The Ely Testament

Tom Ansell #3

by Philip Gooden

Third in the highly-acclaimed nineteenth-century ‘Cathedral’ mystery series When Mr Lye, an elderly partner at Tom Ansell’s law firm, drops dead at his desk, Tom is dispatched to Ely to search for Mr Lye’s will at Phoenix House, the home of his brother, Ernest. At the same time, Tom’s wife Helen has been commissioned by New Moon magazine to write a piece on a town with ‘inner beauty’ – and what better place than Ely? But shortly after they arrive at Phoenix House, their host is arrested for murder – and Tom and Helen find themselves at the centre of an ever-deepening mystery.

Genres: Mystery, Historical

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2012

About the author

Philip Gooden lives in Bath. In addition to his Nick Revill series, Sleep of Death, he is the author of The Guinness Guide to Better English and the editor of The Mammoth Book of Literary Anecdotes. Each of his Nick Revill mysteries revolves around a Shakespearean play mirroring life - in Sleep of Death the play was Hamlet, in this offering it is Troilus and Cressida.
AKA Philippa Morgan.

Series:
* Shakespearean Murder
* Tom Ansell

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe it's picky of me to feel that mysteries need detectives, but when they lack one (at least a central one - there is a police detective investigating the murders, once they happen, but we don't get that much of him or his investigation) it feels less like a mystery and more like a bunch of stuff just kind of...happens. An impression not at all helped by the killer just kind of accidentally ending up in the wrong place and being revealed though happenstance.

There was also the problem of a supposedly charming or enthralling or...appealing in some fashion ladies man who, every time we actually saw him interact with anyone was a creepy jerk. Sure, maybe he was an ass to men and charming as hell to women, but, I don't know, maybe we should see him interact charmingly with a woman instead of getting vague descriptions afterwards from the woman?

I'm willing to chalk the thing at Cambridge in the past being kind of "huh?" instead of horrible up to the fact that this was set in the 1800s, and I have no idea what was shocking then. Though some hint at why it was so terrible would've been nice. (Then again, I kept losing track of when it was set because somehow nothing felt very set in any time.)

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really absorbing story.
The senior partner in a law firm dies, and it appears he is intestate. The remaining partner tasks Tom Ansell with finding the will, if there is one. Helen, Tom's wife, has been commissioned to write an article for a forthcoming new periodical. The couple travel to Ely, where the dead lawyer's half brother lives with his wife. Tom and Helen make a start on their separate tasks.
The Will is eventually located, but Tom is asked to remain in Ely, as he has witnessed a murder. Eventually, more deaths occur. Tom and Helen have information about two of the corpses.
As time goes by, the facts behind the murders are uncovered, and Tom and Helen are able to return home.
There is a part of the story that involves going back to just after the Battle of Naseby in 1645, which has some relevance to part of the story for Tom and Helen.
There will be no new periodical for Helen's article, but she shares good news with Tom.

[Tracy Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would've rated this book higher than a three, but though I enjoyed the historic mystery at the heart of the story, I didn't really like the author's style. I've heard that it's good advice for writers to "Show, not tell." This author did a lot of telling, and very little showing. There's very little actual dialogue in the book. You're mostly just told what happens, and that was tedious to me as a reader.

[Michael R. Zuelke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must say that I found this novel to be a very slow starter, but the final half of the book was a good read. I realized that the slow compilation of various stories and characters paid off in the final half of the book. I did enjoy this third novel in the series that I am going back to read number one and two of the series. This was an enjoyable book if you can make it through the first half.

[S Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Half good

This is really half a book, an interesting cast, an old,old story that ran out of steam and is patched up to full weight(publishers weight) with a ragbag of bits and pieces.

[Annette Mordec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good stories, all 3 books.

Interesting story lines in all 3 books. Many twists make it so much better. Very much enjoyed.
Would like to see another book in this series.

[marina martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intrigue and history

Kept me in suspense and amusement throughout. Enjoyed the historical story entwined into the plot. The characters were varied and interesting.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a partner in rome Ansell's die he is sent to Ely to search for his will. Coincidentally wife wife is asked to write a piece about Cambridge. Soon they come across a murder with a group of suspects but who will find the murderer.
An enjoyable mystery

[April · Rating 2 out of 5]

A not very good mystery that rambles between the murder's POV, the POV of the amicable Ansells, who star in this investigative series, and the POV of the victim. There's also a tie-in to a 1645 incident that is mildly interesting.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this series. Not too intense, but suspenseful, clean, and enthralling.