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Fethering #7
The Stabbing in the Stables
Fethering's favorite sleuths are at it again as Jude and Carole Seddon find themselves in the midst of some horseplay, after stumbling upon the body of ex-equestrian Walter Fleet at Long Bamber Stables.
The police attribute the stabbing death to the mysterious "Horse Ripper," who's been mutilating mares across West Sussex-and who Walter obviously caught in the act. But considering Walter's track record out of the saddle, Jude and Carole find that there are plenty of suspects- including Walter's put-upon wife and more than a few jealous husbands who wanted Walter put out to pasture.
The police attribute the stabbing death to the mysterious "Horse Ripper," who's been mutilating mares across West Sussex-and who Walter obviously caught in the act. But considering Walter's track record out of the saddle, Jude and Carole find that there are plenty of suspects- including Walter's put-upon wife and more than a few jealous husbands who wanted Walter put out to pasture.
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First published January 1, 2006
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About the author
Simon Brett
329 books531 followersSimon Brett is a prolific British writer of whodunnits.
He is the son of a Chartered Surveyor and was educated at Dulwich College and Wadham College, Oxford, where he got a first class honours degree in English.
He then joined the BBC as a trainee and worked for BBC Radio and London Weekend Television, where his work included 'Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and 'Frank Muir Goes Into ...'.
After his spells with the media he began devoting most of his time to writing from the late 1970s and is well known for his various series of crime novels.
He is married with three children and lives in Burpham, near Arundel, West Sussex, England. He is the current president of the Detection Club.
He is the son of a Chartered Surveyor and was educated at Dulwich College and Wadham College, Oxford, where he got a first class honours degree in English.
He then joined the BBC as a trainee and worked for BBC Radio and London Weekend Television, where his work included 'Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and 'Frank Muir Goes Into ...'.
After his spells with the media he began devoting most of his time to writing from the late 1970s and is well known for his various series of crime novels.
He is married with three children and lives in Burpham, near Arundel, West Sussex, England. He is the current president of the Detection Club.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
June 11, 2022
Very enjoyable. 3.5 ⭐ 😁
March 2, 2025
Surprise, surprise! I had read this one before. I didn't recognize the title (although it should be memorable) before picking it up, but as I went on it started sounding more familiar. Typical with me, although I remembered bits and pieces of it, most of it was still a mystery to me and required little or no yelling at the book. In this book Jude and Carole lament their lack of access to forensic evidence. The police just make things so hard for the amateur sleuth! Jude's uncharacteristic attention to detail and an overly handy diary solve one mystery.
I like the way Brett sums things up at the end of each of these books. He tells you what happens to the various characters - I guess so you don't worry about them or you get all cross if they got away with something because they're well-connected or rich and powerful.
In a side note, I don't do the same reading Jude does ... where does one read about "the connection between horse mutilation and paedophilia"?! In The Journal of the Horse Mutilators and The Paedophilia Gazette?
Third time to read (apparently) and I don't remember any of this. Good characters. Just a little brain candy to while away the time.
I like the way Brett sums things up at the end of each of these books. He tells you what happens to the various characters - I guess so you don't worry about them or you get all cross if they got away with something because they're well-connected or rich and powerful.
In a side note, I don't do the same reading Jude does ... where does one read about "the connection between horse mutilation and paedophilia"?! In The Journal of the Horse Mutilators and The Paedophilia Gazette?
Third time to read (apparently) and I don't remember any of this. Good characters. Just a little brain candy to while away the time.
January 14, 2024
The newspapers in Fethering are abuzz with the horrible exploits of a criminal known as the Horse Ripper, who attacks mares in their stables in the dark of night. Things become even worse when a human victim - stabbed to death at Long Bamber Stables - is discovered. That gruesome discovery is made by one of our favorite Fethering sleuths, which leads to their becoming embroiled in another murder mystery.
Once again the strength of Simon Brett's Fethering series is his characters. Not just the leads - reserved, tidy Carole and open, untidy Jude - but also the supporting cast introduced for the mystery. Their personalities become clearer as the story unfolds, and the revelations at the end of the tale make much sense to the reader as events flow from those personalities. The mystery is a good one, and I did not anticipate the reveals at its end.
And of course the relationship between Carole and Jude is a major draw, as their "odd couple" friendship deepens. There are also significant developments in Carole's life. Carole does appear to be Brett's favorite of the two; he spends time exploring the thoughts and motivations of both characters, but the focus is clearly on Carole. It further appears in the writing that Brett may not be that fond of her (I am), but he nevertheless he describes an interesting person. The best writers can put aside personal preferences - be it attitudes, belief systems or politics - and write for the character instead of for the author (or even the reader).
This series is best read in order, although it is not a necessity.
Once again the strength of Simon Brett's Fethering series is his characters. Not just the leads - reserved, tidy Carole and open, untidy Jude - but also the supporting cast introduced for the mystery. Their personalities become clearer as the story unfolds, and the revelations at the end of the tale make much sense to the reader as events flow from those personalities. The mystery is a good one, and I did not anticipate the reveals at its end.
And of course the relationship between Carole and Jude is a major draw, as their "odd couple" friendship deepens. There are also significant developments in Carole's life. Carole does appear to be Brett's favorite of the two; he spends time exploring the thoughts and motivations of both characters, but the focus is clearly on Carole. It further appears in the writing that Brett may not be that fond of her (I am), but he nevertheless he describes an interesting person. The best writers can put aside personal preferences - be it attitudes, belief systems or politics - and write for the character instead of for the author (or even the reader).
This series is best read in order, although it is not a necessity.
July 22, 2021
Ohhhhhh boy!! This one was sooooooo good. WHOOSH! I never, ever, saw that coming.
November 26, 2016
Not the strongest in the series, but still amusing and enhanced by the performance of the greatly missed Ralph Cosham, under his Geoffrey Howard pseudonym
July 13, 2021
When Jude’s asked to help heal one of her friend’s horses, she doesn’t expect to find a body at the riding stables. But this is Fethering and murder is never far away. Jude’s friend and fellow sleuth Carol has her own problems. She senses marital problems for her newly-wed son and his wife.
With the police releasing no information about their investigation, Jude and Carole have to resort to what they do best – make their own enquiries. They soon latch onto a former Irish jockey and horse whisperer, who seems to know a lot more about the murder than he’s willing to tell.
Like the previous books in the series, this one is filled with the usual red herrings, humour and puzzles to solve. Jude and Carole slowly work their way to the truth, putting themselves in danger once more as events twist in an unexpected direction.
Their chalk and cheese relationship provides additional layers of conflict and humour as their friendship and partnership overcomes all challenges to solve another murder.
If you like a cosy mystery with a strong underbelly of humour and social comment, the Fethering Village mysteries may be just what you’re looking for.
With the police releasing no information about their investigation, Jude and Carole have to resort to what they do best – make their own enquiries. They soon latch onto a former Irish jockey and horse whisperer, who seems to know a lot more about the murder than he’s willing to tell.
Like the previous books in the series, this one is filled with the usual red herrings, humour and puzzles to solve. Jude and Carole slowly work their way to the truth, putting themselves in danger once more as events twist in an unexpected direction.
Their chalk and cheese relationship provides additional layers of conflict and humour as their friendship and partnership overcomes all challenges to solve another murder.
If you like a cosy mystery with a strong underbelly of humour and social comment, the Fethering Village mysteries may be just what you’re looking for.
July 18, 2020
There is, as usual, a humorous tone (e.g. "with Carole still looking like a finalist in the Miss Paranoia Competition..."). The horse people are less interesting than other groups Brett has introduced into the series. Why does he mention Jude's plumpness throughout the story? It's almost to the point of, "Jude, who hadn't lost any weight overnight, woke up determined to find out who the murderer was."
April 24, 2025
Simon Brett’s exquisite humor shown through with the relating of the two main characters thoughts about each other which left me chuckling out loud on more than one occasion. (I listen to a narrated version.)
July 11, 2014
Someone is out there mutilating horses. Jude is branching out into horse healing, or trying to. But apparently Donald has the inside track.
A horse owner asks Jude for her help with a horse but she's late for the appointment. So Jude is all alone when she gets there. Or so she thinks. There is also the late Walter who won't be missed by his wife. Apparently there are beaucoup unhappy marriages in this area. And Carol is afraid her son's may be one of them.
Relatively interesting since I don't know that much about horses. Although I did take a couple of lessons at a local stable when young. And I recall several times riding in Wisconsin and Idaho. Usually those horses were trying to bite me or ride me into the bushes (okay this might have been the operator's fault). So I don't know much about stables or horses.
But maybe I didn't have to for this.
When a man confesses and no one but the wife who is dumping him thinks he did it then the question has to be asked - why? I figured out why. Many other questions abound, though.
A horse owner asks Jude for her help with a horse but she's late for the appointment. So Jude is all alone when she gets there. Or so she thinks. There is also the late Walter who won't be missed by his wife. Apparently there are beaucoup unhappy marriages in this area. And Carol is afraid her son's may be one of them.
Relatively interesting since I don't know that much about horses. Although I did take a couple of lessons at a local stable when young. And I recall several times riding in Wisconsin and Idaho. Usually those horses were trying to bite me or ride me into the bushes (okay this might have been the operator's fault). So I don't know much about stables or horses.
But maybe I didn't have to for this.
When a man confesses and no one but the wife who is dumping him thinks he did it then the question has to be asked - why? I figured out why. Many other questions abound, though.
February 1, 2018
I enjoy Simon Brett. We may not learn what makes the characters tick, but their roles are clear and the " who dunit" aspect is well-done: I continually thought I had figured it out, but was proved wrong time and again. The plot revolves around the death of a man who owned some stables for riding and boarding horses. Brett's suburban women neighbors, Jude and Carole, come upon the murder victim and struggle to solve the mystery. A young school girl spends lots of time riding a borrowed horse for solace in her dysfunctional family. The horse's owner has twin daughters away at boarding school, and is happy for someone to keep the horse exercised. Then there is the ne'er do well retired jockey who is a horse "healer."
There are some edgy moments for the characters before the full story reveals the murderer.
There are some edgy moments for the characters before the full story reveals the murderer.
April 9, 2021
Simon Brett has long been a star in the mystery writing game, and he shows here he hasn’t lost a thing. #7 in the Fethering Mystery series, and quite a good one.
There is a stabbing at a local equestrian center, as well as an onging series of horse mutilations. The killing brings things to a new level, and our estimable team of amateur sleuths Carole and Jude are drawn into the investigations (and largely force their way in, as per usual!). Brett gives us lots of action, character development, red herrings and more, keeping us riveted on the story; the plot is quite satisfying, and the denouement has something for everyone.
There are lots more in the series, and I’ll be reading them all.
There is a stabbing at a local equestrian center, as well as an onging series of horse mutilations. The killing brings things to a new level, and our estimable team of amateur sleuths Carole and Jude are drawn into the investigations (and largely force their way in, as per usual!). Brett gives us lots of action, character development, red herrings and more, keeping us riveted on the story; the plot is quite satisfying, and the denouement has something for everyone.
There are lots more in the series, and I’ll be reading them all.
March 3, 2023
Another winner from Simon
I have really enjoyed all of the books in this series so far. I love the relationship between the two main characters and the way their personalities work on each other for the better. They are so well written that I am unable to work out the solution to the mystery so I'm thoroughly hooked right to the end. Very good read.
I have really enjoyed all of the books in this series so far. I love the relationship between the two main characters and the way their personalities work on each other for the better. They are so well written that I am unable to work out the solution to the mystery so I'm thoroughly hooked right to the end. Very good read.
July 22, 2022
Jude tries to heal a horse, to no avail! But it leads us to another murder! Carole keeps trying to support Jude by driving her unwittingly into danger! Yet again the constant attempts to not hurt each other’s feelings does not help with crime solving.
February 12, 2014
Great book for us horse people! Accurate so it doesn't irritate you when you're reading about details!
May 3, 2023
A Library find.
Enjoyable!
Fun!
Colorful characters!
A bit of witt and a bit of humor!
Don't miss!
Enjoy!
Enjoyable!
Fun!
Colorful characters!
A bit of witt and a bit of humor!
Don't miss!
Enjoy!
August 1, 2025
I love the way that author Simon Brett increases the difficulty of the challenge he faces as an author, as he ups the stakes of writing craft during the Fethering series.
In this volume of the Fethering series, THE STABBING IN THE STABLES, it is made vivid to us how amateur sleuths are at the mercy of a lack of evidence, a lack of forensic analysis and a lack of the whole police procedure apparatus that detectives enjoy.
So when Jude finds the dead body of a man in the local stables, who has been stabbed, she has to spend most of the novel wondering what the police think of this mysterious death.
But that does not make this novel boring. Far from it, for the amateur sleuth pair of Jude (last name infrequently given) and her neurotic side-kick Carole Seddon are resourceful ladies, who manage to eventually figure out what is going on, sans police help.
Jude is a healer, and as the novel goes along she realizes that there is something very wrong with one of her clients Sonia Dalrymple. Sonia is connected to the stable world of West Sussex via her love of horses, but she frequently calls on Jude because she is in so much pain, she can scarcely move. Jude starts to notice a pattern in these problems. Sonia seems much more relaxed when her husband Nicky (an international banker) is away from home on one of his frequent trips abroad. When he is actually present, Sonia’s problems return. In the meantime, Carole strikes up a friendship with the self-absorbed Hilary Potter, whose teenaged daughter Imogen has a passion for horses,
Throught such two disparate lines of inquiry, Jude and Carole are able to determine who really stabbed Walter Fleet and who is responsible for the "horse-ripper" mutilations of the mares in the surrouding countryside.
Although Simon Brett is a man, he writes with great sensitivity about women, including domestic violence (Sonia’s husband Nicky regularly beats her up) and divorce. Hilary Potter and her husband Alec are moving inexorably towards divorce, and the whole tension and drama around it are having a really negative effect on their teenaged daughter Imogen. There is no way to really make vivid to someone who has not experienced divorce just how devastating it can be for the child caught in the middle of it. As children have very little agency, they are force to watch, helpless, as their family breaks apart. It is like having the rug pulled out from under you. It is like watching your house collapse, until it is a rubble of broken bricks and broken stabs of glass. Nothing seems certain, everything seems chaotic, and the child iin the middle often assumes that they must have done something terrible to bring this on.
This is the situation that thirteen-year-old Imogen finds herself in. She is not helped by her self-absorbed mother (whom she hates) or her unreliable father (whom she adores.) Not surprisingly, she is a very angry young lady who cracks under all this emotional pressure. All these emotional pressures come to a head near the end of this novel, which author Simon Brett manages to solve in a very satisfactory way.
In this volume of the Fethering series, THE STABBING IN THE STABLES, it is made vivid to us how amateur sleuths are at the mercy of a lack of evidence, a lack of forensic analysis and a lack of the whole police procedure apparatus that detectives enjoy.
So when Jude finds the dead body of a man in the local stables, who has been stabbed, she has to spend most of the novel wondering what the police think of this mysterious death.
But that does not make this novel boring. Far from it, for the amateur sleuth pair of Jude (last name infrequently given) and her neurotic side-kick Carole Seddon are resourceful ladies, who manage to eventually figure out what is going on, sans police help.
Jude is a healer, and as the novel goes along she realizes that there is something very wrong with one of her clients Sonia Dalrymple. Sonia is connected to the stable world of West Sussex via her love of horses, but she frequently calls on Jude because she is in so much pain, she can scarcely move. Jude starts to notice a pattern in these problems. Sonia seems much more relaxed when her husband Nicky (an international banker) is away from home on one of his frequent trips abroad. When he is actually present, Sonia’s problems return. In the meantime, Carole strikes up a friendship with the self-absorbed Hilary Potter, whose teenaged daughter Imogen has a passion for horses,
Throught such two disparate lines of inquiry, Jude and Carole are able to determine who really stabbed Walter Fleet and who is responsible for the "horse-ripper" mutilations of the mares in the surrouding countryside.
Although Simon Brett is a man, he writes with great sensitivity about women, including domestic violence (Sonia’s husband Nicky regularly beats her up) and divorce. Hilary Potter and her husband Alec are moving inexorably towards divorce, and the whole tension and drama around it are having a really negative effect on their teenaged daughter Imogen. There is no way to really make vivid to someone who has not experienced divorce just how devastating it can be for the child caught in the middle of it. As children have very little agency, they are force to watch, helpless, as their family breaks apart. It is like having the rug pulled out from under you. It is like watching your house collapse, until it is a rubble of broken bricks and broken stabs of glass. Nothing seems certain, everything seems chaotic, and the child iin the middle often assumes that they must have done something terrible to bring this on.
This is the situation that thirteen-year-old Imogen finds herself in. She is not helped by her self-absorbed mother (whom she hates) or her unreliable father (whom she adores.) Not surprisingly, she is a very angry young lady who cracks under all this emotional pressure. All these emotional pressures come to a head near the end of this novel, which author Simon Brett manages to solve in a very satisfactory way.
February 14, 2025
Carole and Jude are at it again! Jude has some friends that run a stable. Turns out someone has been abusing the horses. Police haven't caught the perpetrator yet, but things turn more dire when someone is discovered dead.
Jude and Carole find themselves getting wrapped up in the lives at people around the stables. The wealthy wife whose husband is abusive, the lonely girl who loves the horses, the parents going through a nasty divorce, the drunk stablehand who can cure any horse but gets in fights all the time - really it could be anyone at this point.
While this wasn't my favorite of the mysteries it was still completely enjoyable. Jude and Carole are such fun characters. Here are a couple of my favorite quotes:
When you were genuinely ill you went to your GP and when you weren't genuinely ill you put up and shut up.
Carole wanted to organize every moment of the future to within a whiff of its life.
Ted tells Carole that it must be hard going through life being so suspicious of everyone and Carole responds, "I assure you it's quite easy." It just makes me giggle.
I was extremely sad to see that this is the last book that has an audiobook available. Not that I mind reading, but I've listened to all the others and it's always hard to switch mediums mid-series. It rubbed salt in the wound, because this is the second British mystery series this has happened on in the past couple of months. Nuts.
Oh well, what can you do. I look forward to more adventures with Jude and Carole in the future.
Jude and Carole find themselves getting wrapped up in the lives at people around the stables. The wealthy wife whose husband is abusive, the lonely girl who loves the horses, the parents going through a nasty divorce, the drunk stablehand who can cure any horse but gets in fights all the time - really it could be anyone at this point.
While this wasn't my favorite of the mysteries it was still completely enjoyable. Jude and Carole are such fun characters. Here are a couple of my favorite quotes:
When you were genuinely ill you went to your GP and when you weren't genuinely ill you put up and shut up.
Carole wanted to organize every moment of the future to within a whiff of its life.
Ted tells Carole that it must be hard going through life being so suspicious of everyone and Carole responds, "I assure you it's quite easy." It just makes me giggle.
I was extremely sad to see that this is the last book that has an audiobook available. Not that I mind reading, but I've listened to all the others and it's always hard to switch mediums mid-series. It rubbed salt in the wound, because this is the second British mystery series this has happened on in the past couple of months. Nuts.
Oh well, what can you do. I look forward to more adventures with Jude and Carole in the future.
August 16, 2022
Jude and Carole try to solve a murder among the horsey set, amidst a series of mutilating attacks on mares in the area.
This is a pretty standard cozy mystery. Events of note:
-Jude has an ethical dilemma.
-Carole worries about trouble in her son’s fledgling marriage.
-A recurring character gets stabbbed.
-Carole and Jude do not solve the murder. One of them just happens to be present when the guilty party confesses.
-Carole bets on a horse.
I was more than usually irritated by the duo’s presumption that they have the right to disturb crime scenes and break into property owned by others. The last third of the book dragged, and I skimmed until a) I found out what was going on with Carole’s son and b) which was much less interesting, I found out who committed the murder.
Normally I would say to listen to the audiobook to soak up the lovely voice of Geoffrey Howard (aka Ralph Cosham), and I did listen to the first two thirds, but I switched to the ebook so I could skim to the the end.
This is a pretty standard cozy mystery. Events of note:
-Jude has an ethical dilemma.
-Carole worries about trouble in her son’s fledgling marriage.
-A recurring character gets stabbbed.
-Carole and Jude do not solve the murder. One of them just happens to be present when the guilty party confesses.
-Carole bets on a horse.
I was more than usually irritated by the duo’s presumption that they have the right to disturb crime scenes and break into property owned by others. The last third of the book dragged, and I skimmed until a) I found out what was going on with Carole’s son and b) which was much less interesting, I found out who committed the murder.
Normally I would say to listen to the audiobook to soak up the lovely voice of Geoffrey Howard (aka Ralph Cosham), and I did listen to the first two thirds, but I switched to the ebook so I could skim to the the end.
September 5, 2018
Another very enjoyable so episode in this series. Simon Brett is an underrated writer who deals with problem areas in society with sensitivity and understanding through his chalk and cheese investigative duo, the restrained Carol and the freer Jude, both of whom learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses.
Good fun and well-plotted, too!
The GR blurb:
'Fethering's favorite sleuths are at it again as Jude and Carole find themselves in the midst of some horseplay, after stumbling upon the body of ex-equestrian Walter Fleet at Long Bamber Stables.
The police attribute the stabbing death to the mysterious "Horse Ripper," who's been mutilating mares across West Sussex-and who Walter obviously caught in the act. But considering Walter's track record out of the saddle, Jude and Carole find that there are plenty of suspects- including Walter's put-upon wife and more than a few jealous husbands who wanted Walter put out to pasture.'
Good fun and well-plotted, too!
The GR blurb:
'Fethering's favorite sleuths are at it again as Jude and Carole find themselves in the midst of some horseplay, after stumbling upon the body of ex-equestrian Walter Fleet at Long Bamber Stables.
The police attribute the stabbing death to the mysterious "Horse Ripper," who's been mutilating mares across West Sussex-and who Walter obviously caught in the act. But considering Walter's track record out of the saddle, Jude and Carole find that there are plenty of suspects- including Walter's put-upon wife and more than a few jealous husbands who wanted Walter put out to pasture.'
August 5, 2025
Carol and Jude are invesitagting again. They go to a local stables where they are supposed to meet the owner of a horse. The stables are in darkness so, using a torch, they enter the yard. What looks like a pile of cloth is laying on the ground - only it's not a pile of cloth but a clothed dead body. A gate is heard closing. Carol goes to the tack room to wait while Jude goes to the house. Suspicion is cast on a number of locals: Nicky, a globe-trotting banker with anger issues who beats his wife; Alan Potton, a local philanderer who is being divorced by his wife: Donal, an Irish ex-jockey who is brilliant with horses but doesn't remember the fights he gets into apart the pain afterwards. There is also the issue of the horse ripper - someone who is slashing mares in the fields. Can the ladies crack the cases without upsetting too many people?
With quite a few twists and turns, this story is great fun in places and edge of the seat stuff in others. Really enjoyed it.
With quite a few twists and turns, this story is great fun in places and edge of the seat stuff in others. Really enjoyed it.
February 21, 2020
I picked this because I love horses and I owned one for 20 years. I also read Book 1 in this series and Jude and Carole Seddon, the sleuths in this series find themselves in the midst of some horseplay, after stumbling upon the body of ex-equestrian Walter Fleet at Long Bamber Stables.
The police attribute the stabbing death to the mysterious "Horse Ripper," who's been mutilating mares across West Sussex-and who Walter obviously caught in the act. There is a young girl who loves the horses there and is very concerned about their safety but the owner's of the stable tell her things are being taken care of by the authorities but considering Walter's track record out of the saddle, Jude and Carole find that there are plenty of suspects- including Walter's put-upon wife and more than a few jealous husbands who wanted Walter put out to pasture.
The police attribute the stabbing death to the mysterious "Horse Ripper," who's been mutilating mares across West Sussex-and who Walter obviously caught in the act. There is a young girl who loves the horses there and is very concerned about their safety but the owner's of the stable tell her things are being taken care of by the authorities but considering Walter's track record out of the saddle, Jude and Carole find that there are plenty of suspects- including Walter's put-upon wife and more than a few jealous husbands who wanted Walter put out to pasture.
July 1, 2021
Jude is at the Long Bamber Stable to check on Sonia's lame horse, and finds the dead body of Walter Fleet, the co owner of the stable with his wife Lucinda. Jude and Carole decide to investigate the death. The plot is quite complicated, as there are several possible suspects, including the Horse Ripper who has been killing mares in several stables in the area, Donald, who in spite of being drunk most of the time is attractive to women; and the father of Imogen who was at the stables a lot; Walter's wife, who knew he was sleeping around.
Then it seems that Donald might be blackmailing a few people, possibly Sonia who is married to a wealthy man who appears to be abusing her, and another couple Jude and Carole see at a horse race. Both Jude and Carole are divorced, and it seems there are several other women around who should be.
However, the surprise murderer is revealed at the end.
Then it seems that Donald might be blackmailing a few people, possibly Sonia who is married to a wealthy man who appears to be abusing her, and another couple Jude and Carole see at a horse race. Both Jude and Carole are divorced, and it seems there are several other women around who should be.
However, the surprise murderer is revealed at the end.
November 25, 2021
Brett, Simon. The Stabbing in the Stable. Fethering No. 7. Berkley, 2006.
Fethering is one of those quaint English towns with a very high murder rate that nobody seems to notice. The American version is the Cabot Cove of Murder, She Wrote. Two retired women, Jude and Carol, stumble into body after body, and after a while, figure out who done it. Simon Brett is an old hand at the cozy murder mystery, and he brings to it a little more character development, social consciousness, and understated satire than most other cozy writers can manage. This time Jude and Carol discover, not only the titular body in the stable but a variety of people whose lives need fixing and one person whose life is irredeemable. Brett writes the perfect bedtime mystery. Agatha Christie never did it better. 4 stars.
Fethering is one of those quaint English towns with a very high murder rate that nobody seems to notice. The American version is the Cabot Cove of Murder, She Wrote. Two retired women, Jude and Carol, stumble into body after body, and after a while, figure out who done it. Simon Brett is an old hand at the cozy murder mystery, and he brings to it a little more character development, social consciousness, and understated satire than most other cozy writers can manage. This time Jude and Carol discover, not only the titular body in the stable but a variety of people whose lives need fixing and one person whose life is irredeemable. Brett writes the perfect bedtime mystery. Agatha Christie never did it better. 4 stars.
January 7, 2024
And they’re off……….Carole and Jude gallop off into the treachery of the “horsey-set”.
They turn up lots of muck before they harness the killer. This was Book #7 and these earlier ones are much better than the current ones. I’m filling in the ones I’ve missed between 1-21.
The characters are much better defined and the plot has some meat to it. In the later books Carole is whiney and bitter and Jude is too engrossed in healing. 20 and 21 seemed like they were put together via paste and copy.
I didn’t like the jockey being referred to as a Pygmy- Author always seems to throw in a nasty dig.
I have a few more before I can tell the ladies goodbye. I think Simon Brett should do the same - kill ‘em off!!
They turn up lots of muck before they harness the killer. This was Book #7 and these earlier ones are much better than the current ones. I’m filling in the ones I’ve missed between 1-21.
The characters are much better defined and the plot has some meat to it. In the later books Carole is whiney and bitter and Jude is too engrossed in healing. 20 and 21 seemed like they were put together via paste and copy.
I didn’t like the jockey being referred to as a Pygmy- Author always seems to throw in a nasty dig.
I have a few more before I can tell the ladies goodbye. I think Simon Brett should do the same - kill ‘em off!!
April 18, 2024
The last of my Simon Brett books. Probably my least favourite of the 3 I had. I‘m not a horsey person so the stabling and racing aspects of the plot not my thing.
Annoyed by SB‘s seeming insinuation about behaviour of teenage girls (boys can do an impressive shrug and humph too). While Nicky not a pleasant character I don’t see why Sonia had to always pack for his many overseas trips and then get an ear bashing if she forgot something. Not integral to the story - just made me feel SB has certain views re females plus their roles.
Character called Hilary.
Pg 146 At the reception, a smartly suited young man of exquisite manners and a vestigial Swiss accent directed her to the spa entrance…..
Annoyed by SB‘s seeming insinuation about behaviour of teenage girls (boys can do an impressive shrug and humph too). While Nicky not a pleasant character I don’t see why Sonia had to always pack for his many overseas trips and then get an ear bashing if she forgot something. Not integral to the story - just made me feel SB has certain views re females plus their roles.
Character called Hilary.
Pg 146 At the reception, a smartly suited young man of exquisite manners and a vestigial Swiss accent directed her to the spa entrance…..
February 21, 2019
Jude has been asked to use her skills as a healer on a horse, and Carole drives Jude to the stables. The horse's owner is not there, but the stable owner is--dead. So once again, Jude and Carole have a case of murder to look into. There are secrets aplenty amongst the frequenters of the stables, and ferreting them out takes Carole's mind off the worrying silence from her son and his new wife.
There seemed to be more bits than I have noticed before with this author. Those I noted:
p 59 para 4: in line2, delete "they" and in line 3, after "things" insert "they do".
p 90 para 5 line 8: substitute "a long" for "along".
p 195 para 8 line 2: insert "I" after "if".
There seemed to be more bits than I have noticed before with this author. Those I noted:
p 59 para 4: in line2, delete "they" and in line 3, after "things" insert "they do".
p 90 para 5 line 8: substitute "a long" for "along".
p 195 para 8 line 2: insert "I" after "if".
Read
December 10, 2021Jude stumbles on a dead body when she goes to help a friend with her horse.
This installment in the Fethering series was a little more predictable than some of the others. Not completely, but in the perpetrator of the murder, in the area around domestic violence and around pregnancy. I started having inklings about these things partway through the book.
This installment was fairly formulaic, but comforting in the formula.
This installment in the Fethering series was a little more predictable than some of the others. Not completely, but in the perpetrator of the murder, in the area around domestic violence and around pregnancy. I started having inklings about these things partway through the book.
This installment was fairly formulaic, but comforting in the formula.
September 8, 2024
The Fethering mysteries books can be called "cozy plus." The heroines are neighbors, Jude and Carole, who are amateur sleuths that love solving crimes before the police. The two women are different in their personalities but they get along and work together. I enjoyed this book very much. Simon Brett infuses his mysteries with enough humor for them to be fun, and yet the stories are more hard boiled than a regular cozy mystery.
January 9, 2018
This was actually a pretty good mystery. First one where the climax didn't involve Carole or Jude stupidly stumbling into a mess with the murderer requiring rescue, usually by the other. I've come to wonder if Brett himself is an alcoholic, given Charles Paris and the portrayal of alcoholics and use of alcohol in this series
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2020
Simon Brett provides plenty of twists and turns. And Ralph Cosham gives an excellent reading. But somehow I was was vaguely dissatisfied. I think many of the characters had shifting personalities. Perhaps Carole and Jude are evolving a bit as the series progresses. Perhaps I will need to get used to it. ( I am still greatly enjoying the Fethering serie.)
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