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Robert Macdonald #37
Murder in the Mill-Race
When Dr Raymond Ferens moves to a practice at Milham in the Moor in North Devon, he and his wife are enchanted with the beautiful hilltop village lying so close to moor and sky. At first they see only its charm, but soon they begin to uncover its secrets - envy, hatred and malice.
Everyone says that Sister Monica, warden of a children's home, is a saint - but is she? A few months after the Ferens' arrival her body is found drowned in the mill race. Chief Inspector Macdonald faces one of his most difficult cases in a village determined not to betray its dark secrets to a stranger.
Everyone says that Sister Monica, warden of a children's home, is a saint - but is she? A few months after the Ferens' arrival her body is found drowned in the mill race. Chief Inspector Macdonald faces one of his most difficult cases in a village determined not to betray its dark secrets to a stranger.
252 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1952
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572 people want to read
About the author
E.C.R. Lorac
74 books177 followersEdith Caroline Rivett (who wrote under the pseudonyms E.C.R. Lorac, Carol Carnac, Carol Rivett, and Mary le Bourne) was a British crime writer. She was born in Hendon, Middlesex (now London). She attended the South Hampstead High School, and the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London.
She was a member of the Detection Club. She was a very prolific writer, having written forty-eight mysteries under her first pen name, and twenty-three under her second. She was an important author of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.
She was a member of the Detection Club. She was a very prolific writer, having written forty-eight mysteries under her first pen name, and twenty-three under her second. She was an important author of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
March 31, 2025
When a murder takes place in a village, don't expect to find the culprit if he is a villager. If he is an outsider, that's another story. :) E.C.R. Lorac sets yet another murder mystery in the countryside. A murder takes place in the quiet village of Milham in the Moor in Devon, and the local police are summoned to investigate. But things are made difficult for the police as they face the quiet hostility of the villagers. They decide to summon Scotland Yard, and in come Chief Inspector Robert McDonald to carry out the investigation.
Murder in the Mill-Race is an engaging murder mystery written by Lorac. The plot is complex and threads on many grounds, making the mystery intriguing. The Chief Inspector MacDonald shines his best here. His intelligence and years of experience come in very handy here. Since the villagers are uncommunicative, he must rely more on his wits and expertise to uncover the criminal. The role played by MacDonald is what I enjoyed the most. in this story. This is not the best of mysteries written by Lorac. The criminal wasn't all too difficult to guess, and the motive was a bit lame. However, MacDonald, his subordinate Reeves, and the village community compensated and balanced the scale.
Lorac's true gift is her writing. I've always said that about her. She has this amazing ability to create the atmosphere and bring the setting and characters of the story to life. That helps the readers to connect with the story. Even if the underlying murder-mystery plot is not too satisfying, one is sure to enjoy the story overall. I've come to admire the creativity of Lorac greatly, and in my estimation, she is one of the best Golden Age mystery writers. It's a real shame that more books in this series are not available for readers. I, for one, would have truly loved to read more.
More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/
Murder in the Mill-Race is an engaging murder mystery written by Lorac. The plot is complex and threads on many grounds, making the mystery intriguing. The Chief Inspector MacDonald shines his best here. His intelligence and years of experience come in very handy here. Since the villagers are uncommunicative, he must rely more on his wits and expertise to uncover the criminal. The role played by MacDonald is what I enjoyed the most. in this story. This is not the best of mysteries written by Lorac. The criminal wasn't all too difficult to guess, and the motive was a bit lame. However, MacDonald, his subordinate Reeves, and the village community compensated and balanced the scale.
Lorac's true gift is her writing. I've always said that about her. She has this amazing ability to create the atmosphere and bring the setting and characters of the story to life. That helps the readers to connect with the story. Even if the underlying murder-mystery plot is not too satisfying, one is sure to enjoy the story overall. I've come to admire the creativity of Lorac greatly, and in my estimation, she is one of the best Golden Age mystery writers. It's a real shame that more books in this series are not available for readers. I, for one, would have truly loved to read more.
More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/
November 14, 2021
This has to be my favourite E C R Lorac I've read so far.
A sleepy quaint village welcomes its new Dr by murdering the strict (and sinister) Warden of the local children's home.
Whodunnit at its best, with MacDonald on fine form assisted by a great host of supporting characters.
A sleepy quaint village welcomes its new Dr by murdering the strict (and sinister) Warden of the local children's home.
Whodunnit at its best, with MacDonald on fine form assisted by a great host of supporting characters.
July 7, 2019
MURDER IN THE MILL-RACE by E.C.R. Lorac is part of the British Library Classic Crime fiction and as such represents an excellent example of books written during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. In this novel, Lorac introduces the reader to an English Village by having Dr. Raymond Ferens accept a position there. Dr. Ferens and his wife move to the village, he being glad of a post that allows for a less stressful caseload.
As the Ferens settle in, the reader learns through them that the village, while idyllic when viewed from the outside, has grown somewhat insular. There is a sense that all is not as it should be, although the villagers seem blind to the fact that there is something or perhaps someone rotten among them.
Enter Sister Monica, an honorary title as she is neither particularly religious nor even kind. She does rule the local children’s home with an iron fist, and everyone in the village seems focused on proclaiming what a wonderful person she is. When asked about anything negative, the village answer seems to be that no one “knows anything”. It’s no surprise when Sister Monica is discovered dead, drowned in the mill-race. The villagers are focused on making her death appear an accident, however, the police constable is unsure and reports it to his superiors.
Enter DCI MacDonald and his Sergeant Reeves, to investigate. Detective MacDonald is Lorac’s recurring detective, however this books has no relation to any other book she has written. The entire cast of characters as well as the location are new to MacDonald and Reeves in this book. The result is that the book stands alone and there is no need to have read any other novels by Lorac to become fully acquainted with the pair of detectives.
Through diligent investigation, MacDonald and Reeves unmask the murderer. They explain the case and their investigations to the Ferens and learn that it is much as the doctor had surmised. He, however, told them throughout their investigation that he would gladly tell them the facts as he knew them, however he would not engage in speculation.
Once the murderer is unmasked, the reader is left to imagine how the village will change now that the inhabitants have been forced to see things without the convenience of claiming ignorance. It also remains to be seen if the fresh eyes and attitude of the Ferens will change the village for the better, which are all questions left to the reader to answer.
My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this Advanced Reader Digital Copy of the book which they provided in exchange for an unbiased review.
As the Ferens settle in, the reader learns through them that the village, while idyllic when viewed from the outside, has grown somewhat insular. There is a sense that all is not as it should be, although the villagers seem blind to the fact that there is something or perhaps someone rotten among them.
Enter Sister Monica, an honorary title as she is neither particularly religious nor even kind. She does rule the local children’s home with an iron fist, and everyone in the village seems focused on proclaiming what a wonderful person she is. When asked about anything negative, the village answer seems to be that no one “knows anything”. It’s no surprise when Sister Monica is discovered dead, drowned in the mill-race. The villagers are focused on making her death appear an accident, however, the police constable is unsure and reports it to his superiors.
Enter DCI MacDonald and his Sergeant Reeves, to investigate. Detective MacDonald is Lorac’s recurring detective, however this books has no relation to any other book she has written. The entire cast of characters as well as the location are new to MacDonald and Reeves in this book. The result is that the book stands alone and there is no need to have read any other novels by Lorac to become fully acquainted with the pair of detectives.
Through diligent investigation, MacDonald and Reeves unmask the murderer. They explain the case and their investigations to the Ferens and learn that it is much as the doctor had surmised. He, however, told them throughout their investigation that he would gladly tell them the facts as he knew them, however he would not engage in speculation.
Once the murderer is unmasked, the reader is left to imagine how the village will change now that the inhabitants have been forced to see things without the convenience of claiming ignorance. It also remains to be seen if the fresh eyes and attitude of the Ferens will change the village for the better, which are all questions left to the reader to answer.
My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this Advanced Reader Digital Copy of the book which they provided in exchange for an unbiased review.
November 10, 2021
There are 46 books in the Detective Chief Inspector Robert MacDonald series. I am sad to say that my library system only carries about 10 of the various titles in all.
MacDonald is a Scotland Yard CID detective, who along with Detective Inspector Reeves, for a formidable investigative duo. MacDonald is the more intellectual of the two while Reeves' contribution is common sense and street smarts. Both possess logical minds that help them process the evidence and statements of witnesses/suspects.
In Speak Justly of the Dead, Scotland Yard is called in when a 30-year resident of the village, Milham in the Moor, is found dead under suspicious circumstances. The dead woman, known to villagers as Sister Monica, has run the local children's home for her entire stay in the village. Sister Monica, who all the villagers refer to as a saint, turns out to have been less than saint-like, particularly in recent years.
MacDonald and Reeves prove equal to the task, not only of proving that Sister Monica was, in fact, murdered, but also the identity of her assailant.
MacDonald is a Scotland Yard CID detective, who along with Detective Inspector Reeves, for a formidable investigative duo. MacDonald is the more intellectual of the two while Reeves' contribution is common sense and street smarts. Both possess logical minds that help them process the evidence and statements of witnesses/suspects.
In Speak Justly of the Dead, Scotland Yard is called in when a 30-year resident of the village, Milham in the Moor, is found dead under suspicious circumstances. The dead woman, known to villagers as Sister Monica, has run the local children's home for her entire stay in the village. Sister Monica, who all the villagers refer to as a saint, turns out to have been less than saint-like, particularly in recent years.
MacDonald and Reeves prove equal to the task, not only of proving that Sister Monica was, in fact, murdered, but also the identity of her assailant.
September 17, 2019
This is my favorite novel thus far by E.C.R. Lorac (the pen name for Edith Caroline Rivett), and that’s saying something! After all, I enjoyed Fire in the Thatch and loved Murder by Matchlight even more.
Initially published as Speak Justly for the Dead in America, Murder in the Mill-Race, first published in 1952, Monica Torrington — self-styled as Sister Monica — has run an orphanage for 3- to 5-year-olds for 30 years in the isolated village of Milham in the Moor in Devonshire. Tall, dressed in a nun’s habit and domineering, Sister Monica has been bullying the toddlers and villagers for much of that time. When the formidable woman ends up dead in the stream next to a bridge, the village wants to declare the death an accident and move on. However, when the intrepid, by-the-book Inspector Robert MacDonald gets called in, you can be sure there will be no chance of a cover-up.
The 36th book in this series includes an undercurrent of the misuses of religion that will entrance thoughtful readers, and Lorac includes lots of twists and turns while always playing fair with the reader. A wonderful read, whether for Lorac fans or those new to the series.
Initially published as Speak Justly for the Dead in America, Murder in the Mill-Race, first published in 1952, Monica Torrington — self-styled as Sister Monica — has run an orphanage for 3- to 5-year-olds for 30 years in the isolated village of Milham in the Moor in Devonshire. Tall, dressed in a nun’s habit and domineering, Sister Monica has been bullying the toddlers and villagers for much of that time. When the formidable woman ends up dead in the stream next to a bridge, the village wants to declare the death an accident and move on. However, when the intrepid, by-the-book Inspector Robert MacDonald gets called in, you can be sure there will be no chance of a cover-up.
The 36th book in this series includes an undercurrent of the misuses of religion that will entrance thoughtful readers, and Lorac includes lots of twists and turns while always playing fair with the reader. A wonderful read, whether for Lorac fans or those new to the series.
November 1, 2024
Seriously, I feel like this Author can do no wrong! The murder mystery is dark, the side characters and their personal stories are so so good! Inspector McDonald and Reeves are such a good investigative team pairing. The setting and the background history of the time always adds a bit of richness to her stories and helps us understand why the characters act a certain way. I had no idea of who did it and why, but that’s okay 🥲. Highly recommend if you want a beautifully written historical murder mystery.
November 1, 2024
Macdonald and Reeves shine in this one! I enjoyed it so much. It’s very psychological and the murder victim is as horrible as any villain. There are some great side characters. Macdonald and Reeves are a great team and we get to spend real quality time with them.
August 31, 2025
This one is set in the countryside of Devon. The small village is somewhat isolated where the people are loyal to each other and their way of life. There is a children's home run by Sister Monica. All of the people say she is wonderful. But newcomers Dr. Ferens and wife Anne are not so sure she is "wonderful". One morning Sister Monica is found drowned, her cape caught up in the workings of the mill. The local constabulary believe this was not an accident but can make no headway in his investigation and Scotland Yard is called in.
I loved the description of the countryside. There is some quaint dialect. I remarked to myself that I had no trouble understanding it as written, but doubted I would understand it as spoken should this series be a TV series. I have started to compare the writing of these Golden Age mysteries to that of Christie. The writing in this is head and shoulders better than the Grande Dame. (I'll make no bones that I think Christie's writing is very elementary.) I did not see the ending coming.
This is one of better ones in the series, I think. Or else a previous read was just a one off poor one and so I've been avoiding it. I think I might resume an allegiance to Lorac's Robert Macdonald. I admit that maybe I was just ready for this and perhaps it's not really 4-stars worth. But that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.
I loved the description of the countryside. There is some quaint dialect. I remarked to myself that I had no trouble understanding it as written, but doubted I would understand it as spoken should this series be a TV series. I have started to compare the writing of these Golden Age mysteries to that of Christie. The writing in this is head and shoulders better than the Grande Dame. (I'll make no bones that I think Christie's writing is very elementary.) I did not see the ending coming.
This is one of better ones in the series, I think. Or else a previous read was just a one off poor one and so I've been avoiding it. I think I might resume an allegiance to Lorac's Robert Macdonald. I admit that maybe I was just ready for this and perhaps it's not really 4-stars worth. But that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.
July 27, 2020
Excellent entry in this long-running series. I really enjoy Lorac's mysteries and just wish more had been reprinted.
This is another country set mystery, with the requisite close-mouthed locals (villagers this time, rather than farmers). The well-regarded warden of a charitable children's home is found dead, her body floating near the local mill. Who would want her dead? Well--it turns out she wasn't as well-loved as all were contending she was. Suspects abound. It is up to our favorite C.I.D. man, Inspector MacDonald, to ferret out the truth and see that justice prevails.
The story moves quickly; the villagers and employees at the children's home are nicely sketched; the mystery is tricky; the descriptions of the countryside are lovely, even lyrical.
A most enjoyable way to spend a few hours.
This is another country set mystery, with the requisite close-mouthed locals (villagers this time, rather than farmers). The well-regarded warden of a charitable children's home is found dead, her body floating near the local mill. Who would want her dead? Well--it turns out she wasn't as well-loved as all were contending she was. Suspects abound. It is up to our favorite C.I.D. man, Inspector MacDonald, to ferret out the truth and see that justice prevails.
The story moves quickly; the villagers and employees at the children's home are nicely sketched; the mystery is tricky; the descriptions of the countryside are lovely, even lyrical.
A most enjoyable way to spend a few hours.
November 18, 2021
Four and a half stars.
Thoroughly enjoyable Golden Age British detective story. Macdonald and Reeves are a likeable and humane pair of policemen. I would have given it five stars but I thought the motive for the murder was a bit unlikely. Highly recommended nevertheless.
Thoroughly enjoyable Golden Age British detective story. Macdonald and Reeves are a likeable and humane pair of policemen. I would have given it five stars but I thought the motive for the murder was a bit unlikely. Highly recommended nevertheless.
August 31, 2019
Hidden secrets...
Milham in the Moor looks idyllic to Anne Ferens when she moves there with her doctor husband, Raymond. This isolated village in North Devon has its own social structure and minds its own business. But Anne soon begins to realise that perhaps all isn’t as it seems on the surface. Some months earlier, a young girl, Nancy Bilton, drowned in the mill-race (the stream that turns the paddles of a watermill, in case, like me, you don’t know what a mill-race is) and, although it was decided she’d committed suicide, there are all kinds of rumour and gossip. Nancy had been a maid at the local children’s home, Gramarye, working under the formidable Sister Monica. The more often people tell Anne that Sister Monica is a “wonderful” woman, the more Anne’s instinctive dislike of her grows. And then Sister Monica is found dead, drowned in the mill-race...
ECR Lorac is becoming a regular in the British Library’s Crime Classics series, and her revival is well deserved. This is another enjoyable entry in the Inspector MacDonald series. Lorac’s settings are always one of her strengths, and here she gives a very credible picture of a village that has, in a sense, turned in on itself, preferring to deal with its own problems rather than letting the authorities handle things. So the local police are getting nowhere with their investigation, and when MacDonald is sent in from Scotland Yard he will have to break down the resistance of the villagers to talking to outsiders. As newcomers, Anne and Raymond are in the position of being half-in and half-out of village life – accepted, but not yet fully. MacDonald hopes they’ll be able to give him a clearer picture of the village personalities but, as the new doctor, Raymond doesn’t want to alienate the people who will be his patients.
Sister Monica is very well drawn as someone who likes to dominate others. She may be swimming in a small pond but she’s the biggest fish and relishes her power. It doesn’t do to cross her – she has her own ways of paying back perceived slights, often by ensuring that scurrilous rumours are spread concerning the offending party, sometimes true, sometimes not. So despite the villagers’ avowal that she’s a wonderful woman, when she turns up dead there’s a surprising number of people who might have had a motive. And can it be coincidence that the two deaths should have happened at the same spot?
Chief Inspector MacDonald is accompanied by his Detective Inspector, Reeves, another competent and dedicated officer. They’ve obviously worked together often and know each other’s strengths, each falling naturally into the role that suits them best – MacDonald as the more formal interrogator of the upper echelons of village society, while Reeves uses his easy manner to try to elicit gossip from those lower down the social scale. There’s a bit of the usual snobbery in their relationship, with MacDonald as the more cultured and better educated of the two, but it’s not as glaring as in some Golden Age pairings, and overall they come over as having equal respect for each other.
The plot is interesting, and leads up to a nice denouement. But it takes second place really to the characterisation of Sister Monica and the depiction of the children’s home, both of which are excellent and cast some light on the lack of monitoring of such facilities back in those days (post-WW2) which allowed nasty people to abuse the power they were granted over both children and staff. (Don’t worry, though – no graphic abuse is heaped on the poor children in this one, so it’s not a harrowing read.)
Overall, another very good read from Lorac – I like that each of the ones I’ve read so far have had entirely different kinds of social settings. I’m hoping the BL continues to re-publish more of her work.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Milham in the Moor looks idyllic to Anne Ferens when she moves there with her doctor husband, Raymond. This isolated village in North Devon has its own social structure and minds its own business. But Anne soon begins to realise that perhaps all isn’t as it seems on the surface. Some months earlier, a young girl, Nancy Bilton, drowned in the mill-race (the stream that turns the paddles of a watermill, in case, like me, you don’t know what a mill-race is) and, although it was decided she’d committed suicide, there are all kinds of rumour and gossip. Nancy had been a maid at the local children’s home, Gramarye, working under the formidable Sister Monica. The more often people tell Anne that Sister Monica is a “wonderful” woman, the more Anne’s instinctive dislike of her grows. And then Sister Monica is found dead, drowned in the mill-race...
ECR Lorac is becoming a regular in the British Library’s Crime Classics series, and her revival is well deserved. This is another enjoyable entry in the Inspector MacDonald series. Lorac’s settings are always one of her strengths, and here she gives a very credible picture of a village that has, in a sense, turned in on itself, preferring to deal with its own problems rather than letting the authorities handle things. So the local police are getting nowhere with their investigation, and when MacDonald is sent in from Scotland Yard he will have to break down the resistance of the villagers to talking to outsiders. As newcomers, Anne and Raymond are in the position of being half-in and half-out of village life – accepted, but not yet fully. MacDonald hopes they’ll be able to give him a clearer picture of the village personalities but, as the new doctor, Raymond doesn’t want to alienate the people who will be his patients.
Sister Monica is very well drawn as someone who likes to dominate others. She may be swimming in a small pond but she’s the biggest fish and relishes her power. It doesn’t do to cross her – she has her own ways of paying back perceived slights, often by ensuring that scurrilous rumours are spread concerning the offending party, sometimes true, sometimes not. So despite the villagers’ avowal that she’s a wonderful woman, when she turns up dead there’s a surprising number of people who might have had a motive. And can it be coincidence that the two deaths should have happened at the same spot?
Chief Inspector MacDonald is accompanied by his Detective Inspector, Reeves, another competent and dedicated officer. They’ve obviously worked together often and know each other’s strengths, each falling naturally into the role that suits them best – MacDonald as the more formal interrogator of the upper echelons of village society, while Reeves uses his easy manner to try to elicit gossip from those lower down the social scale. There’s a bit of the usual snobbery in their relationship, with MacDonald as the more cultured and better educated of the two, but it’s not as glaring as in some Golden Age pairings, and overall they come over as having equal respect for each other.
The plot is interesting, and leads up to a nice denouement. But it takes second place really to the characterisation of Sister Monica and the depiction of the children’s home, both of which are excellent and cast some light on the lack of monitoring of such facilities back in those days (post-WW2) which allowed nasty people to abuse the power they were granted over both children and staff. (Don’t worry, though – no graphic abuse is heaped on the poor children in this one, so it’s not a harrowing read.)
Overall, another very good read from Lorac – I like that each of the ones I’ve read so far have had entirely different kinds of social settings. I’m hoping the BL continues to re-publish more of her work.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
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May 18, 2024One of the best Loracs. MacDonald is in top form, the place is sufficiently strange and specific, and the puzzle is just complicated enough to be a good time.
August 27, 2023
A solid classic crime set in an English village in the late 1940's after WWII. Clever plot. Thoughtful detectives.
Period background carefully described. (Much of what was then socially acceptable would not be from the late 20th century.)
I had a different paperback edition with ads inside front cover and back cover.
Period background carefully described. (Much of what was then socially acceptable would not be from the late 20th century.)
I had a different paperback edition with ads inside front cover and back cover.
June 27, 2019
A solid four star read for me, this novel, published in 1952, was titled Speak Justly For the Dead in the United States. Murder mysteries written by E. C. R. Lorac (Edith Caroline Rivett) have become great favorites of mine since I discovered their reissues by the British Library Crime Classics. Lorac moved the location of her novels around England; this one takes place in Devon with lovely descriptions of the moor lands in which the village of Milham in the Moor is situated. This is truly an isolated and insulated village and that's exactly the way all the inhabitants like it. Sister Monica is in charge of the orphanage for very young children, Gramarye. Sister Monica also has a finger in the life of everyone in the village. Naturally when she turns up drowned in the mill stream all the villagers declare accident. Not so fast says Chief Inspector Macdonald of Scotland Yard.
Martin Edwards of Poisoned Pen Press is the editor of this reissue and I couldn't help but chuckle when he referred to those of us who enjoy these stories as "seasoned readers of detective fiction". Yes, I'll happily agree to that as a description for myself and my enjoyment of this style of novel. The village of Milham in the Moor is the real star in this novel because it shows the psychology of how the villagers see themselves and protect themselves against all incomers. Much better to sell a notion to Scotland Yard that keeps the village safe than provide help to someone seeking out one of their own. How will Macdonald ever solve this case?
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an e-Galley of this novel.
Martin Edwards of Poisoned Pen Press is the editor of this reissue and I couldn't help but chuckle when he referred to those of us who enjoy these stories as "seasoned readers of detective fiction". Yes, I'll happily agree to that as a description for myself and my enjoyment of this style of novel. The village of Milham in the Moor is the real star in this novel because it shows the psychology of how the villagers see themselves and protect themselves against all incomers. Much better to sell a notion to Scotland Yard that keeps the village safe than provide help to someone seeking out one of their own. How will Macdonald ever solve this case?
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an e-Galley of this novel.
August 6, 2020
What a nice mystery. I liked how we were introduce to the characters; we start with the newcomers Dr. and Mrs Ferens and how they came to the village, choosing their house and meeting their neighbors through they we meet the victim, with them both not liking her. Sister Monica is perceived as wicked by the Ferens, but everybody in the village says "how wonderful" she was, wonderful enough to get murdered. Once the crime happens, we meet the detectives Inspector McDonald and Sergeant Reeves. I wouldn't say the killer is easily guessed, but with some deductions, all is there to guess before the end, I got it but it was a "I got it!!!" moment, I wasn't sure of myself.
This was my introduction to this series, it's no 37, but it could be no 1 because you do not start with the detectives, this could be a standalone maybe there's is little hints to the past, but being a new reader to the series they are not obvious and may not exist. I am definitely reading more of this series, sadly not all of it is available in ebook format, the earliest I could find is no 13 Bats in the Belfry so I will be reading this one in the future.
This was my introduction to this series, it's no 37, but it could be no 1 because you do not start with the detectives, this could be a standalone maybe there's is little hints to the past, but being a new reader to the series they are not obvious and may not exist. I am definitely reading more of this series, sadly not all of it is available in ebook format, the earliest I could find is no 13 Bats in the Belfry so I will be reading this one in the future.
June 23, 2019
Sister Monica, the warden of Gramayre Children's Home, is "wonderful". Everyone in Milton in the Moor says so, so why is her murdered body found in the Mill pond on Midsummers Eve? Sergant Peel is unable to get to the truth, the residents of this small isolated Devon village all stick together and don't like this man sticking his nose into their business, so MacDonald and Reeves are called in from Scotland Yard to try to get to the bottom of the mystery.
This is the first E.R.C. Lorac book that I've read and I found it a very readable Golden Age mystery. I look forward to reading more by her.
*Many thanks to Netgalley for a copy to review in exchange for an honest opinion*
This is the first E.R.C. Lorac book that I've read and I found it a very readable Golden Age mystery. I look forward to reading more by her.
*Many thanks to Netgalley for a copy to review in exchange for an honest opinion*
August 8, 2020
I really enjoyed this Lorac mystery! I’ve read 4 of her mysteries previously, and can’t believe she’s been out of print for so many years - she has become one of my favorite golden age authors now, and I hope her books continue to be re-published.
It’s hard to believe that this is number 37 in the Inspector Macdonald series; it seems as fresh and interesting as books I’ve read much earlier in the series. I have the British Library Crime Classics paperback, but this one was also enjoyable as an audiobook. The narrator is an excellent actor, and really gets Macdonald’s Scots brogue down pat, along with all of the local Devon accents and the Cockney accent of DI Reeves. That was a departure for me in this mystery – I am used to Macdonald working alone, but here his sidekick Reeves adds humor and insight into the characters in the mystery.
This case is set in a secretive village in rural Devon. The saintly Sister Monica, who supervises an orphanage, has been found dead in the river. She had attained local legend status for her supposed saintliness and long years of service, but Macdonald and Reeves soon learn that a handful of residents questioned this image - but the wall of silence and pressure to keep secrets among the village suppressed any opposition to her authority.
Like all of Lorac’s mysteries I’ve read, the murder, and the solving of it, are very much tied to the place. Lorac does an excellent job, as always, setting the scene and mood of the secretive village, and the “know nothing” villagers, and providing a satisfying puzzle - and an honest look at the details, facts and knowledge of human nature that go into Macdonald solving the puzzle. It’s as much a meditation on human nature and life in an isolated village as it is about a murder.
I enjoyed it very much, and am keeping my eyes open for any new Lorac reissues on Kindle or from British Library Crime Classics.
It’s hard to believe that this is number 37 in the Inspector Macdonald series; it seems as fresh and interesting as books I’ve read much earlier in the series. I have the British Library Crime Classics paperback, but this one was also enjoyable as an audiobook. The narrator is an excellent actor, and really gets Macdonald’s Scots brogue down pat, along with all of the local Devon accents and the Cockney accent of DI Reeves. That was a departure for me in this mystery – I am used to Macdonald working alone, but here his sidekick Reeves adds humor and insight into the characters in the mystery.
This case is set in a secretive village in rural Devon. The saintly Sister Monica, who supervises an orphanage, has been found dead in the river. She had attained local legend status for her supposed saintliness and long years of service, but Macdonald and Reeves soon learn that a handful of residents questioned this image - but the wall of silence and pressure to keep secrets among the village suppressed any opposition to her authority.
Like all of Lorac’s mysteries I’ve read, the murder, and the solving of it, are very much tied to the place. Lorac does an excellent job, as always, setting the scene and mood of the secretive village, and the “know nothing” villagers, and providing a satisfying puzzle - and an honest look at the details, facts and knowledge of human nature that go into Macdonald solving the puzzle. It’s as much a meditation on human nature and life in an isolated village as it is about a murder.
I enjoyed it very much, and am keeping my eyes open for any new Lorac reissues on Kindle or from British Library Crime Classics.
August 10, 2020
Dr Raymond Ferens and his wife Anne move to an isolated Devon village. Before long they meet the Warden of the children's home, the forbidding Sister Monica, who makes both of them feel uncomfortable. Within a few months, Sister Monica is found drowned in the mill-race. Given the hostility of the villagers towards the local police, Chief Inspector Macdonald of Scotland Yard is sent to unlock the secrets of the murder.
This was an intriguing Golden Age mystery with a great sense of place. Lorac skilfully evokes the Devon village and the mistrustful villagers without getting bogged down in lengthy descriptions, balancing setting, characters and plot. The narrative proceeds smoothly, with carefully placed twists.
Macdonald is a convincing detective, relying on common sense, an understanding of human nature and the sharp-witted assistance of his deputy Reeves. His methodical questioning brings the facts out and the reader can follow his line of investigation without any unrealistic leaps right up to the rather chilling denouement.
I have read two books by Lorac now, and am delighted that these are being reissued for the current generation of mystery lovers, as they are enjoyable and engaging crime novels by a talented writer.
This was an intriguing Golden Age mystery with a great sense of place. Lorac skilfully evokes the Devon village and the mistrustful villagers without getting bogged down in lengthy descriptions, balancing setting, characters and plot. The narrative proceeds smoothly, with carefully placed twists.
Macdonald is a convincing detective, relying on common sense, an understanding of human nature and the sharp-witted assistance of his deputy Reeves. His methodical questioning brings the facts out and the reader can follow his line of investigation without any unrealistic leaps right up to the rather chilling denouement.
I have read two books by Lorac now, and am delighted that these are being reissued for the current generation of mystery lovers, as they are enjoyable and engaging crime novels by a talented writer.
January 7, 2022
ECR Lorac has been my discovery of 2021 and i am glad i found her books. I think i have read 4 or 5 of her books in quick succession and perhaps it is time i take a break. I say all this because i did not enjoy Murder in thr Mill Race as much as i had hoped to, based on the mostly positive reviews of this one.
What i liked more than the solution to who killed sister Monica was the way country life in a village qas portrayed. I did feel that there were way more characters here than the other Lorac novels i have read so far and that meant that i was really not able to get a sense of most of them. They came and went. Of course, in all her novels that i have read so far, it is Inspector Macdonald who gets the major space along with his team members, but i always felt that the other main characters of the drama did stay with me. In this case, they seemed forgettable. The solution to the mystery also felt meh and i just wabted to be done with it towards the end.
Like i said, perhaps this was reading fatigue. Perhaps an overdose of Lorac. Overall, i am still looking forward to reading more books by her but after a suitable break in between.
What i liked more than the solution to who killed sister Monica was the way country life in a village qas portrayed. I did feel that there were way more characters here than the other Lorac novels i have read so far and that meant that i was really not able to get a sense of most of them. They came and went. Of course, in all her novels that i have read so far, it is Inspector Macdonald who gets the major space along with his team members, but i always felt that the other main characters of the drama did stay with me. In this case, they seemed forgettable. The solution to the mystery also felt meh and i just wabted to be done with it towards the end.
Like i said, perhaps this was reading fatigue. Perhaps an overdose of Lorac. Overall, i am still looking forward to reading more books by her but after a suitable break in between.
October 30, 2025
Well...that throughly creeped me out. It was such a simple story and so well done, I thought. Bright and cheery to begin with and then....it wasn't. Perhaps it's the fact that I stayed up late to finish it after everyone had gone to bed...or the fact that evil is often simple. Anyway, five solid stars.
December 20, 2020
Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed this: Good Old-Fashioned Murder, in the classic style, with a lovely setting, and lashings of period (early 1950s) detail. But Lorac's undoubtedly flair for capturing a place and a time is let down, ultimately, by the slightness of her mystery.
This is an "entertainment" -- perfect for a wet weekend, or a long train journey -- and I didn't get into it expecting deep psychological insight. But compared to Agatha Christie, the characterization seems very thin indeed, and consequently the impact, when the murderer is revealed, is missing. Christie had the knack of making all her characters living, breathing individuals, with serious motivations, so that we could almost understand what drove them to murder Lorac doesn't really get under the skin of her suspects, and consequently, when the Big Reveal comes, it's a bit of a damp squib.
BUT -- wet weekend ... long train journey ....
This is an "entertainment" -- perfect for a wet weekend, or a long train journey -- and I didn't get into it expecting deep psychological insight. But compared to Agatha Christie, the characterization seems very thin indeed, and consequently the impact, when the murderer is revealed, is missing. Christie had the knack of making all her characters living, breathing individuals, with serious motivations, so that we could almost understand what drove them to murder Lorac doesn't really get under the skin of her suspects, and consequently, when the Big Reveal comes, it's a bit of a damp squib.
BUT -- wet weekend ... long train journey ....
June 22, 2020
Lorac starts this book by setting the scene, with a young doctor and his wife moving to an idyllic little village on the moor, self-contained and insular. They're quickly accepted because of the doctor's skills, of course, but there's a little friction with a staple of the place: Sister Monica, a rather severe woman who rules over a little children's home with an iron fist. Everyone says she's "wonderful", and yet there's something forced about the superlative.
Since it's a Golden Age crime novel, no surprises that Sister Monica is the one found dead, and that it unravels a whole snarl of issues in the little village. Lorac's series detective, Macdonald, comes in to take a look -- understanding the ways of a small village, but not bound by then, and able to cut some of the knots with plain-speaking and an inability to be rattled.
As always, Lorac is great with a sense of atmosphere: you can practically hear the sounds of the village, smell the scrubbed barren children's home, feel the spray of the water in the mill race. The killer was the person I guessed, but Lorac avoided tying things up in too neat a bow: there are a couple of questions unresolved, and there's no "sit all the culprits together in a room" moment. You do get a sense for how her detective works and how she likes to shape a mystery, after reading a few of her books -- there are commonalities between this and her other books that felt a bit fresher the first time you read them.
Overall, though, Lorac's ability to portray a place and a bunch of complicated characters remains a big draw, and I think her books are among the finer ones in the British Library Crime Classics collection (contrast Bude, for example, who I find entertaining but unremarkable as far as style goes).
Since it's a Golden Age crime novel, no surprises that Sister Monica is the one found dead, and that it unravels a whole snarl of issues in the little village. Lorac's series detective, Macdonald, comes in to take a look -- understanding the ways of a small village, but not bound by then, and able to cut some of the knots with plain-speaking and an inability to be rattled.
As always, Lorac is great with a sense of atmosphere: you can practically hear the sounds of the village, smell the scrubbed barren children's home, feel the spray of the water in the mill race. The killer was the person I guessed, but Lorac avoided tying things up in too neat a bow: there are a couple of questions unresolved, and there's no "sit all the culprits together in a room" moment. You do get a sense for how her detective works and how she likes to shape a mystery, after reading a few of her books -- there are commonalities between this and her other books that felt a bit fresher the first time you read them.
Overall, though, Lorac's ability to portray a place and a bunch of complicated characters remains a big draw, and I think her books are among the finer ones in the British Library Crime Classics collection (contrast Bude, for example, who I find entertaining but unremarkable as far as style goes).
June 29, 2019
Solid mystery novel of a golden-age inspired mould - not exceptionally good but satisfying and very readable. The ending is good in that it's clearly been foreshadowed when you look back so it feels pretty "fair", with the new facts that complete the case being clearly hinted at a few times before. Only mild annoyance with the ending is it's one of those ones where the case against the murderer is circumstantial and would be unlikely to hold up in court and then the murderer does something silly and unnecessary to get the case clinched. But it's not too bad (although 1 particular thing stood out to me:
April 10, 2025
Una giovane coppia si trasferisce dalla città, caotica e malsana, nella campagna inglese. Il paesino è delizioso ed isolato, ma ben presto si capisce che nasconde segreti e pettegolezzi e la fonte sembra essere l'irreprensibile Sorella Monica, direttrice dell'orfanotrofio locale.
Ma forse Sorella Monica così irreprensibile non era e si scopre che in realtà erano in tanti ad avercela con lei, tanto che qualcuno finirà per spingerla nel torrente...
Giallo leggero e piacevole, con splendide descrizioni della natura e dei luoghi che fanno venire una voglia matta di partire per visitare il Devon.
Ma forse Sorella Monica così irreprensibile non era e si scopre che in realtà erano in tanti ad avercela con lei, tanto che qualcuno finirà per spingerla nel torrente...
Giallo leggero e piacevole, con splendide descrizioni della natura e dei luoghi che fanno venire una voglia matta di partire per visitare il Devon.
November 23, 2025
Didn't see that coming! And I really like watching MacDonald work.
January 19, 2020
I’m trying to branch out into more authors from the golden age of detective novels, and I think that this story was a worthy attempt, but with some notable pitfalls. Mostly, the character work in this story felt severely lacking. It was difficult to keep any of the towns people straight as so many of them were working class men and elderly women who all talked and acted the same. The authors portrayal of the victim also seemed to shift over time, and not in the way that was intended. Her personality seemed to be described differently between the beginning and end of the book, which made for some of the revelations at the end to feel shoehorned in.
I thought the mystery was solid enough and the duo of detectives were smart, enjoyable characters. I just wanted to see a bit more effort put in to everyone else to make it truly believable.
I thought the mystery was solid enough and the duo of detectives were smart, enjoyable characters. I just wanted to see a bit more effort put in to everyone else to make it truly believable.
September 14, 2019
Great Read!!! Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advance copy in return for an honest review, and thanks to the publisher who is bringing us novels from the Great Era of British mysteries. There is a death in Milham in the Moor, and Sister Monica (the head of the local children’s home) is found dead at the bottom of the mill-race which is the waterway that supplies power to the villages mill. Was it an accident, suicide or murder? And how did Sister Monica get that mysteries bump on the back of her head. After a local Constable investigates the case is turned over to Inspector MacDonald from London and when he arrives his fresh set of eyes turns everything around. Was Sister Monica the saint everyone proclaims or a wicked person which many think in private. The investigation puts the entire village under investigation and he unearths facts that have laid quiet and dormant for years. A wonderful book by an author I never hear of until I received this book. Fast paced, with a grand plot and it keeps us guessing as to what happened until the very end. E.C.R. Lorac was a prolific author, alleged not quite in the top category of British mystery writers, but I find I like this book better than many others by more prominent authors. This is one of 46 books in the Inspector MacDonald series and I hope I receive more!!!
March 11, 2019
"Murder in the Mill Race" by E. C. R. Lorac is quite good. A murder mystery written during the Golden Age by one of the second string of classic mystery writers - E. C. R. Lorac. For a period of about thirty years starting from the early '30s, she wrote a lot of mystery novels. Probably close to 70. Most of them hard to find today. Many feature the sleuthing duo of Scotland Yard detective McDonald and Reeves. Murder in the Mill Race does indeed focus on a murder victim found in a mill race in a small Devon village. McDonald and Reeves do solve the mystery. And all is explained at the end. Quite literally. In this style of mystery, the detective explains. Written about 1950, the novel is firmly set in 1950. The early post-war period and its new modernity is central to the characters and to the crime itself. Satisfying conclusion although not convincing, at least to me.
September 27, 2020
Fantastic Lorac village whodunnit, set in an isolated North Devon village, with the murder of the severe warden of a children’s home.
This is a fantastic study of village politics, and the secrets and scandals that are left unspoken to avoid change. The ‘outsider’ new doctor and his wife arriving at the village at the start of this book allows you to explore the characters and the village through their eyes. A clever technique.
The plot is strong and clever, but as always with Lorac setting and characters are King. The descriptions of the Devon are stunning and the characters suit their setting perfectly. Halfway through this book - Chief Inspector Macdonald and his colleague Inspector Reeves take a time out to view Exmoor from its highest point at sunset. It really stuck with me, and I wanted to be there!
I’m loving Lorac’s books, she is a much underrated Golden Age author.
This is a fantastic study of village politics, and the secrets and scandals that are left unspoken to avoid change. The ‘outsider’ new doctor and his wife arriving at the village at the start of this book allows you to explore the characters and the village through their eyes. A clever technique.
The plot is strong and clever, but as always with Lorac setting and characters are King. The descriptions of the Devon are stunning and the characters suit their setting perfectly. Halfway through this book - Chief Inspector Macdonald and his colleague Inspector Reeves take a time out to view Exmoor from its highest point at sunset. It really stuck with me, and I wanted to be there!
I’m loving Lorac’s books, she is a much underrated Golden Age author.
March 17, 2020
This is one of the better novels in the British Library Crime Classics series. A young doctor moves with his wife to a small town on the moors. Sister Monica (who is not a nun but prefers to be called that) has run a charity school for young children for over twenty years and seems to have everyone in town either thinking vey highly of her or afraid of her. When she is found dead in the mill-race the question becomes whether she died accidentally or was murdered, something that Chief Inspector MacDonald and his assistant Reeves need to find out. Their sleuthing is persistent and the talk between them shows an awareness of the wide variety of human nature. I look forward to reading other novels by Lorac.
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