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Herbert Reardon #5
Darkness Beyond
DI Herbert Reardon investigates the curious case of a man seemingly returned from the dead, in the latest 1930s-set historical mystery from Marjorie Eccles.
February, 1933. When their eldest brother Paul walks into their hallway, fourteen years after he was presumed dead, successful property developers Thea and Teddy Millar are beset with questions. Where has he been? Why has he never written to let them know he was alive? And most of important of all: what happened to Paul, after the end of the Great War, to make him abandon everything and everyone he ever knew?
When Paul's body is found floating in the canal two weeks later, Detective Inspector Herbert Reardon feels sure the murder is connected to his new life in London. For who would want to kill a man who's been thought dead for over a decade?
But Reardon knows the past can cast long shadows, and as he investigates, he finds a knot of dark secrets and old grudges that someone is determined he'll never untangle . . .
This atmospheric historical mystery brings the interwar period of the 1930s to vivid, compelling life, and is a great choice for fans of traditional mysteries with characters who feel real and sympathetic.
February, 1933. When their eldest brother Paul walks into their hallway, fourteen years after he was presumed dead, successful property developers Thea and Teddy Millar are beset with questions. Where has he been? Why has he never written to let them know he was alive? And most of important of all: what happened to Paul, after the end of the Great War, to make him abandon everything and everyone he ever knew?
When Paul's body is found floating in the canal two weeks later, Detective Inspector Herbert Reardon feels sure the murder is connected to his new life in London. For who would want to kill a man who's been thought dead for over a decade?
But Reardon knows the past can cast long shadows, and as he investigates, he finds a knot of dark secrets and old grudges that someone is determined he'll never untangle . . .
This atmospheric historical mystery brings the interwar period of the 1930s to vivid, compelling life, and is a great choice for fans of traditional mysteries with characters who feel real and sympathetic.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published July 6, 2021
5 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Marjorie Eccles
53 books45 followersAka Judith Bordill, Jennifer Hyde
Marjorie Eccles has written several romantic and crime novels, which have been published both in the UK and in the US. Many of her book shave been translated and serialised around the world. She has one grown up son and now lives in Hertfordshire
Marjorie Eccles has written several romantic and crime novels, which have been published both in the UK and in the US. Many of her book shave been translated and serialised around the world. She has one grown up son and now lives in Hertfordshire
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 29, 2021
February 1933 in Folbury, a market town near Birmingham, we first encounter brother and sister Teddy and Thea Millar, successful property developers living in their new property named Casa Nova. Paul Millar their elder brother - not heard from since the end of the Great War is presumed dead. Thus, the sudden arrival of Paul without warning is a great shock to his two siblings. Where has he been for the last 14 years? Why no word? What has he been doing?
DI Herbert Reardon and his wife Ellen have purchased the old lodge unoccupied for many years unaccountably having escaped the demolition of the mansion that it once served, and the childhood home to the Millar family.
Two weeks later Wesley Pugh, general manager for the Millar’s finds Paul’s body floating in the canal. To Reardon relatively new to the town the dead man is a stranger, but as his sergeant Joe Gilmour says, Wesley and Paul used to be mates before the war, so it’s understandable he would recognise him. Initially it is assumed to be a suicide not unknown by soldiers returning from the war, some having wandered about shell-shocked with no memory for years, who finally end it all. But an examination by Dr Kay Dysart tells a different story. Normally a woman of few words she says ‘I feel sorry for his family. Sadness, that a brave man who had faced death in the shape of one enemy, gone through God knows what, had come home to his family and loved ones, only to meet death at the hands of a different adversary’.
And so, Reardon commences his investigation firstly with Wesley Pugh who seems strangely unmoved by the death of his former friend. Reardon’s visit to the Millar’s to inform them their brother had died was less than satisfactory. The subsequent discovery that Paul had a son did provide a possible reason why Paul had returned to Folbury, but why now? Enquires reveal that Paul’s son Matt is now an artist, living alone.
As Reardon continues his investigations, it is clear that few people seemed to have welcomed Paul back to his home town. All Reardon can glean from Wesley Pugh is that ‘we had our differences.’
Meanwhile Reardon is receiving threatening letters from a small-time crook that Reardon had got sent down for breaking and entering, now back on the street and gunning for Reardon. Joe Gilmour thinks that he should take it seriously.
Rich in interesting characters, Wesley Pugh, Connie Randle and her daughter Imogen, and what of the solicitor, Purbright of Purbright, Purbright and Brownlow. All seem to have secrets, but do they have a bearing on the death of Paul Millar, and just what has he been doing for 14 years?
Darkness Beyond is an intriguing mystery with a fascinating, 1930’s background. A compelling and enjoyable read, which is highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett
DI Herbert Reardon and his wife Ellen have purchased the old lodge unoccupied for many years unaccountably having escaped the demolition of the mansion that it once served, and the childhood home to the Millar family.
Two weeks later Wesley Pugh, general manager for the Millar’s finds Paul’s body floating in the canal. To Reardon relatively new to the town the dead man is a stranger, but as his sergeant Joe Gilmour says, Wesley and Paul used to be mates before the war, so it’s understandable he would recognise him. Initially it is assumed to be a suicide not unknown by soldiers returning from the war, some having wandered about shell-shocked with no memory for years, who finally end it all. But an examination by Dr Kay Dysart tells a different story. Normally a woman of few words she says ‘I feel sorry for his family. Sadness, that a brave man who had faced death in the shape of one enemy, gone through God knows what, had come home to his family and loved ones, only to meet death at the hands of a different adversary’.
And so, Reardon commences his investigation firstly with Wesley Pugh who seems strangely unmoved by the death of his former friend. Reardon’s visit to the Millar’s to inform them their brother had died was less than satisfactory. The subsequent discovery that Paul had a son did provide a possible reason why Paul had returned to Folbury, but why now? Enquires reveal that Paul’s son Matt is now an artist, living alone.
As Reardon continues his investigations, it is clear that few people seemed to have welcomed Paul back to his home town. All Reardon can glean from Wesley Pugh is that ‘we had our differences.’
Meanwhile Reardon is receiving threatening letters from a small-time crook that Reardon had got sent down for breaking and entering, now back on the street and gunning for Reardon. Joe Gilmour thinks that he should take it seriously.
Rich in interesting characters, Wesley Pugh, Connie Randle and her daughter Imogen, and what of the solicitor, Purbright of Purbright, Purbright and Brownlow. All seem to have secrets, but do they have a bearing on the death of Paul Millar, and just what has he been doing for 14 years?
Darkness Beyond is an intriguing mystery with a fascinating, 1930’s background. A compelling and enjoyable read, which is highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett
April 15, 2021
I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for an advance copy of Darkness Beyond, the fifth novel to feature DI Herbert Reardon, set in the fictional Midlands town of Folsbury in 1933.
When Paul Millar walks into the family home his brother and sister are astonished because they believed that he died fourteen years earlier in WWI. When he is found dead two weeks later Inspector Reardon is sure that the answers lie in the past and why he refused to return to Folsbury.
I have not read this series before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Darkness Beyond is an enjoyable, old fashioned murder mystery whose tone and style are reminiscent of the era it is set in. It is straightforward in its approach with Inspector Reardon gradually building a case through interviews and research. I like the way he investigates and while I could perhaps quibble about the timing of witness reveals it would be churlish as the novel is organised to keep the reader in suspense and guessing until the denouement. I had a vague idea but nothing concrete to base it on or convince myself that I was on the right track. It’s clever.
The novel is mostly told from Reardon’s point of view with other characters chiming in as necessary, but there is one unusual element to the voices. A few times the narrative switches to the first person as an interviewee reviews what they did and didn’t tell Reardon. I found it slightly unnerving the first time as initially I had no idea who the “I” was, but it serves to further cloud the investigation for the reader as the hints these people drop are not what they seem.
Darkness Beyond held my attention throughout due to the strength of the plot, so I have no hesitation in recommending it as a good read.
When Paul Millar walks into the family home his brother and sister are astonished because they believed that he died fourteen years earlier in WWI. When he is found dead two weeks later Inspector Reardon is sure that the answers lie in the past and why he refused to return to Folsbury.
I have not read this series before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Darkness Beyond is an enjoyable, old fashioned murder mystery whose tone and style are reminiscent of the era it is set in. It is straightforward in its approach with Inspector Reardon gradually building a case through interviews and research. I like the way he investigates and while I could perhaps quibble about the timing of witness reveals it would be churlish as the novel is organised to keep the reader in suspense and guessing until the denouement. I had a vague idea but nothing concrete to base it on or convince myself that I was on the right track. It’s clever.
The novel is mostly told from Reardon’s point of view with other characters chiming in as necessary, but there is one unusual element to the voices. A few times the narrative switches to the first person as an interviewee reviews what they did and didn’t tell Reardon. I found it slightly unnerving the first time as initially I had no idea who the “I” was, but it serves to further cloud the investigation for the reader as the hints these people drop are not what they seem.
Darkness Beyond held my attention throughout due to the strength of the plot, so I have no hesitation in recommending it as a good read.
April 26, 2021
The unexpected return of a soldier presumed killed at war 13 years after the end of WWI and its devastating consequences upon his family and friends in a small town in the West Midlands during the Depression Era is at the centre of Ms Eccles' darkly menacing and utterly engrossing murder mystery. A new & worthy addition to the Herbert Reardon Historical Mysteries, Darkness Beyond is a stunning fictional journey into a world of festering wounds, family lies, sibling rivalries and murderous grudges as we follow Detective Reardon's painstaking efforts to sort through all the murky shenanigans brought upon a family and an entire community by Paul Millar's return from the dead and his murder early on in the novel. A delightful and old fashioned whodunit full of great historical details and a captivating read from start to finish!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Canongate Books for this wonderful ARC.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Canongate Books for this wonderful ARC.
August 21, 2021
Paul Millar never returned from World War I. His wife had been killed in an accident before he enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps, and his young son was in his sister's able care. It would have suited him to die in combat, but there is no record of that. Fourteen years after the war, he walks into his siblings' house, promising to tell them later why he never came home. But he disappears again, only for his dead body to be found in the local river. Inspector Reardon doesn't know where to begin to search for a motive or a killer, but he manages to unearth many local secrets before he finds out who shot Paul, and why.
May 14, 2021
1933 Paul Millar turns up at his family home, at Folbury, fourteen years after being presumed dead when he did not return home from the war. His siblings are now prosperous property builders, but what of his son Matthaeus. But two weeks later he is found dead. Detective Inspector Herbert Reardon and his team investigates. But it seems everyone has their secrets.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery, with its likeable main characters.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery, with its likeable main characters.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 13, 2021
DI Herbert Reardon has a real mystery on his hands when Paul Millar is found dead in a canal two weeks after returning to town. He went missing and was presumed dead in WWI but, as it turns out, he had a new life which echoes down to 1933. Why did he come back at all? HIs siblings Thea and Teddy have secrets too. I'd not read this series before but this was fine as a standalone. While its mostly told from Reardon's perspective, there are other POVs as well. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good one for fans of historical procedurals.
July 13, 2021
I love traditional mystery and this is an engrossing and entertaining historical mystery with a fascinating story and a great cast of characters.
It's the first I read by this author and won't surely be the last because I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The mystery is solid, full of twists and turns, and I liked the vivid historical background.
The plot flows and it kept me guessing and turning pages.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
It's the first I read by this author and won't surely be the last because I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The mystery is solid, full of twists and turns, and I liked the vivid historical background.
The plot flows and it kept me guessing and turning pages.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
October 1, 2021
Surprise ending. So many characters, hard to keep track of all of them.
November 25, 2021
An entertaining historical police procedural.
June 19, 2023
It was nice to find a new author and be inspired to read what else she has written.
August 16, 2025
Excellent.
July 5, 2021
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Severn House for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review Darkness Beyond. All opinions are my own.
A long-lost sibling comes home from the dead in Darkness Beyond, latest in the Inspector Herbert Reardon mystery series set in 30’s-era Folbury, near Birmingham. Paul Millar has shown back up after not returning from WWI. He’s got a lot to explain, but what that is may never be known, because very soon he’s dead, drowned in the river that flows like a silver ribbon through the town.
The book offers readers many different points of view, scenarios that give insight into what has happened -- along with motives for murder. This is the fifth book in the series; our author, Marjorie Eccles knows that the Inspector is an old hand at this, and is doggedly persistent in his investigation. But it’s a tangled web, that’s for sure.
There’s lots of description of people and places, and reminders of the toil that the war took upon everyone. Fourteen years may have gone by, but scars are deep. The book is heavy on characterization, too, like the one that Reardon has with his wife.
The author sets up lots of secrets, family and otherwise. There’s means, motive and opportunity, the backbone of everything crime-related. “Darkness Beyond” is no exception – Inspector Reardon tells us that himself.
Mysteries that make us think are very satisfying, and this story certainly does that. Do enjoy the twists and turns, in Darkness Beyond.
A long-lost sibling comes home from the dead in Darkness Beyond, latest in the Inspector Herbert Reardon mystery series set in 30’s-era Folbury, near Birmingham. Paul Millar has shown back up after not returning from WWI. He’s got a lot to explain, but what that is may never be known, because very soon he’s dead, drowned in the river that flows like a silver ribbon through the town.
The book offers readers many different points of view, scenarios that give insight into what has happened -- along with motives for murder. This is the fifth book in the series; our author, Marjorie Eccles knows that the Inspector is an old hand at this, and is doggedly persistent in his investigation. But it’s a tangled web, that’s for sure.
There’s lots of description of people and places, and reminders of the toil that the war took upon everyone. Fourteen years may have gone by, but scars are deep. The book is heavy on characterization, too, like the one that Reardon has with his wife.
The author sets up lots of secrets, family and otherwise. There’s means, motive and opportunity, the backbone of everything crime-related. “Darkness Beyond” is no exception – Inspector Reardon tells us that himself.
Mysteries that make us think are very satisfying, and this story certainly does that. Do enjoy the twists and turns, in Darkness Beyond.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews