What do you think?
Rate this book
Lake District Mystery #3
The Arsenic Labyrinth
After 10 years, Guy--a drifter with a taste for deception--has returned to Coniston in England's Lake District. A local journalist, Tony di Venuto, is campaigning to revive interest in the disappearance of Emma Bestwick, and Guy knows what happened to her.
When he tips off the newspaperman that Emma will not be coming home, DCI Hannah Scarlett, head of Cumbria's Cold Case Review Team, re-opens the old investigation. Her enquiries take her to the Museum of Myth and Legend and to the remote and eerie Arsenic Labyrinth--a series of stone tunnels used to remove arsenic from tin ore.
Meanwhile, historian Daniel Kind is immersing himself in the work of John Ruskin, whose neighbors created the Arsenic Labyrinth. A shocking discovery makes it clear to Hannah that there is not one mystery to solve, but two, and she turns to Daniel for help in untangling the secrets of the past. As Hannah and Daniel struggle to resist a growing but dangerous attraction, Guy's plan to make a quick buck runs into trouble, and he has to resort to desperate measures. Someone is determined to kill to keep their secrets safe.
Set against the stunning backdrop of the Lake District in winter, the novel depicts how passionate relationships can lead to obsession and murder.
When he tips off the newspaperman that Emma will not be coming home, DCI Hannah Scarlett, head of Cumbria's Cold Case Review Team, re-opens the old investigation. Her enquiries take her to the Museum of Myth and Legend and to the remote and eerie Arsenic Labyrinth--a series of stone tunnels used to remove arsenic from tin ore.
Meanwhile, historian Daniel Kind is immersing himself in the work of John Ruskin, whose neighbors created the Arsenic Labyrinth. A shocking discovery makes it clear to Hannah that there is not one mystery to solve, but two, and she turns to Daniel for help in untangling the secrets of the past. As Hannah and Daniel struggle to resist a growing but dangerous attraction, Guy's plan to make a quick buck runs into trouble, and he has to resort to desperate measures. Someone is determined to kill to keep their secrets safe.
Set against the stunning backdrop of the Lake District in winter, the novel depicts how passionate relationships can lead to obsession and murder.
294 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
104 people are currently reading
442 people want to read
About the author
Martin Edwards
358 books811 followersMartin Edwards has been described by Richard Osman as ‘a true master of British crime writing.’ He has published twenty-three novels, which include the eight Lake District Mysteries, one of which was shortlisted for the Theakston’s Prize for best crime novel of the year and four books featuring Rachel Savernake, including the Dagger-nominated Gallows Court and Blackstone Fell, while Gallows Court and Sepulchre Street were shortlisted for the eDunnit award for best crime novel of the year. He is also the author of two multi-award-winning histories of crime fiction, The Life of Crime and The Golden Age of Murder. He has received three Daggers from the Crime Writers’ Association and two Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America and has also been nominated three times for Gold Daggers. In addition to the CWA Diamond Dagger (the highest honour in UK crime writing) he has received four other lifetime achievement awards: for his fiction, short fiction, non-fiction, and scholarship. He is consultant to the British Library’s Crime Classics, a former Chair of the CWA, and since 2015 has been President of the Detection Club.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
March 10, 2023
A good introduction to the Lake District mysteries by Martin Edwards, though this wasn't the first book in this series. I enjoyed the cleverly constructed plot (with some surprising twists and revelations) and the folklore; its a triple murder mystery of which one is historical. Decent writing too. Overall, a pretty underrated/overlooked series of which I plan to read more.
September 5, 2017
This was a weirdly paced book. It didn't work for me to have been told who the murderer was a quarter into the book. It was almost as if the second and third corpses where thrown in at a later date because the writer/editor realised the book was boring due to such an early reveal. Meh.
August 4, 2020
When Emma Bestwick disappeared ten years ago without a trace, the senior detective on the investigating team determined that it was simply a matter of someone who wanted to disappear. No foul play involved. But Hannah Scarlett, a young policewoman--now a DCI, had her doubts. Why would a woman who had just started a business that she seemed to enjoy and who had just come into a large amount of (unexplained) money decide to chuck it all and fade out?
On the anniversary of Emma's disappearance, reporter Tony Di Venuto publishes a retrospective article that asks "What Happened to Emma Bestwick?" DCI Scarlett, now on the Cold Case team, doesn't like being maneuvered into reopening the case by the press but can't really say she's upset when an anonymous caller contacts Tony to tell the reporter that he knows that Emma won't be coming home. Scarlett's boss, always on the lookout for good press for the police, insists that the case be reopened and Scarlett and her team begin making the rounds of the previous suspects--jogging memories and digging up a past that some would like to keep buried.
Then the anonymous caller strikes again--this time telling Tony that he knows where the body is; that the police need to look below the Arsenic Labyrinth. Scarlett's team gets to work searching the long-abandoned arsenic mines and are rewarded with no one body, but two--hidden in the Labyrinth about fifty years apart. Is there any connection besides the convenient hiding place? That's what the police will need to find out. And then body number three shows up.
This is the third book in Edwards' Lake District Mysteries featuring DCI Hannah Scarlett and historian Daniel Kind. In this one, Daniel takes more of a backseat--contributing very little to the more recent murders, but he is able, while doing research on a book about John Ruskin, to track down the details of of the fifty-year-old murder. The reader will need to swallow a heaping helping of coincidence to accept the method by which he comes across his information, but it does make for interesting reading.
The plot is well done and if I had paid attention to certain clues and comments dropped along the way, I might have been able to figure it out--but I didn't. So, well done, Martin, for keeping me distracted with other things. One thing I wasn't too keen on was being inside the head of the "anonymous" caller (anonymous to the report and the police, but not the reader) who had his share of the guilt (though not all of it). I'd rather be in the position of figuring it all out than to know who the villain (or one of the villains) is up front. No a fan of inverted mysteries or even partially inverted. But that's a personal preference. Edwards does a fine job with it and manages to have a final twist that left this reader surprised. ★★★ and 1/2.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
On the anniversary of Emma's disappearance, reporter Tony Di Venuto publishes a retrospective article that asks "What Happened to Emma Bestwick?" DCI Scarlett, now on the Cold Case team, doesn't like being maneuvered into reopening the case by the press but can't really say she's upset when an anonymous caller contacts Tony to tell the reporter that he knows that Emma won't be coming home. Scarlett's boss, always on the lookout for good press for the police, insists that the case be reopened and Scarlett and her team begin making the rounds of the previous suspects--jogging memories and digging up a past that some would like to keep buried.
Then the anonymous caller strikes again--this time telling Tony that he knows where the body is; that the police need to look below the Arsenic Labyrinth. Scarlett's team gets to work searching the long-abandoned arsenic mines and are rewarded with no one body, but two--hidden in the Labyrinth about fifty years apart. Is there any connection besides the convenient hiding place? That's what the police will need to find out. And then body number three shows up.
This is the third book in Edwards' Lake District Mysteries featuring DCI Hannah Scarlett and historian Daniel Kind. In this one, Daniel takes more of a backseat--contributing very little to the more recent murders, but he is able, while doing research on a book about John Ruskin, to track down the details of of the fifty-year-old murder. The reader will need to swallow a heaping helping of coincidence to accept the method by which he comes across his information, but it does make for interesting reading.
The plot is well done and if I had paid attention to certain clues and comments dropped along the way, I might have been able to figure it out--but I didn't. So, well done, Martin, for keeping me distracted with other things. One thing I wasn't too keen on was being inside the head of the "anonymous" caller (anonymous to the report and the police, but not the reader) who had his share of the guilt (though not all of it). I'd rather be in the position of figuring it all out than to know who the villain (or one of the villains) is up front. No a fan of inverted mysteries or even partially inverted. But that's a personal preference. Edwards does a fine job with it and manages to have a final twist that left this reader surprised. ★★★ and 1/2.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
May 26, 2018
This is the third of the Lake District Mysteries and for once I am working my way through in strict order, something I’m glad I chose to do as the back story of how historian Daniel Kind left his teaching post at Oxford and his television career to live in a cottage there, while not key to the individual mysteries themselves, does of course work better when you the story arc plays out in the correct order.
I have to mention how thrilled I was to open the book to two family trees one for the Clough family and one for the Ichmore family. I love touches like this in books and although the significance of these families isn’t apparent for a while, once it was you can be sure I turned back to the beginning to acquaint myself with the details. After that we have an excerpt from a journal – something neither the police or Daniel have seen. Don’t you just love that feeling that we know something the investigators don’t?
Chillingly the journal starts with the words:
You’d never know it to look at me now, but once upon a time I killed a man.
So on to the mystery which starts with DCI Hannah Scarlett opening an old case file because local journalist Tony di Venuto, chooses the tenth anniversary to campaign for an investigation into the disappearance of Emma Beswick. For publicity reasons it seems like a good time to re-evaluate what Cumbria’s Cold Case Review Team know, and where they should look to see if any new information comes to light. This is a case that DI Hannah Scarlett knows well, she was part of the original investigation team working for Daniel’s father.
Along the way she visits the Museum of Myth and Legend run by local man Alban Clough and managed by his daughter Alexandra because Emma used to work there, and she had a relationship with Alexandra. What she learns isn’t so much about Emma though, but about the local folklore and the arsenic labyrinth, set in a remote spot of the lakes.
Part of what I love about this series is the well-researched information that that the author carefully weaves into the storyline. Nothing as clumsy as an information drop for this accomplished author, rather key information in direct relation to the mystery which is fascinating.
With the professional detective and an amateur side-kick both involved in the investigation, although not in any formal way, the reader is offered an insight into the different ways key bits of information can be found, and used to unravel the different questions that need answers. For light relief we watch a con-artist weave his artful magic on an unsuspecting, desperate and gullible B&B Landlady to get a more comfortable bed for a few nights.
For a book that I would classify as at the more comfortable end of crime fiction it is jam-packed with literary references, historical information, an ancient feud and of course a solid mystery. Because there are so many strands to these books it can seem as though it takes longer to get to the heart of the puzzle than you expect but it really is well worth the wait.
This series really is a satisfying read, a beautiful location bought to life against the backdrop of the flip-side which investigates the darker side of human nature. It certainly won’t be long before I read the next in the series, The Serpent Pool.
I have to mention how thrilled I was to open the book to two family trees one for the Clough family and one for the Ichmore family. I love touches like this in books and although the significance of these families isn’t apparent for a while, once it was you can be sure I turned back to the beginning to acquaint myself with the details. After that we have an excerpt from a journal – something neither the police or Daniel have seen. Don’t you just love that feeling that we know something the investigators don’t?
Chillingly the journal starts with the words:
You’d never know it to look at me now, but once upon a time I killed a man.
So on to the mystery which starts with DCI Hannah Scarlett opening an old case file because local journalist Tony di Venuto, chooses the tenth anniversary to campaign for an investigation into the disappearance of Emma Beswick. For publicity reasons it seems like a good time to re-evaluate what Cumbria’s Cold Case Review Team know, and where they should look to see if any new information comes to light. This is a case that DI Hannah Scarlett knows well, she was part of the original investigation team working for Daniel’s father.
Along the way she visits the Museum of Myth and Legend run by local man Alban Clough and managed by his daughter Alexandra because Emma used to work there, and she had a relationship with Alexandra. What she learns isn’t so much about Emma though, but about the local folklore and the arsenic labyrinth, set in a remote spot of the lakes.
Part of what I love about this series is the well-researched information that that the author carefully weaves into the storyline. Nothing as clumsy as an information drop for this accomplished author, rather key information in direct relation to the mystery which is fascinating.
With the professional detective and an amateur side-kick both involved in the investigation, although not in any formal way, the reader is offered an insight into the different ways key bits of information can be found, and used to unravel the different questions that need answers. For light relief we watch a con-artist weave his artful magic on an unsuspecting, desperate and gullible B&B Landlady to get a more comfortable bed for a few nights.
For a book that I would classify as at the more comfortable end of crime fiction it is jam-packed with literary references, historical information, an ancient feud and of course a solid mystery. Because there are so many strands to these books it can seem as though it takes longer to get to the heart of the puzzle than you expect but it really is well worth the wait.
This series really is a satisfying read, a beautiful location bought to life against the backdrop of the flip-side which investigates the darker side of human nature. It certainly won’t be long before I read the next in the series, The Serpent Pool.
April 18, 2018
I read the next book in this series out of order but it doesn't make a difference. You hear references to earlier cases and partners, but just enough so you have a sense of DCI Scarlett's career and what the modern Lake District is like. No fields of daffodills or brooding Victorian critics full of repressed sex and... well, not Victorian at least. There is one narrative stream that follows Guy Koenig, a wandering con artist who appears to be involved in some way with the death of Emma Bestwick ten years before. Everyone appears to be connected by marriage, blood, or professional association and no one is particularly open with anyone else. The main narrative follows the investigation of Emma's disappearance abandoned ten years before, along with a couple of other unexpected events.
We learn about two families who created a mining fortune in their part of the Lake District, one family buying out the other when the first lost everything partly through the attempt to create another fortune through the production of arsenic.
It's all very complex but very interesting. I never thought of arsenic as being something one mines, but that's how you get it, burning it out of other ore. The labyrinth of the title is the back and forth vent from the burning chamber into which the vapours pass, depositing the arsenic on the walls. This is a very dangerous thing to handle and boys were used to scrape the stuff from the labyrinth walls, presumably because boys were small and not as valuable as adults. We deal with marriage (to whom, and for what reason), children (why and how) and the whole complex of community and the need to support each other.
Very good.
We learn about two families who created a mining fortune in their part of the Lake District, one family buying out the other when the first lost everything partly through the attempt to create another fortune through the production of arsenic.
It's all very complex but very interesting. I never thought of arsenic as being something one mines, but that's how you get it, burning it out of other ore. The labyrinth of the title is the back and forth vent from the burning chamber into which the vapours pass, depositing the arsenic on the walls. This is a very dangerous thing to handle and boys were used to scrape the stuff from the labyrinth walls, presumably because boys were small and not as valuable as adults. We deal with marriage (to whom, and for what reason), children (why and how) and the whole complex of community and the need to support each other.
Very good.
January 8, 2024
3.5 stars
Book three in this cold case crime series set in the beautiful Lake District. I am enjoying this series, especially the character development and evolving relationships. I particularly liked the historical references to Ruskin and arsenic production in this novel and am looking forward to book four.
Book three in this cold case crime series set in the beautiful Lake District. I am enjoying this series, especially the character development and evolving relationships. I particularly liked the historical references to Ruskin and arsenic production in this novel and am looking forward to book four.
August 24, 2018
Some books just draw you in from the start. It isnt with any great flash bangs of excitment but here it is the style of writing and in my case, a bit of knowledge of the surroundings and ,from having read the previous two books, the characters.
Here the cold case unit is looking at another case from 10 years ago when the now DI Hannah Scarlett was working with Daniel's father on the case. ( Obviously a bad time for the force with unsolved cases as the one at the heart of Coffin Trail was at the same time !).
The close relationships between the families here were always going to have some significance but I found it difficult to get these relationships straight in my mind and perhaps I should have gone back to re read about them but somehow I dont think that should be necessary. This was my loss.
I liked that way that the opening chapter of the book, which at first seemed so isolated from the story and then almost forgotten about, is brought in and explained later.
One thing that I thought was a bit of a 'cop out' was the discovery of one of the murderers very much by chance.
Nevertheless I still enjoyed the read and have the next one lined up for the not too long distant.
Here the cold case unit is looking at another case from 10 years ago when the now DI Hannah Scarlett was working with Daniel's father on the case. ( Obviously a bad time for the force with unsolved cases as the one at the heart of Coffin Trail was at the same time !).
The close relationships between the families here were always going to have some significance but I found it difficult to get these relationships straight in my mind and perhaps I should have gone back to re read about them but somehow I dont think that should be necessary. This was my loss.
I liked that way that the opening chapter of the book, which at first seemed so isolated from the story and then almost forgotten about, is brought in and explained later.
One thing that I thought was a bit of a 'cop out' was the discovery of one of the murderers very much by chance.
Nevertheless I still enjoyed the read and have the next one lined up for the not too long distant.
November 2, 2020
This was far more engrossing than I expected and has 4 stars solely on the plot. There are lots of things in the writing style that grate a little bit: it's a very touristy view of the lakes almost ticking off place names rather than a good exploration of any one place. The ending felt rushed. But actually I liked it. I think JK Rowling/Galbraith might have stolen a lot of the romantic idea between the two detectives from this series, the relationships are remarkably similar.
November 10, 2018
Ok read, but (for me) nothing special. I was disappointed at the poor sense of place. The lake district is a special region, but this didn't come through very well.
The mystery was ok, but there were no red herrings and I wasnt involved enough to try and work it out... Couldn't have really because there were too few puzzle pieces made available to me.
The characters felt a bit flat and the author somewhat opinionated on occasion.
My verdict? Meh... Disappointed : (
The mystery was ok, but there were no red herrings and I wasnt involved enough to try and work it out... Couldn't have really because there were too few puzzle pieces made available to me.
The characters felt a bit flat and the author somewhat opinionated on occasion.
My verdict? Meh... Disappointed : (
February 20, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Good. Enjoyed the story. Would recommend to read. Personally I found it had a slower pace to it but still enjoyable
March 15, 2021
obtained a copy of this book through paperbackswap.com. After reading the first book in the series, I was interested enough to get two more through the swap group. This is the second in the series. After reading it I've decided not to continue with the series. If I was 20 years younger, perhaps I would, but there are so many books in my TBR shelf that I really want to concentrate on the series that I find the most interesting. This series features a contemporary female detective who heads a cold case division and a historian. The first book, Coffin Trail, introduced the characters. There was a lot of emotion crackling both on the surface and beneath. In this book the characters are bloodless and uninteresting. I stuck with the book to the end, but that's it. It was interesting to learn that arsenic was actually mined in this area of the Lake District of England. The book opens with Guy who is back in the area with plans to get a big financial windfall. When he calls a local newspaper reporter that a missing woman will never be found, DI Hannah Scarlett opens a new cold case investigation. The police find her body and another one that is a considerably older murder. That's where historian Daniel Kind comes into the picture. It was all very contrived in my opinion and the history is not all that interesting. At least it wasn't to me. It was ok and did have an ending that was more than just a little bit of a twist. Still, it wasn't enough to encourage me to continue with the series.
July 27, 2018
A quick read about a cold case squad reviewing and then investigating a death which took place 10 years earlier when the local press show a renewed interest in the case. All a little bit pat in the end with no perpetrator actually facing justice. I didn't really get much feeling of the Lakeland setting. Yes, it's winter and it's wet and cold with snow threatened, that's all. The relationship between the DCI and her bookshop partner is skimmed over - they seem an odd pair, that's all. The other main character, an historian who has given up a chair at Oxford for a life in the fells is also sketchily drawn. The relationship with his glam, journo, girlfriend is also strange, but the way it turns out is not unexpected. Why he had to give up TV work merely because he has moved to the Lakes seems odd in this day and age of speedy transportation and instant communications via email etc. The horizontal chimney, the arsenic labyrinth of the title is a type of construction I knew of in the lead mining areas of the north east of England. There are a lot of better books out there and 2* is a fair judgement on this I feel
February 9, 2017
This is the third "Lake District" book by Martin Edwards. It was a struggle to even start this one after the abominable Cipher Garden, but I thought I'd try another and hope. Waste of time. I can't begin to imagine how this author was ever considered for awards - the plotting is often downright silly, the writing is atrocious at times - endless and pointless questioning by police. Overuse of inane phrases - I think at one time or another, just about every character in this book had the sun shining out of their 'Arse.' This series is ended for me.... May be someone else's cup of tea, not mine.
July 23, 2016
Third in the series. As with the the previous two books, the main storyline has numerous twists and turns, while the ongoing story featuring Hannah and Daniel also moves on. And I love the references to the various locations in the Lake District and surrounding area - places that I know so well.
May 15, 2016
I loved the first two books in the Lake District murder mystery series. This is the third book in the series, and it was just okay at first, but I enjoyed it a lot more as time passed. The ending was very good.
January 18, 2019
I’d promised myself to read Martin Edwards’ Lake District novels in order and then messed up by missing this one out! So after Number 4, I nipped back to catch up.
I wasn’t sure about it to begin with as I’m not a fan of being in the head of the villain but I stuck with it (after all, it wasn’t as though he was a blood-thirsty psychopath) and it was clear as we reached the climax why it was necessary to understand the mindset of this character - his motivation may have not been fully appreciated had it relied entirely on supposition by others.
The story centres on a cold case which DCI Hannah Scarlet is persuaded to reopen, about a missing woman assumed to have left the area. Naturally, our other Lake District Mystery mainstay, historian Daniel Kind (son of Hannah’s late boss), is drawn into the case and both he and Hannah find their brief moments of inevitable collaboration tantalising in the extreme, as they delight in finding excuses to seek out one another’s company. Meanwhile, Daniel’s partner Miranda is beginning to pine for the bright lights of London…
This was another excellent story, lots of well hidden secrets slowly rising to the surface and throwing curved balls to the reader. A great read which only goes to entice me to keep reading the rest of the series.
I wasn’t sure about it to begin with as I’m not a fan of being in the head of the villain but I stuck with it (after all, it wasn’t as though he was a blood-thirsty psychopath) and it was clear as we reached the climax why it was necessary to understand the mindset of this character - his motivation may have not been fully appreciated had it relied entirely on supposition by others.
The story centres on a cold case which DCI Hannah Scarlet is persuaded to reopen, about a missing woman assumed to have left the area. Naturally, our other Lake District Mystery mainstay, historian Daniel Kind (son of Hannah’s late boss), is drawn into the case and both he and Hannah find their brief moments of inevitable collaboration tantalising in the extreme, as they delight in finding excuses to seek out one another’s company. Meanwhile, Daniel’s partner Miranda is beginning to pine for the bright lights of London…
This was another excellent story, lots of well hidden secrets slowly rising to the surface and throwing curved balls to the reader. A great read which only goes to entice me to keep reading the rest of the series.
March 30, 2024
The third Lake District mystery from Martin Edwards featuring DCI Hannah Scarlett, a police officer in charge of cold cases, and Daniel Kind, the historian who moved to the district with his girlfriend and who happens to be the son of Hannah's mentor.
An article is published on the 10-year anniversary of a lady that went missing, stirring up old resentments and raising questions that very few people seem interested in getting answered. A conman with a penchant for literary names comes back into town, and he happens to know a bit about the missing lady, looking to make a quick buck. But when a second body is found, the cold case is expanded to solve another unknown mystery. And when the conman is found dead, the cold case has suddenly gotten quite hot in a hurry. Will Hannah and Daniel figure out the truth before there's more victims?
Family secrets, old resentments, mysterious accidents, changing family fortunes over time, all add to the mystery. Not a bad effort, although the "Arsenic Labyrinth" doesn't play a big role and isn't used to much effect, much like the cipher garden in the previous chapter. And the slow burn budding romance between Daniel and Hannah is threatening to overshadow the story.
An article is published on the 10-year anniversary of a lady that went missing, stirring up old resentments and raising questions that very few people seem interested in getting answered. A conman with a penchant for literary names comes back into town, and he happens to know a bit about the missing lady, looking to make a quick buck. But when a second body is found, the cold case is expanded to solve another unknown mystery. And when the conman is found dead, the cold case has suddenly gotten quite hot in a hurry. Will Hannah and Daniel figure out the truth before there's more victims?
Family secrets, old resentments, mysterious accidents, changing family fortunes over time, all add to the mystery. Not a bad effort, although the "Arsenic Labyrinth" doesn't play a big role and isn't used to much effect, much like the cipher garden in the previous chapter. And the slow burn budding romance between Daniel and Hannah is threatening to overshadow the story.
July 3, 2018
Set evocatively in Britain’s atmospheric Lake District, Martin Edwards’ The Arsenic Labyrinth blends character, scenery, murder and mystery in a complex labyrinthine plot. Events take place in and around a small town, nearby lake and mountain. A newspaper account revives a ten-year-old missing person case, and Hannah, head of the Cold Case Review Team, is pressured to resolve it. Meanwhile relationships shift and turn, perfection as elusive as love, and a wealth of surely-not suspects prove to hide many skeletons in their cupboards.
The large cast of characters might sometimes confuse a reader new to the series (like me), but the fascinating plot and genuine small-town feel of the place, together with enticing details of history of character, keep the pages turning and the mystery revolving. Eventually there’ll be more than one case to resolve , while love and family, desire and betrayal all run their course. It’s low-key, fascinating and satisfying—a thoroughly enjoyable read for lovers of mystery, the Lake District, or character-driven police procedurals.
Disclosure: I wasn’t in the Lake District when I bought it, but I wasn’t far away either.
The large cast of characters might sometimes confuse a reader new to the series (like me), but the fascinating plot and genuine small-town feel of the place, together with enticing details of history of character, keep the pages turning and the mystery revolving. Eventually there’ll be more than one case to resolve , while love and family, desire and betrayal all run their course. It’s low-key, fascinating and satisfying—a thoroughly enjoyable read for lovers of mystery, the Lake District, or character-driven police procedurals.
Disclosure: I wasn’t in the Lake District when I bought it, but I wasn’t far away either.
September 23, 2024
The Third entry in the Lake District series. The book is set in England’s Lake District, and centres around DCI Hannah Scarlett’s Cold Case unit. A 10-year-old Missing Person case has come to the forefront when a local journalist begins pushing for a resolution to the old case of a missing local woman. The case begins to get complicated when another body is discovered that had been buried for about 50 years and found close to the area where Hannah is searching for Emma Bestwick. When a more recent death occurs on a lonely beach, Hannah realizes that there is far more to this old case than was thought. Hannah is made aware that local people will go a long way to keep their secrets safe. The final twist to the story was enough to surprise me. This is the third entry in this mystery series, and one that has caught my interest again. I read the other books quite some time ago, but am now going to continue on again with this captivating series.
January 20, 2025
Very absorbing, full of twists and unexpected turns of story.
Murder is a choice, an act of free will. - Pg. 9
Nothing was forever. – Pg. 21
You couldn’t undo the past. – Pg. 49
Life was a fast-flowing river, you could never guess where the current might take you. – Pg. 53
You had to speculate to accumulate. – Pg. 146
“… sometimes it doesn’t help to be close to someone. You become blind to what’s going on inside their head. You think you understand them, when the fact is, you really don’t have a bloody clue. “ - Les, Pg. 367
“… We all keep something back, don’t we…? … whatever the reasons, we never allow anyone else to know the whole of our personal history. … we’re afraid of what they might think of us. But there’s more to it than that. We are terrified of what they might do with the knowledge.” - Alex, Pg. 370
Murder is a choice, an act of free will. - Pg. 9
Nothing was forever. – Pg. 21
You couldn’t undo the past. – Pg. 49
Life was a fast-flowing river, you could never guess where the current might take you. – Pg. 53
You had to speculate to accumulate. – Pg. 146
“… sometimes it doesn’t help to be close to someone. You become blind to what’s going on inside their head. You think you understand them, when the fact is, you really don’t have a bloody clue. “ - Les, Pg. 367
“… We all keep something back, don’t we…? … whatever the reasons, we never allow anyone else to know the whole of our personal history. … we’re afraid of what they might think of us. But there’s more to it than that. We are terrified of what they might do with the knowledge.” - Alex, Pg. 370
Read
June 30, 2024Fun enough murder mystery though the author cheats a bit by adding some "gotcha" clues when you're already well into the story . . . not really fair to the reader but story is fun enough anyway.
For me some of the British English was not familiar. Knowing the following vocab is helpful:
fells: various meanings but in the Lake District it apparently refers to mountains (big hills?)
tarn: lake, specifically a small mountain lake
scar: a steep high cliff or rock outcrop, especially of limestone.
tuck shop: a small shop in or near a school that sells food to school students, traditionally sweets and soft drinks
For me some of the British English was not familiar. Knowing the following vocab is helpful:
fells: various meanings but in the Lake District it apparently refers to mountains (big hills?)
tarn: lake, specifically a small mountain lake
scar: a steep high cliff or rock outcrop, especially of limestone.
tuck shop: a small shop in or near a school that sells food to school students, traditionally sweets and soft drinks
March 3, 2019
This was my first read by this author. It is the third book in the Lake District, so I didn't have any background on the relationships, which made it more difficult to emphasize with the main characters. I like erudite novels that impel me to look into something further. This one caused me to refresh my memory on John Ruskin, a very interesting individual. I especially liked that the author didn't over romanticize the Lake District, as many do. I thought the book was a little too long, but I definitely want to read more by this author.
September 12, 2023
Maybe half a dozen couples in this story were breaking up or had just broken up or wished they were breaking up. Lots of marital discord -- not very pleasant reading. There'd eventually be more bodies, but from the start we knew who the main killer was, and he didn't make for very pleasant reading, either. All that said, we got a reasonable mystery and police investigation out of the book, the first I've read by this author. I'd be willing to try another, but I would hope for something rather less morose.
December 26, 2025
Still didn't do it for me, I don't know why I keep reading this stuff. I guess the format is reminiscent of mystery books I normally read, although others are obviously executed better. I want Daniel directly involved in the investigation, but the author seems wary of it. I want more of a dangerous rush there, including with the idea he's toying with with the two protagonists. But the author never goes there and never risks it. Also I am so tired of all the Ben Kind references. Enough of that hopefully.
May 2, 2022
There are so many 'regional police' series ranging from the sublime (Rankin, Booth...) to the ridiculous (L.J. Ross.) These Lakeland books are fast becoming a favourite read. The characters are Interesting and believable. The plots are well thought out and, also, believable. And the setting is beautifully realised. I love reading books in their locale and I was lucky to be in the heart of the Lake District when I read this.
January 8, 2023
Enjoyed. Like the series characters a lot. Edwards does take you into the mind of one of the people responsible for one of the deaths, and that is not one of my favorite structures. Still, there is much more to the story than that, and one was not sorry when that character made a predictable but untimely end. Daniel's involvement makes sense in this one, where he puts his historian skills to good use.
February 1, 2019
A Saturday Slaughters selection.
This book has painted the Lake District as a dreich, gray landscape populated with dullards.
The minor characters were better drawn and more interesting than the major characters.
The one redeeming plot point revolves around revenge.
I won’t bother reading any more of this series.
This book has painted the Lake District as a dreich, gray landscape populated with dullards.
The minor characters were better drawn and more interesting than the major characters.
The one redeeming plot point revolves around revenge.
I won’t bother reading any more of this series.
April 24, 2019
Okay as a novel. I read it for the bits in John Ruskin. There wasn’t as much about him as I expected. The writing is decent, the plot a bit too simple & unengaging & I had a difficult time putting so many characters together. But the descriptions of the Lake District & the arsenic labyrinth was interesting.
December 8, 2019
3.5 A journalist does a spotlight on an old missing-persons case, forcing Edwards' series protagonist, Hannah Scarlett, to take a look at the case again. And someone's been calling the reporter, leaving cryptic messages about the case. Was it murder after all? Who's responsible?
This is readable, and the writing is good, but something about it didn't quite satisfy me.
This is readable, and the writing is good, but something about it didn't quite satisfy me.
March 24, 2020
Solid read with good background. The cold case review is prompted by a local reporter and he in turn is prompted by an interested party who has there own reasons for getting the case of a missing girl resolved. Daniel and Miranda are increasingly drifting apart whereas he and Hannah are finding working together a success.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews