Births, Marriages and Death

by Will Templeton

Edward Maxey, Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages for a town in South Yorkshire, is approached by distressed Spanish girl Alicia for help in finding her erstwhile lover, and is so captivated by her childlike naivety and vulnerability that he is moved to assist her. When the man in question is found dead she becomes the prime suspect and Maxey himself is implicated. Convinced of the girl’s innocence Maxey jeopardises his career and his family by shielding Alicia from the attentions of the police, even though one of the detectives on the case is Maxey’s lifelong friend, Detective Sergeant Luke Preston. Wading through a maze of suspects and confusion Preston must juggle this investigation alongside the search for a group of missing children, whose safety is increasingly at risk.

419 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2019

Reviews

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a novel that starts slowly but builds to a satisfying conclusion. The characters of Edward and Luke are excellent and I like the intertwining stories that form the main part of the plot. The author was a registrar and that knowledge shines through. It’s a story that will stay with you as you read and leave you wanting more. I hope this will be a series and that we hear more from Edward and Luke. A solid 4.5* read for me

[Lexie Conyngham · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting set up, a registry office, and it's well used. The start is slow and for my own personal preference I like a book where I try to work out the offender along with the investigators, rather than see them in action in parallel with the investigation. But the characters are well-drawn, if often very unpleasant – though even then the unpleasantness is not unmixed with common humanity. And the plot is well-constructed, too. Altogether a good read.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well thought out and written debut thriller from Will. A tentative start that builds tension and suspense as it goes! A good mix of characters with many twists. Luke and Ed have a great friendship and I hope there will be more from them in the future. ‘Later’..’Gator’

[Steve Munoz · Rating 5 out of 5]

After having read and enjoyed several of Will Templeton’s short stories, I finally have caught up with his novel, Births, Marriages, and Deaths. Happy I did because Templeton is one very very good writer, and this is one very very good book.
Not many would think the lives of a Registrar and small town DI would be exciting, least of all said characters and friends, Edward Maxey and Luke Preston, but as the novel’s title implies, these three significant life events whose details are overseen by a Registrar propel the them into a gripping story, involving murder and testing the strength of their friendship. The story has an excellent build up in pace with moments of darkness, offset with humor, emotion, and a few ‘Hitchcock-esque’ twists, which leave you thinking ‘nicely done, Mr. Templeton.’
The standout for me are the book’s characters- the way they act when alone and with each other, their thoughts and interior monologues, all deftly done. A beautiful example which stuck with me involves the character Donna Lawson rationalizing her relationship with her cheat of a husband which carries her through thoughts of her home, silly names, old friends and the dawning realization of her loneliness - it’s brilliant, and if I were a writer I’d be studying it’s structure because it rings so true. I gave this book a 5 and have added it to my favorites of the year.

[Phillip Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slow burn crime drama that builds to a big conclusion

Ed Maxey, registrar of births, marriages and deaths unexpectedly sees his life upended when he chivalrously aids a distressed young woman seeking help in the search for her absent lover. When shortly after their meeting the young woman stands prime suspect in the man’s death, Maxey finds himself assisting her in evading the police, putting his friendship with lifelong friend DS Luke Preston in jeopardy as the police officer comes under pressure to find the brutal killer and solve a string of child disappearances.

Will Templeton’s Births, marriages and death is a great read and reminiscent of some great recent British TV crime dramas like Happy Valley, The Bay, Liar and Broadchurch. We are dropped right into the middle of a twisting story that cuts across relationships and families and is set in a close community where secrets and lies can take on a life of their own with devastating results.
Will cuts the narrative deftly scene by scene pacing the novel perfectly with a very visual feel as he weaves the two driving storylines around each other to a satisfying conclusion.
A large cast of diverse characters complements complex plotting and a likeable duo of leads. I really enjoyed it and thoroughly recommend if you enjoy a contemporary whodunnit.

[Kymmy ST · Rating 5 out of 5]

More more more.....

5 stars because I want more!
The main characters are written superbly. They are engaging and believable and enjoyable.
The storyline is so engaging you become hooked, you need to know what happens so you keep turning the pages.
I was so happy to see that Will Templeton is working on book 2. When 2 characters are written so well and the ability to write such an engrossing story line, it would be a dreadful shame to not have more.
Later...gator!

[Kath Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic debut novel, involving two best mates, one, Preston, a Detective Inspector and the other, Maxey, a Registrar. There’s been a murder and a messy one too. The victim had had an affair with a young girl in Spain when ‘on business’ and she’s been writing to him. He’d given her his friend’s address so she came to visit the wrong person. The friend’s son has been sucked into a gang and involved in criminal activity – and other things. These two groups finally mesh together in a clever bit of plotting. But Maxey finds himself hiding important evidence from his friend. Can their friendship survive? Who thought being a registrar could be so dangerous an occupation? I found this a real page-turner of a book and I look forward to more from Will Templeton.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an accomplished debut novel! Life kept getting in the way whilst reading this which was annoying because I wanted to lose myself amongst its pages. Fortunately Will is a good writer, so when life permitted, I was able to read a good chunk at a time, and not get lost wondering what was going on. The characters and plot were well thought out (I love believable characters and the plot was entirely plausible), and I really enjoyed how Will's experiences were woven into the story. This book works well as a standalone but I could see a life for a couple of characters if Will chose to revisit them in the future. It's an honour to say that I am very proud, and exceedingly pleased, for my friend and what he's accomplished with Births, Marriages and Death!

[Amanda Pope · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a crime novel which has some police procedural elements and lots of twists and turns.
Will Templeton has a real talent for entwining murder and mayhem with every day life. He sets the scene with vivid description, depicting environments that seem familiar, places I could relate to. This made it easy to slip inside the story and become totally absorbed.
His characters are multi dimensional and have real substance. They were folk I felt I vaguely knew (but didn't always like!) They interacted with the plot brilliantly to keep me guessing. A few gory bits, some moments that shocked and surprised me, this book kept me guessing to the end.

[T.K. Geering · Rating 5 out of 5]

This debut novel from Will Templeton became a real page turner after a slow start. A registrar of Births Deaths and Marriages and a detective, seemingly good friends end up on a collision course over a missing Spanish girl who is suspect in a murder. As the story moves on young lads who have gone off the rails begin to go missing and who would have thought that farm animals would have been involved?
I enjoyed this storyline and its eventual fast moving pace, and found myself turning chapter after chapter to its conclusion. The epilogue for me drew out the natural conclusions to my satisfaction. Highly recommended.

[Joyce Rigg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a bit depressed now because I have just heard that this is Will Templeton’s first novel, I can only hope he is busy writing his next. At the beginning I was confused as so many people were introduced in short bursts. Had it been a paperback it would have been easy to flick back and forth but it was on kindle. However the various characters and storylines soon came together and from then on I couldn’t put it down. More than one crime, lots of suspects, believable characters, some you want to hug, others you want to slap. I love this book and cannot recommend it highly enough.

[Neil Snowdon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good South Yorkshire mystery, set in the grimy towns and lives of good, old Yorkshire folk! The story is made for a television drama series, if the TV companies had any sense! A lothario meets a grisly end and his heartbroken victim is an early suspect. The plot thickens and includes scenes which may put you off bacon for a while! I look forward to more output from this enterprising writer.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the background and found the characters very engaging. I especially liked Maxey, the Registrar. The plot has lots of twists and turns with a very satisfying resolution. I really, really hope this is the start of a series. Can't wait to read more from this talented writer.

[Brian Caves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Will Templeton for a cracking read. Breath of fresh air in terms of plot and characters. Twisty and intelligently written with two main characters bringing the threads of the story together at the expense of their friendship which becomes increasingly tenuous as the story unfolds. A different, well written and paced crime story with a satisfying conclusion

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent first novel...great characters within an intriguing and well written plot. Brilliant murder mystery that I couldn't read fast enough! Hoping there will be more publications from Will soon.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book with interesting characters. Looking forward to the next.