Truly evil people using them and anyone else . Complicated and confusing at times so therefore well written to make it difficult to actually figure out who really murdered Lindrop. DCI Crow has the knack to work through the clues .
The beautiful and serene Cotswolds. A young couple pulled into a mobile home buying scheme . Newly married , and far from any towns . Truly evil people using them and anyone else . Complicated and confusing at times so therefore well written to make it difficult to actually figure out who really murdered Lindrop. DCI Crow has the knack to work through the clues .
May 7, 2019
A bit different. Took me a bit of getting used to the style of writing. Not really enough conversation between characters but instead the author uses much more narrative and is a storyteller instead of a reporter.
I’d read this author again, but only when I didn’t have something more enticing in my library. The plot line is interesting enough to carry the book.
I’d read this author again, but only when I didn’t have something more enticing in my library. The plot line is interesting enough to carry the book.
July 18, 2019
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November 10, 2019
A good tale!
A COTSWOLDS MURDER ,... A gripping crime mystery full of twists.....this is what I was promised but what did I get? Exactly that! Full of well rounded characters who kept me hooked right to an ending that pleased me. I've always liked slightly fairy tale style endings!
A COTSWOLDS MURDER ,... A gripping crime mystery full of twists.....this is what I was promised but what did I get? Exactly that! Full of well rounded characters who kept me hooked right to an ending that pleased me. I've always liked slightly fairy tale style endings!
December 15, 2019
Twisted and changing
I picked the killer almost immediately after the murder, but, wasn't sure. It was like I'd read the book before, and knew.
...but I hadn't.
The story evolves with all these other details, crimes and suppositions.
All solved, then not...I was right.
Good story.
I picked the killer almost immediately after the murder, but, wasn't sure. It was like I'd read the book before, and knew.
...but I hadn't.
The story evolves with all these other details, crimes and suppositions.
All solved, then not...I was right.
Good story.
April 10, 2019
Who really did it???
The description is correct--so many twists and turns keeps the reader guessing about the real killer. Just when you think you've figured it out, something or someone else gets thrown in the mix.
The description is correct--so many twists and turns keeps the reader guessing about the real killer. Just when you think you've figured it out, something or someone else gets thrown in the mix.
May 11, 2019
Not my kind of book
I thought it was going to be a true detective murder mystery but it is more like a soap opera I'm sorry but that was not my type of book it might appeal to some other people
I thought it was going to be a true detective murder mystery but it is more like a soap opera I'm sorry but that was not my type of book it might appeal to some other people
May 17, 2019
Well worth it
Although the John Crow mysteries are set before mobile phones and DNA there is still something modern about them. A time imagined or lived in rather than current. This story couldn't be set in the twenty first century, but it's a very good read
Although the John Crow mysteries are set before mobile phones and DNA there is still something modern about them. A time imagined or lived in rather than current. This story couldn't be set in the twenty first century, but it's a very good read
July 9, 2019
I am enjoying ti's set of books. Mainly because the detective isn't the usual ruggedly handsome with women running after him. They are written as a story with clues but usually have a twist in them. Not for anyone who likes the usual scenario of crime novels.
July 26, 2019
Excellent
Mr. Lewis is an outstanding writer. A Cotswold Murder is located in my most favorite place in earth; The Cotswold. The story is interesting. The only problem is that there is too much detail for my liking. The book still deserves 5 stars.
Mr. Lewis is an outstanding writer. A Cotswold Murder is located in my most favorite place in earth; The Cotswold. The story is interesting. The only problem is that there is too much detail for my liking. The book still deserves 5 stars.
November 26, 2019
This book was very interesting--
I thought at first I knew what happened---then I thought about it and decided on another person and I found out that I was right.
This is a who done it----with several possible suspects.
I thought at first I knew what happened---then I thought about it and decided on another person and I found out that I was right.
This is a who done it----with several possible suspects.
April 7, 2021
A surprise in the Cotswolds
A really nasty piece of work is found dead in his van. Hit over the head with a crow bar in a crime of anger. A number of possible suspects. A vert clever plot that is literally based on almost split second timing.
A really nasty piece of work is found dead in his van. Hit over the head with a crow bar in a crime of anger. A number of possible suspects. A vert clever plot that is literally based on almost split second timing.
April 19, 2019
Another great story
Another great story by Roy Lewis.Plenty of twists and turns with lots of interesting characters and an unexpected ending.Looking forward to reading more.
Another great story by Roy Lewis.Plenty of twists and turns with lots of interesting characters and an unexpected ending.Looking forward to reading more.
June 4, 2019
Routine police investigation of murder with predictable finale.
October 7, 2019
Good story line. Multiple suspects in this murder mystery, but at one point I guessed who the killer was and the end confirmed my guess.
Enjoyed it very much.
Michele Zito
Enjoyed it very much.
Michele Zito
October 31, 2019
Interesting
Well written. Nice twist at the end, didn't see it coming. Kind of guessed at the babies parentage but never saw the final twist.
Well written. Nice twist at the end, didn't see it coming. Kind of guessed at the babies parentage but never saw the final twist.
November 7, 2019
Good book
Very interesting. Gripping storyline that kept you intrigued. Would recommend to my friends and family. Thoroughly enjoyed this and will read this authors book again
Very interesting. Gripping storyline that kept you intrigued. Would recommend to my friends and family. Thoroughly enjoyed this and will read this authors book again
November 26, 2019
Good
Little be slow to get going ,good characters,good discrimination between characters.slow paced storey sometimes quite plodding but basely quite good
Little be slow to get going ,good characters,good discrimination between characters.slow paced storey sometimes quite plodding but basely quite good
April 26, 2020
Purple prose. A good story with good dialogue is reduced by the long flowery and at times cringe-worthy descriptive passages.
Without this drawback I would have given it five stars.
Without this drawback I would have given it five stars.
May 10, 2020
It certainly kept you thinking you actually committed the murder as there were so many suspects made an interesting read.
May 14, 2020
Good, relaxing night time read.
Well structured, articulate, diverting, non challenging read like most of his books. 4 stars may be a bit high but 3 is too low.
Well structured, articulate, diverting, non challenging read like most of his books. 4 stars may be a bit high but 3 is too low.
July 15, 2020
A twist at the very end!
October 5, 2020
Another gripping murder with a bit of a twist in the end
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews