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Lydmouth #2
The Mortal Sickness
The second novel in the Lydmouth crime series, from the prize-winning author of the Richard and Judy Book Club novel, The American Boy.
When a spinster of the parish is found bludgeoned to death in St John's and the Lydmouth chalice is missing, the finger of suspicion points at the new vicar, who is already beset with problems.
The glare of the police investigation reveals shabby secrets and private griefs. Jill Francis, struggling to find her feet in her new life, stumbles into the case. But even a journalist cannot always watch from the sidelines and she is soon inextricably involved in the Suttons' affairs. Despite the electric antagonism between her and Inspector Richard Thornhill, she has instincts that she can't ignore . . .
When a spinster of the parish is found bludgeoned to death in St John's and the Lydmouth chalice is missing, the finger of suspicion points at the new vicar, who is already beset with problems.
The glare of the police investigation reveals shabby secrets and private griefs. Jill Francis, struggling to find her feet in her new life, stumbles into the case. But even a journalist cannot always watch from the sidelines and she is soon inextricably involved in the Suttons' affairs. Despite the electric antagonism between her and Inspector Richard Thornhill, she has instincts that she can't ignore . . .
344 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1995
129 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Taylor
61 books732 followersAndrew Taylor (b. 1951) is a British author of mysteries. Born in East Anglia, he attended university at Cambridge before getting an MA in library sciences from University College London. His first novel, Caroline Miniscule (1982), a modern-day treasure hunt starring history student William Dougal, began an eight-book series and won Taylor wide critical acclaim. He has written several other thriller series, most notably the eight Lydmouthbooks, which begin with An Air That Kills (1994).
His other novels include The Office of the Dead (2000) and The American Boy (2003), both of which won the Crime Writers’ Association of Britain’s Ellis Peters Historical Dagger award, making Taylor the only author to receive the prize twice. His Roth trilogy, which has been published in omnibus form as Requiem for an Angel (2002), was adapted by the UK’s ITV for its television show Fallen Angel. Taylor’s most recent novel is the historical thriller The Scent of Death (2013).
His other novels include The Office of the Dead (2000) and The American Boy (2003), both of which won the Crime Writers’ Association of Britain’s Ellis Peters Historical Dagger award, making Taylor the only author to receive the prize twice. His Roth trilogy, which has been published in omnibus form as Requiem for an Angel (2002), was adapted by the UK’s ITV for its television show Fallen Angel. Taylor’s most recent novel is the historical thriller The Scent of Death (2013).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
August 10, 2024
3.75 stars.
Second read:
If you enjoy British historical crime, it’s hard to go wrong with anything Andrew Taylor writes. When you read one of his novels, you know going in that:
1. He’ll stay true to the era and never go anachronistic, pulling you out of the story
2. His characters are genuine, love or hate them
3. The details. Don’t miss the details of any AT novel. They’re often the best part.
4. He can go to the dark side a bit, which I tend to avoid in my reading in general. He’s one of the few authors I make an exception for.
I didn’t enjoy this quite as much on my second read but I think most of this had nothing to do with the book. Audible has published this entire series exclusively now. And it’s very well done, all by the same narrator.
On my first reading, no audio version existed. There is a (hopefully) non-recurring character in here whom I really disliked. She talks with a lisp. He made her sound even more unlikable. Again, not his fault either, I just think it made me dislike her even more 😬 which hurt the rating a bit.
The mystery was good and I love the atmosphere in Taylor’s work but I read most mystery series mainly for the recurring characters, and this one is no exception.
I do wish I could tell the whole world about this author, because he needs to be more widely read, especially here in the US.
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First read:
This is a great series. This one wasn't quite as good as the first, but still very solid. Loving Andrew Taylor!
Second read:
If you enjoy British historical crime, it’s hard to go wrong with anything Andrew Taylor writes. When you read one of his novels, you know going in that:
1. He’ll stay true to the era and never go anachronistic, pulling you out of the story
2. His characters are genuine, love or hate them
3. The details. Don’t miss the details of any AT novel. They’re often the best part.
4. He can go to the dark side a bit, which I tend to avoid in my reading in general. He’s one of the few authors I make an exception for.
I didn’t enjoy this quite as much on my second read but I think most of this had nothing to do with the book. Audible has published this entire series exclusively now. And it’s very well done, all by the same narrator.
On my first reading, no audio version existed. There is a (hopefully) non-recurring character in here whom I really disliked. She talks with a lisp. He made her sound even more unlikable. Again, not his fault either, I just think it made me dislike her even more 😬 which hurt the rating a bit.
The mystery was good and I love the atmosphere in Taylor’s work but I read most mystery series mainly for the recurring characters, and this one is no exception.
I do wish I could tell the whole world about this author, because he needs to be more widely read, especially here in the US.
<><><><><><<><>
First read:
This is a great series. This one wasn't quite as good as the first, but still very solid. Loving Andrew Taylor!
November 25, 2018
A good second outing in the Lydmouth series. They have a great period atmosphere and I like the characters. Looking forward to reading the next one.
January 7, 2009
THE MORTAL SICKNESS (Pol. Proc.- Insp Thornhill /Jill Francis-England-1950s) - VG
Taylor, Andrew – 2nd in Lydmouth series
St. Martin’s Press, 1996, US Hardcover – ISBN: 0312143710
First Sentence: Jill knew at once that the woman was dead.
English villages are not always peaceful. The vicar and his wife are relatively new to Lydmouth yet someone is doing their best to force them out by sending anonymous letters claiming the vicar has been having an affair with one of his parishioners. When the parishioner is found dead within the church, initial suspicion falls on the vicar.
Journalist Jill Francis is also fairly to Lydmouth. Her professional interest soon becomes personal after also being attacked.
Mr. Taylor’s works reminded me of Agatha Christie only in Miss Marple’s observation that the residents of St. Mary’s Mead were a microcosm of people everywhere. There were quite a few characters and, although the author was kind enough to provide a list of characters, I found I didn’t really need it as each came to life for me.
Being set in post-War 1950s, it depicted the, outwardly at least, the secondary role of women. Yet the strongest characters were the women, particularly Jill and the vicar’s wife, Mary Sutton. There was a very strong sense of place and evocative descriptions which enabled me to stroll through this fictional village with the characters.
Taylor has a wonderful turn of phrase. I found myself stopping and re-reading occasional sentences for the pleasure of them. The plot was deceptive. It was fairly easy to spot a villain early on, but with a couple good twists along the way, I realized how well plotted was the story.
Such was my enjoyment, I’ve ordered two more book in this series.
Taylor, Andrew – 2nd in Lydmouth series
St. Martin’s Press, 1996, US Hardcover – ISBN: 0312143710
First Sentence: Jill knew at once that the woman was dead.
English villages are not always peaceful. The vicar and his wife are relatively new to Lydmouth yet someone is doing their best to force them out by sending anonymous letters claiming the vicar has been having an affair with one of his parishioners. When the parishioner is found dead within the church, initial suspicion falls on the vicar.
Journalist Jill Francis is also fairly to Lydmouth. Her professional interest soon becomes personal after also being attacked.
Mr. Taylor’s works reminded me of Agatha Christie only in Miss Marple’s observation that the residents of St. Mary’s Mead were a microcosm of people everywhere. There were quite a few characters and, although the author was kind enough to provide a list of characters, I found I didn’t really need it as each came to life for me.
Being set in post-War 1950s, it depicted the, outwardly at least, the secondary role of women. Yet the strongest characters were the women, particularly Jill and the vicar’s wife, Mary Sutton. There was a very strong sense of place and evocative descriptions which enabled me to stroll through this fictional village with the characters.
Taylor has a wonderful turn of phrase. I found myself stopping and re-reading occasional sentences for the pleasure of them. The plot was deceptive. It was fairly easy to spot a villain early on, but with a couple good twists along the way, I realized how well plotted was the story.
Such was my enjoyment, I’ve ordered two more book in this series.
August 22, 2022
Having read the first book in this series I was looking forward to meeting police Inspector Thornhill and journalist Jill Francis once more. There is clear chemistry between them but at present this mainly takes the form of antagonism. Once again Jill is involved in the case and this time she accidentally stumbles into danger. The investigation is frustrating for the police who hope to find the culprit before Scotland Yard are involved.
At first the plot moves slowly, introducing us to several important protagonists. Although written in the third person, we are able to discover the feelings and motives of most of the characters. The novel gives us snapshots of three very different marriages; a mutually supportive Vicar, Alex Sutton and his wife, an unhappy couple with money worries, the Newtons and Jill’s hosts Charlotte and Philip Wemyss-Brown, dominated by Charlotte yet content in their partnership. Another significant character is Jemima, the spoilt young niece of the local baronet. Her flirtatious behaviour and sexual activity cause problems for more than one of the men.
The stifling atmosphere of a village at siege is increased by a spate of anonymous letters and Inspector Thornhill wonders how they connect to murder and the theft of the valuable church chalice. Action becomes intense in the last few chapters and I had just identified the murderer when his identity was revealed. I enjoyed this book even more than An Air that Kills and am very much looking forward to reading Book 3.
At first the plot moves slowly, introducing us to several important protagonists. Although written in the third person, we are able to discover the feelings and motives of most of the characters. The novel gives us snapshots of three very different marriages; a mutually supportive Vicar, Alex Sutton and his wife, an unhappy couple with money worries, the Newtons and Jill’s hosts Charlotte and Philip Wemyss-Brown, dominated by Charlotte yet content in their partnership. Another significant character is Jemima, the spoilt young niece of the local baronet. Her flirtatious behaviour and sexual activity cause problems for more than one of the men.
The stifling atmosphere of a village at siege is increased by a spate of anonymous letters and Inspector Thornhill wonders how they connect to murder and the theft of the valuable church chalice. Action becomes intense in the last few chapters and I had just identified the murderer when his identity was revealed. I enjoyed this book even more than An Air that Kills and am very much looking forward to reading Book 3.
September 21, 2015
Classic, very British detective story taking place in the 50's. Very, very traditional, very, very well written and very, very good.
August 24, 2024
'The Mortal Sickness', the second helping of Andrew Taylor's, Lydmouth series, was I must say, way, way better than the starter, 'An Air That Kills' (AATK).
Now, I often find this to be the case when books are played out in a series, and I've often wondered why? I've hypothesized in the past, that this may be down to a sharper understanding and a greater sense of familiarization of the recurring characters. Possibly though, it could be down to nothing more than the fact that the story was just a lot stronger than that of the first novel! I mean, this time,
**effects a strong Scottish accent**
’there actually has been a murder!‘
Which I think, when writing a murder mystery, and you can call me old fashioned if you want, is always a boon!
After the disappointment I'd felt at the first book, it had taken me a while to gather my resolve and plough on into the second, and although this outing did obtain pass marks, and ultimately, I would have to err on the side of enjoying it, I'm still not convinced as to whether I'll take a gamble on the third instalment.
The two main protagonists in the story, the Lydmouth Gazette reporter, Miss Jill Francis and the married, Detective Inspector, Richard Thornhill, seem to be embarking on a 'will they, won't they?’ relationship. Obviously, it was strongly hinted at in AATK and here, they're positively buzzing with super charged, under the surface, sexual tension, whenever their paths cross, where now, others are starting to notice that they sooo obviously fancy each other rotten and want nothing more than to climb into each other’s knickers and Y fronts!
As I've mentioned before in previous reviews, I'm no great lover of romance in my stories, in fact, I simply detest it, but it's something I've sadly realized I'm just gonna have to put up with, because unfortunately, it's feckin' everywhere. So, it's not the forthcoming ’will they, won't they?' saga between Jill and DI Thornhill I'm complaining about per se, it's more that I've seen it all before in previous work by the author, Andrew Taylor!
To be precise, the exact same scenario played out in the author's Marwood and Lovett series, between James Marwood and Cat Lovett, so I hope you can appreciate when I say, that I'm not sure I can be feckin' arsed sitting through all that ‘romantic jeopardy’ guff again, especially in a far more inferior series of stories.
There were however, a couple of auld and extremely bigoted busybodies that I enjoyed very much, especially when one thought they were robbing the church garden blind of it’s peas and lettuces and that the vicar and his wife, Mr and Mrs Sutton, didn't know about this, when in actual fact, they were perfectly aware that this thievery was happening, but just let the auld sectarian battle-axe think she was getting one up on people she egregiously believed to be much too disposed toward Catholicism. Very amusing and relatable.
It would also be remiss of me, not to bring to your attention, a very enjoyable subplot involving the afore mentioned vicar, and his wife in particular. Mrs Sutton secretly wrote detective novels under a pseudonym. After the initial murder, the vicar, and his wife especially, thought it was unwise to keep secrets from the police and the vicar's boss, the Bishop, so they decide to tell them about Mrs Sutton's writing. After the Bishop has sat and listened to the vicar's explanation and on being passed a copy of the first story in the detective series, with at least a heavy reprimand in expectation, the Bishop replies however , "Can I swap this for a copy of the latest book? As I've not read that one yet.”
Well, to say I fell off my chair laughing, would be an understatement! Hilarious! I certainly wasn't expecting that, it was wonderful writing, and I think I may have just talked myself into a decision regarding whether to continue the series or not, where's that Amazon app? Books, search, 'The Lover of the Grave', yippee! Lydmouth, here we come again!
Now, I often find this to be the case when books are played out in a series, and I've often wondered why? I've hypothesized in the past, that this may be down to a sharper understanding and a greater sense of familiarization of the recurring characters. Possibly though, it could be down to nothing more than the fact that the story was just a lot stronger than that of the first novel! I mean, this time,
**effects a strong Scottish accent**
’there actually has been a murder!‘
Which I think, when writing a murder mystery, and you can call me old fashioned if you want, is always a boon!
After the disappointment I'd felt at the first book, it had taken me a while to gather my resolve and plough on into the second, and although this outing did obtain pass marks, and ultimately, I would have to err on the side of enjoying it, I'm still not convinced as to whether I'll take a gamble on the third instalment.
The two main protagonists in the story, the Lydmouth Gazette reporter, Miss Jill Francis and the married, Detective Inspector, Richard Thornhill, seem to be embarking on a 'will they, won't they?’ relationship. Obviously, it was strongly hinted at in AATK and here, they're positively buzzing with super charged, under the surface, sexual tension, whenever their paths cross, where now, others are starting to notice that they sooo obviously fancy each other rotten and want nothing more than to climb into each other’s knickers and Y fronts!
As I've mentioned before in previous reviews, I'm no great lover of romance in my stories, in fact, I simply detest it, but it's something I've sadly realized I'm just gonna have to put up with, because unfortunately, it's feckin' everywhere. So, it's not the forthcoming ’will they, won't they?' saga between Jill and DI Thornhill I'm complaining about per se, it's more that I've seen it all before in previous work by the author, Andrew Taylor!
To be precise, the exact same scenario played out in the author's Marwood and Lovett series, between James Marwood and Cat Lovett, so I hope you can appreciate when I say, that I'm not sure I can be feckin' arsed sitting through all that ‘romantic jeopardy’ guff again, especially in a far more inferior series of stories.
There were however, a couple of auld and extremely bigoted busybodies that I enjoyed very much, especially when one thought they were robbing the church garden blind of it’s peas and lettuces and that the vicar and his wife, Mr and Mrs Sutton, didn't know about this, when in actual fact, they were perfectly aware that this thievery was happening, but just let the auld sectarian battle-axe think she was getting one up on people she egregiously believed to be much too disposed toward Catholicism. Very amusing and relatable.
It would also be remiss of me, not to bring to your attention, a very enjoyable subplot involving the afore mentioned vicar, and his wife in particular. Mrs Sutton secretly wrote detective novels under a pseudonym. After the initial murder, the vicar, and his wife especially, thought it was unwise to keep secrets from the police and the vicar's boss, the Bishop, so they decide to tell them about Mrs Sutton's writing. After the Bishop has sat and listened to the vicar's explanation and on being passed a copy of the first story in the detective series, with at least a heavy reprimand in expectation, the Bishop replies however , "Can I swap this for a copy of the latest book? As I've not read that one yet.”
Well, to say I fell off my chair laughing, would be an understatement! Hilarious! I certainly wasn't expecting that, it was wonderful writing, and I think I may have just talked myself into a decision regarding whether to continue the series or not, where's that Amazon app? Books, search, 'The Lover of the Grave', yippee! Lydmouth, here we come again!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
August 27, 2023DNF
June 30, 2020
I'm enjoying this series set in the early 1950s. This was an intriguing story, centred around the disappearance of a valuable church chalice and the murder of a parishioner. A great mix of characters and suspects, all from different walks of life of the town of Lydmouth.
Having read a couple of the later books first and now going back to the beginning of the series, it's interesting to read the relationship slowly developing between the main characters, journalist Jill Francis and police detective Richard Thornhill in each book.
A very satisfying read. I look forward to the next story, The Lover of the Grave.
Having read a couple of the later books first and now going back to the beginning of the series, it's interesting to read the relationship slowly developing between the main characters, journalist Jill Francis and police detective Richard Thornhill in each book.
A very satisfying read. I look forward to the next story, The Lover of the Grave.
May 21, 2020
My oh my quite a number of characters appear in this book. For me that was overwhelming (yes, the majority of them is discussed briefly in the introduction pages, but that is not that easy in an eBook). For me the book started to work midway. Pace went up and even chapters that I was worried that the previous one had an open end and I just wanted to know what had happened and Andrew Taylor very neatly kept me sweating and thinking on how this would continue. Well written here.
November 14, 2019
Another solid outing for Inspector Thornhill, though he plays a less essential role in this mystery. Once again the post-war atmosphere is captured well with the class system still being vital and pernicious. The petty jealousies and intrigues of the town of Lydmouth are beautifully observed and the denouement is satisfying in a gloomy sort of way.
March 7, 2020
Second book in the very enjoyable Lydmouth series by Andrew Taylor. Fairly straightforward plot from the point of view of the central mystery, but it's his excellent characters and the subtle details of a 1950s English provincial town that make the story sing. I love Taylor's writing, the result is immersive and always a pleasure.
© Koplowitz 2020
© Koplowitz 2020
September 30, 2024
Superb Story set in the 1950's which I just couldn't put down. I have read an earlier book by this very impressive author in a different series but had forgotten how skilfull he is in painting such evocative details to this story. I have not read any other books in the Lydmouth series and I must remedy this as soon as possible. Very strongly recommended.
August 25, 2020
A good read with an enthralling plot. The main characters feel real and compelling. My second book in the series. I will avidly read the 3rd book! (already bought it!)
May 8, 2021
Wonderful
I really enjoyed this book the characters are really well written, they take on a life of their own , can't wait for the next one q
I really enjoyed this book the characters are really well written, they take on a life of their own , can't wait for the next one q
February 3, 2020
"Jill Francis, a journalist struggling to create a new life for herself in the small English town of Lydmouth, becomes inextricably involved in the life of Alex Sutton when they both discover a bludgeoned woman in St. John's Church. The finger of suspicion is immediately pointed at Alex, Lydmouth's new vicar.
"Alex has other problems to deal with as well: Some parishioners disapprove of his religious leanings, while others disagree with his refusal to sell the church's most valuable possession, the Lydmouth Chalice, to pay for much-needed church repairs. Someone has even been sending very nasty anonymous letters about him to the prominent townsfolk. And now, along with the murder, the Lydmouth Chalice is missing.
"As the case develops, Jill becomes not only professionally but personally involved as her journalistic instincts lead her into the dark secrets and private griefs of a small town."
~~front flap
An interesting little mystery -- lots of great characters, making the reader spoiled for choice as to the identity of the murderer. The subplot of Inspector Thornhill's attraction to Ms. Francis (and vice versa) takes a very small step forward (and a half step back), leaving some small hope for further developments in later books in the series.
"Alex has other problems to deal with as well: Some parishioners disapprove of his religious leanings, while others disagree with his refusal to sell the church's most valuable possession, the Lydmouth Chalice, to pay for much-needed church repairs. Someone has even been sending very nasty anonymous letters about him to the prominent townsfolk. And now, along with the murder, the Lydmouth Chalice is missing.
"As the case develops, Jill becomes not only professionally but personally involved as her journalistic instincts lead her into the dark secrets and private griefs of a small town."
~~front flap
An interesting little mystery -- lots of great characters, making the reader spoiled for choice as to the identity of the murderer. The subplot of Inspector Thornhill's attraction to Ms. Francis (and vice versa) takes a very small step forward (and a half step back), leaving some small hope for further developments in later books in the series.
February 11, 2022
There has been unrest at St John’s in Lydmouth since the new vicar was installed and poison pen letters about him and others are circulating. Now a woman has been killed and the Lydmouth chalice has been stolen from the church. With so many secrets in the village, Inspector Thornhill will have trouble sorting out means and motive. This second in the Lydmouth series was less dour and sinister than the first book and I enjoyed it a lot more - much more like a Midsomer Murders episode. With multiple storylines, these books are careful studies of human nature involving some lovely recurring characters including Charlotte, the well-intentioned bully, Jill Francis, the level-headed journalist, and now Mary, the long-suffering vicar’s wife and secret novelist. Philip Franks provides a wonderfully understated audio narration with different accents and voices to suit each character’s gender and class - it’s all terribly British, old chap!
May 24, 2023
Second in a detective series set in the 1950s in the small town of Lydmouth.
A middle-aged woman is found dead in the church grounds, bashed over the head, and the church's most valuable possession, the Lydmouth chalice is missing. Someone is writing poison pen letters accusing the vicar of visiting prostitutes in London.
Detective Inspector Thornhill investigates but as usual there are numerous strands interwoven, including a femme fatale, a secret profession, and his own unhappy marriage.
Meanwhile, Jill Francis is now a journalist for the Lydmouth Gazette but things are becoming a little strained between her and Charlotte as she is forced to impose on their hospitality, which brings her into close contact with Charlotte's husband, and Jill's boss, Philip.
Really getting into this new series.
Read on my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
A middle-aged woman is found dead in the church grounds, bashed over the head, and the church's most valuable possession, the Lydmouth chalice is missing. Someone is writing poison pen letters accusing the vicar of visiting prostitutes in London.
Detective Inspector Thornhill investigates but as usual there are numerous strands interwoven, including a femme fatale, a secret profession, and his own unhappy marriage.
Meanwhile, Jill Francis is now a journalist for the Lydmouth Gazette but things are becoming a little strained between her and Charlotte as she is forced to impose on their hospitality, which brings her into close contact with Charlotte's husband, and Jill's boss, Philip.
Really getting into this new series.
Read on my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
May 31, 2017
Endnu en super god krimi fra Andrew Taylors hånd! Jeg er vild med engelske krimier og læser glad og gerne alt hvad jeg falder over. Denne krimiserie foregår i den lille rolige by Lydmouth, hvor ganske almindelige mennesker lever en ganske almindelig tilværelse. Jeg får flashback til Agatha Christie's serie med miss Marple, der også bor i en rolig landsby og hvor sladderen er en vigtig ingrediens i opklaringsarbejdet.
Nu glæder jeg mig til at læse næste bind i serien.
Nu glæder jeg mig til at læse næste bind i serien.
November 29, 2020
Enjoyable sequel to an air that kills. Second in the Lydnouth series. Good plot with range of characters and nice mystery which resolves well at the end. Jill and Richard have a frisson between them that surely will be developed through the series, but both are too nice to move beyond unlikely friendship.
October 12, 2024
Second book in the Lydmouth series by Andrew Taylor. ...I didn't enjoy this half as much as the 1st novel ...I think this was the story element which didn't grab me in the way the 1st book did....the writing was enjoyable and takes you back to a different time in history long forgotten by many...I look forward to the next installment.
March 11, 2024
I didn't enjoy this as much as the other Andrew Taylor books. There seemed to be too many principal characters. Fortunately there was a list at the beginning, but I had to keep on going back to it because I couldn't remember who people were..
June 16, 2024
Another pleasant story about the new detective in Lytham Not judt one murder but two and imbesselmrnt and cheating husband’s. Lvl to have a good old fashioned detective. A bit slow but pleasant. .
July 29, 2020
Thoroughly enjoyable read with a multiplicity of characters that are unique but quite believable. The relationships between all the residents of the village post death of one of its own rings true.
January 31, 2022
I don't like these characters very much. Not a sympathetic lot. But might keep listening.
May 25, 2023
Quick read
Read
December 7, 2010This is the second volume in the Lydmouth series and had more depth to it than the first volume. Along with the central church based setting this felt more of the Roth Trilogy than An Air That Kills did.
Jill Francis is now permanently based at the Lydmouth Gazette, though she's still staying with the paper's owner and editor, Charlotte and Philip Wemyss-Brown. Charlotte's politeness and care of Jill whilst wanting her out of the house at the same time portrays English manners very well to me. I presume the series is heading to the point where Jill gets involved with the married Inspector Thornhill and I'm a bit disappointed that Thornhill's wife Edith isn't featured more though perhaps letting the reader be sympathetic towards her (as she seemed quite nice to me in the first book) wouldn't make too much sense.
I don't remember any of the other characters I haven't mentioned here from the first book but I hope some of the characters here recur in future books. I especially enjoyed meeting the vicar's wife, Mary Sutton, who I think would make a good friend for Jill.
I did think the plot was a bit over busy with characters at some points though I had forgotten about the cast list in the front that would have helped me keep them straight. The only other thing that bugged me in the book really was the exceptionally short chapters and the division of the book into nine parts. This seemed to give the book a structure but I didn't grasp what the structure was. Usually when a book has several parts there is an obvious change in the emphasis of the story or the narration from one part to another but here I didn't have a clue as to why each part was demarcated from the previous part.
All in all a decent and enjoyable read though.
August 5, 2017
This didn't have the traditional who-done-it suspense of most crime fiction, as fairly early on all the incriminating signs pointed to the person who did end up being the committer of the crime (I use that construction so as to not give away the gender of said committer). But Andrew Taylor isn't a policier writer in the usual sense; his books are more about people. I enjoyed this book simply because I enjoyed following the characters. Sometimes I find it amazing that I like a writer who is this cynical, sardonic, and sometimes downright misanthropic. Positive unselfish adults are hard to come by in the pool (I almost want to use the term cesspool) of Taylor's world. Yet his people are achingly, unflinchingly real at the same time, even the worst of them possessing good, even the best possessing serious frailties.
I'm almost as drawn to the slowly evolving attraction between Jill Francis and Richard Thornhill as I am to the mystery itself. At some point the Francis/Thornhill relationship will come to a boil, and then people will be hurt, there will be guilt, jealousy, and confusion, and it will all be in a day's work for this novelist who unfailingly observes Red Smith's famous tennet: "There's nothing to being a writer. All you have to do is sit down at the typewriter (now word processor) and open a vein."
I'm almost as drawn to the slowly evolving attraction between Jill Francis and Richard Thornhill as I am to the mystery itself. At some point the Francis/Thornhill relationship will come to a boil, and then people will be hurt, there will be guilt, jealousy, and confusion, and it will all be in a day's work for this novelist who unfailingly observes Red Smith's famous tennet: "There's nothing to being a writer. All you have to do is sit down at the typewriter (now word processor) and open a vein."
March 18, 2010
Jill Francis, six months after her relocation from London, is starting to adapt to village life, but the village has yet to adapt to her. Perhaps her new job, reporting for the local paper, will help. As she is researching the medieval chalice owned by the local church, she stumbles across a murder. Jill and fellow newcomer, Inspector Thornhill, are once again obliged to cross paths, a circumstance with neither relishes, in spite of a strange attraction that lurks in the awareness of each. In this second installment of the Lydmouth Series, readers meet several new characters, most notably Alec Sutton, the new vicar, and his wife Mary, who writes detective novels under a pseudonym for fear of what people might say. The Mortal Sickness lacks the edginess necessary for real suspense, but it’s more than a mere crime novel. The interaction among the inhabitants of this small, post WWII community, along with their motivations, secrets, hopes, and failures, takes center stage this time around.
February 2, 2025
Can’t really understand the prevalence of 4 star reviews. Where has the fifth star gone for this wonderful novel? The subtlety and delicacy of Andrew Taylor’s writing is a joy. We find out about people through what they don’t say: numerous instances of “he didn’t reply”, “she ignored him” - so revealing. Even the tiniest vignettes are perfect, for example the teacher who left his bicycle clips on summons up a whole character. Additionally of course the plotting is robust and terrific and the subplots are delightful. Waiting for Wilson to get his comeuppance - Hah! And saving the best til last, the relationship between Jill Francis and Richard Thornhill. There’s hardly anything there, yet we can’t miss it. My very favourite detail is the powder compact with the “smell, faint but unmistakable, of Jill Francis”. I must be a romantic I suppose.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2015
I loved this book! It was a village cozy with the best writing I've read in a long time. There was nothing coy about the plot or characters. They were well rounded and just dark enough to let us see the skull beneath the skin.
The plot had good tension and when I rushed to Kindle to get the other books in the series, I was very disappointed that they weren't available. I did manage to find one of his stand alone novels in my local library, so I'm reading it now.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves English village mysteries. This one is set just after WWII, and stays firmly in locale and ambiance.
The plot had good tension and when I rushed to Kindle to get the other books in the series, I was very disappointed that they weren't available. I did manage to find one of his stand alone novels in my local library, so I'm reading it now.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves English village mysteries. This one is set just after WWII, and stays firmly in locale and ambiance.
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