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Devonshire Mysteries #2
Valley of Lies
A Village, A Murder, A Keen-eyed Sleuth. In a quiet Dartmoor village, Dan Corrigan is a fish out of water. He's also a damned good sleuth. And when a murder is committed, Dan won’t stand idly by. Join Dan in this modern British mystery today, because there's more to Dartmoor than meets the eye.
360 pages, ebook
First published February 12, 2020
663 people are currently reading
228 people want to read
About the author
Michael Campling
39 books39 followersSee also GoodReads Author's profile under Mikey Campling
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
February 27, 2020
kindle unlimited, nice to see second book stay on par with the first, too many times there is promise in the first but does not seem to hold up, Still get confused by all the names, but that is my problem not the writer's.
An evening in the pub shouldn’t end like this.
But a murder has been committed, and for Dan, the crime is too close for comfort. When the police are fooled by a false trail, the wrong man stands accused. But Dan won’t stand by while a friend is blamed. He’s determined to solve the mystery, even if it means putting his own safety on the line.
The real murderer must not go unpunished. Justice must be done. But first, Dan will have to untangle a web of deceit - before it's too late. Join amateur sleuth Dan Corrigan as he tackles his greatest challenge to date. But make sure you have your wits about you because, in this rural valley, the river runs deep, but the lies run deeper still.
Devonshire Mysteries
A Study in Stone: A British Cozy Mystery 1
Valley of Lies 2
An evening in the pub shouldn’t end like this.
But a murder has been committed, and for Dan, the crime is too close for comfort. When the police are fooled by a false trail, the wrong man stands accused. But Dan won’t stand by while a friend is blamed. He’s determined to solve the mystery, even if it means putting his own safety on the line.
The real murderer must not go unpunished. Justice must be done. But first, Dan will have to untangle a web of deceit - before it's too late. Join amateur sleuth Dan Corrigan as he tackles his greatest challenge to date. But make sure you have your wits about you because, in this rural valley, the river runs deep, but the lies run deeper still.
Devonshire Mysteries
A Study in Stone: A British Cozy Mystery 1
Valley of Lies 2
February 5, 2020
This is the second in a series of new mystery novels. Is it really a more peaceful and honest life in this sleepy little British village? Or are too many of its residents hiding secret behind closed doors? Start with this one or go back to the first, A Study in Stone, and settle in for an intriguing time!
Dan hardly misses his life in London. In fact he is enjoying life in this little village more and more, open space to roam, a friendly pub and a friend next door. The only thing not going well is work on his sister’s holiday cottage where he is staying.
After a pleasant evening spent in the pub, Dan and Alan hear what seems cries for help on their walk home. The two men rush off into the darkness. They find a local, Morty, who left the pub earlier, wounded and bleeding on an old mine’s spoils heap. Dan hears his last few words about “stopping them” whoever “they” may be a mystery since no one else is about.
When Morty dies the next day, the two rescuers fall under suspicion of the police. A piece of evidence seems to implicate Alan. The police don’t appear inclined to look any further afield.
It may be up to the two men to solve the case and save Alan from being arrested. When they begin looking into things, a few too many villagers are less than helpful. What do they each have to hide? Can the friends turn up the real murderer before the police wrap up their case against Alan?
Dan hardly misses his life in London. In fact he is enjoying life in this little village more and more, open space to roam, a friendly pub and a friend next door. The only thing not going well is work on his sister’s holiday cottage where he is staying.
After a pleasant evening spent in the pub, Dan and Alan hear what seems cries for help on their walk home. The two men rush off into the darkness. They find a local, Morty, who left the pub earlier, wounded and bleeding on an old mine’s spoils heap. Dan hears his last few words about “stopping them” whoever “they” may be a mystery since no one else is about.
When Morty dies the next day, the two rescuers fall under suspicion of the police. A piece of evidence seems to implicate Alan. The police don’t appear inclined to look any further afield.
It may be up to the two men to solve the case and save Alan from being arrested. When they begin looking into things, a few too many villagers are less than helpful. What do they each have to hide? Can the friends turn up the real murderer before the police wrap up their case against Alan?
June 1, 2020
Valley of Lies - a review by Rosemary Kenny
Who murdered grouchy old Mortimer Gamble, recluse and secret benefactor of his home village of Emberdale in Devon, where he was landlord of several holiday homes, farms and properties,including local pub The Wild Boar? There are many suspects, but the police seem willing to pass over the circumstances of Mortimer's death almost as a tragic accident - until they're pointed in completely the wrong direction - and an innocent man is framed.
With hints of Erin Brokovich (poisoned water), semi-comic investigators (Jeeves & Wooster?), a Miss Marple-like village,where people die at an alarming rate and a whole barrel-full of red herrings and false trails,for self-appointed sleuths Dan Corrigan and his neighbour and good friend Alan Hargreaves to get led astray by. Add to that the fact that Alan is considered chief suspect by the local constabulary, thanks to the real suspect's cunning in diverting suspicion, by implicating him with planted evidence and you can see the duo's dilemma. Can Dan work alone to work through the clues and decide who's telling the truth and who has a hidden agenda?
Get your copy of the brilliant Michael Campling's Valley of Lies and prepare to be amazed by a truly original modern murder-mystery,that will send a tingle down your spine and be impossible to put down!
Who murdered grouchy old Mortimer Gamble, recluse and secret benefactor of his home village of Emberdale in Devon, where he was landlord of several holiday homes, farms and properties,including local pub The Wild Boar? There are many suspects, but the police seem willing to pass over the circumstances of Mortimer's death almost as a tragic accident - until they're pointed in completely the wrong direction - and an innocent man is framed.
With hints of Erin Brokovich (poisoned water), semi-comic investigators (Jeeves & Wooster?), a Miss Marple-like village,where people die at an alarming rate and a whole barrel-full of red herrings and false trails,for self-appointed sleuths Dan Corrigan and his neighbour and good friend Alan Hargreaves to get led astray by. Add to that the fact that Alan is considered chief suspect by the local constabulary, thanks to the real suspect's cunning in diverting suspicion, by implicating him with planted evidence and you can see the duo's dilemma. Can Dan work alone to work through the clues and decide who's telling the truth and who has a hidden agenda?
Get your copy of the brilliant Michael Campling's Valley of Lies and prepare to be amazed by a truly original modern murder-mystery,that will send a tingle down your spine and be impossible to put down!
February 23, 2021
3.5* rounded up to 4 due to the fact that I was quickly able to deduce whodunnit
October 2, 2023
Dan and Alan are great characters. They bicker and call each other out like an old married couple.
The ending was a bit weak but overall this was an engaging read.
The ending was a bit weak but overall this was an engaging read.
August 9, 2023
Dan Corrigan is living in the quite village of Embervale on edge of Dartmoor after being fired from a job in the City. He is suppose to be doing up his sister's cottage in return for a place to live but when a local is found dead on a slag heap and his neighbour, Alan, is the prime suspect, they set out to prove Alan is innocent by find the person responsible.
This started out fine but lost it's way a bit at the end. It was as if it was trying to avoid a climatic end and to reinforce the fact that Dan was not the police. So the narrative went a bit awry. Jumps in logic weren't so logical. We don't get a real clear picture of who Dan is, just that he was fired from a job in the City. But not exactly what he did for a living or why he was fired.
Enjoyable enough, but a few holes in the narrative.
This started out fine but lost it's way a bit at the end. It was as if it was trying to avoid a climatic end and to reinforce the fact that Dan was not the police. So the narrative went a bit awry. Jumps in logic weren't so logical. We don't get a real clear picture of who Dan is, just that he was fired from a job in the City. But not exactly what he did for a living or why he was fired.
Enjoyable enough, but a few holes in the narrative.
June 26, 2020
Couldn’t even finish it
I read the first book in this series and thought it was OK despite the fact that it dragged. This one, however, is so mind numbing I didn’t even finish it.
I read the first book in this series and thought it was OK despite the fact that it dragged. This one, however, is so mind numbing I didn’t even finish it.
February 13, 2022
One would think by looking at Mortimer 'Morty' Gamble that he was just an old man and not even a prosperous one. That was what Dan Corrigan thought when he came to Morty's rescue in the dark after an altercation with a young villager who was with his friends at the pub and Morty was sent home by the pub owner. Being Good Samaritans made them into suspects instead... at least Alan Hargreaves was, when his walking was found on the ditch near the murder scene. In the course of Corrigan's investigations, he found out that Morty owned most of the land in and around the village. Still both friends must solve the murder... not only to clear Alan but also to resolve some mysteries and issues happening around them. Madness and ambition would come into play here and the stark truth that that Power corrupts.
February 17, 2020
I don't usually write reviews for mystery novels as I feel that to look in-depth at these type of books would somehow spoil the story. However, I've read and reviewed most of Michael's other work, and felt compelled to write a few lines here. While mysteries don't generally fall into my normal category for reading or reviewing I highly enjoyed this riveting tale. It was a very quick page-turning read for me and that says a lot in itself. It's not necessary to have read the predecessor, A Study In Stone, either in order to understand or enjoy this book as it stands well on its own. If you enjoy English mystery novels then I highly recommend Valley of Lies.
July 8, 2023
The death of an eccentric landowner has the village of Emberdale astir. Why was the old man found in such a remote place? The police are inclined to dismiss the case as a misadventure, but there are so many unanswered questions.
Michael Campling must have a bard or two hidden in his lineage as he is a born storyteller. Whenever I pick up a book in the Devonshire Mysteries series, time melts. (As I write this, I've stayed up late to finish the story because I couldn't sleep without knowing the ending.)
Such a great story and a magnificent build on the introductory novel. Highly recommended.
Michael Campling must have a bard or two hidden in his lineage as he is a born storyteller. Whenever I pick up a book in the Devonshire Mysteries series, time melts. (As I write this, I've stayed up late to finish the story because I couldn't sleep without knowing the ending.)
Such a great story and a magnificent build on the introductory novel. Highly recommended.
November 28, 2023
A GREAT READ
A first time read of Michael Camping for me, and it certainly didn't disappoint.
The characters are well place with plenty of action happening. I love the two main character's, Dan and Alan.
The storyline keeps you intrigued as you follow Dan and Alan doing their own investigation into a murder of one of the villagers gentleman, as the police are putting Alan as a suspect because his stick was found with blood stains on it at the crime scene.
A lot is going on in this read, and it just keeps you turning the pages faster to know what is happening.
I will be reading more of Michael Camping books.
A highly recommend read.
A first time read of Michael Camping for me, and it certainly didn't disappoint.
The characters are well place with plenty of action happening. I love the two main character's, Dan and Alan.
The storyline keeps you intrigued as you follow Dan and Alan doing their own investigation into a murder of one of the villagers gentleman, as the police are putting Alan as a suspect because his stick was found with blood stains on it at the crime scene.
A lot is going on in this read, and it just keeps you turning the pages faster to know what is happening.
I will be reading more of Michael Camping books.
A highly recommend read.
March 28, 2021
I enjoyed the escape from the current strident political and social situation in the USA and the global pandemic to read a story that flowed nicely to solve a mystery in a small imaginary Cornwall town. It was not an idealized town, not without people behaving badly, but it had hopeful interactions between people who cared about each other and worked together, developing friendships and finding satisfaction by simplifying their own lives in some ways. It is a cozy in the best sense of the category.
April 5, 2021
I really enjoyed this one. Maybe I’m getting into the swing of the series, since I found the setting vivid and became immersed once again in the village inhabitants and events. I’m a fan of police procedural, but really enjoy the unraveling of these mysteries through lay curiosity, logic and local knowledge, especially when that’s achieved without treating the local police like either pariahs or idiots.
A good plot, characters I’d like to know and a place I can imagine.
A good plot, characters I’d like to know and a place I can imagine.
August 7, 2023
First in the series The Devonshire Mysteries, Valley of Lies didn't really capture my attention. The protagonist was a little difficult to believe. He was better than the local police? Classic plot of amateur needs to solve the murder -- otherwise the police will simply build a case against your friend. The author did lay the ground work for additional stories -- I may give this series another chance.
December 18, 2023
Really enjoyed this second in the series. The character development was good (even though Dan is still a bit of a tight ass) and the story was very well done. I did guess the "who" before the reveal, but not the "how." Also learned a new "British" English reference. In the U.S., you get caught in a traffic jam at an accident site, in England it's a tailback. We seem to share so many things except a common language!
July 29, 2020
But what happened to Margeroie? I know that's misspelled.
Great story, set up nicely to throw cautionary looks over your shoulder at every character. I was looking in the wrong place the whole time, but if I give away my suspicion here it could ruin it for someone. I already have the next book, so onward and upward!
Great story, set up nicely to throw cautionary looks over your shoulder at every character. I was looking in the wrong place the whole time, but if I give away my suspicion here it could ruin it for someone. I already have the next book, so onward and upward!
April 20, 2021
A fun read
Surely the mark of a good story is characters one cares about and a plot that has one needing to know, “what happens next?”
This is the second book in the series and I like the two main characters. I also found the plot interesting. It is not overly complex but has enough “red herrings” to satisfy.
I hope you enjoy this book.
Surely the mark of a good story is characters one cares about and a plot that has one needing to know, “what happens next?”
This is the second book in the series and I like the two main characters. I also found the plot interesting. It is not overly complex but has enough “red herrings” to satisfy.
I hope you enjoy this book.
April 23, 2021
finished the book last week sometime then I went into book 3 and now I am almost finished book 4. Each book gets better with all the elements. The best parts are the discussions and travels around the town and areas in Devonshire. It's light reading so I'm reading them mostly in bed before heading off to sleep.
July 16, 2023
Decent first in this series about a Londoner living in the country and trying to solve a murder mystery to help a friend. Interesting reading about a budding friendship between two men. Their personalities are more spoken about than shown although it may develop more as the series goes on. Rural English village setting with required quirky characters but at times felt almost Americanized.
September 15, 2023
I managed to get almost 30% through this book but I'm just not feeling it. The characters don't appeal to me at all and nothing much is happening. I actually thought of giving up at just over 10% but as I'd actually bought the book I figured I owed myself a bit more time investment. But, no. DNF for me.
July 7, 2024
I read this book as a part of the Daughters of the British Empire book club. Not something I would have picked but pleasantly surprised I was while reading this book. A true page turner and is part of a series. If you are looking for a British murder mystery, check out Michael Campling’s The Devonshire Mysteries.
April 10, 2021
Okay second attempt
Slow moving. Not a likable protagonist. Rather pedantic and predictable. That said, it will appeal to many due to camaraderie and locale. The first book had a better story.
Slow moving. Not a likable protagonist. Rather pedantic and predictable. That said, it will appeal to many due to camaraderie and locale. The first book had a better story.
April 23, 2021
A nice yarn to while away a summer day
I like the books in this series as they are entertaining and down to earth. The main characters are believable and likable and the plot line while easy to follow is also quite cleverly constructed to keep you guessing right up to the end.
I like the books in this series as they are entertaining and down to earth. The main characters are believable and likable and the plot line while easy to follow is also quite cleverly constructed to keep you guessing right up to the end.
June 23, 2021
I found this to be a nice complicated mystery with intriguing characters. It took a good ways to figure out who the main villain was. I'd read and enjoyed the first book in the series and I'm looking forward to the next one
August 23, 2021
British mystery at it's finest
The plot is page turning, and the characters outstanding. The contrast between the stuffed shirt persona of Dan and all his vegan proclivities,; interacts well bounced off Alan, a man you'd love to have as friend, , just couldn't be better.
The plot is page turning, and the characters outstanding. The contrast between the stuffed shirt persona of Dan and all his vegan proclivities,; interacts well bounced off Alan, a man you'd love to have as friend, , just couldn't be better.
August 30, 2021
Small Town Life.
Made me think of market town I lived inSomerset. I came from London and moved to country and as Alan says your never fully excepted but be good and you will earn respect.
Story lines are good and enjoyable as is Dan and Alan's friendship.
Made me think of market town I lived inSomerset. I came from London and moved to country and as Alan says your never fully excepted but be good and you will earn respect.
Story lines are good and enjoyable as is Dan and Alan's friendship.
November 25, 2021
Couldn't put this book down!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It had enough twists and turns to keep me interested, and the sentence structure is perfect, so that made it a delight for me.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It had enough twists and turns to keep me interested, and the sentence structure is perfect, so that made it a delight for me.
March 5, 2023
Great new series
This book intriguing and full of twists and turns. The two main characters were so different but made the development of their friendship satisfying. Excellent mystery with plenty to keep me engrossed.
This book intriguing and full of twists and turns. The two main characters were so different but made the development of their friendship satisfying. Excellent mystery with plenty to keep me engrossed.
July 1, 2023
If you enjoy an English cosy mystery, you will very likely enjoy this book. I thought that it was a little slow at first but enjoyed it as it went along and am now reading the second book in the series.
November 26, 2020
Enjoyable read
I liked the first book but enjoyed this one even more. The characters have really developed in this second installment and I look forward to the next.
I liked the first book but enjoyed this one even more. The characters have really developed in this second installment and I look forward to the next.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews