A Fatal Attachment

Charlie Peace #2

by Robert Barnard

Lydia Perceval is happier than she's been in years. Two new boys have come into her life.
A nationally known writer of popular biographies, Lydia lives a sterile, lonely existance in a lovely cottage in the West Yorkshire village of Bly. Her biographies of such men as Lord Nelson, Byron and Frederick the Great have brough recognition and affluence, but Lydia's personal life has been bleak since her adored young nephews left town years ago.
Gavin and Maurice Hoddle--her sister Thea's sons--had been more at home in Lydia's cottage than in their own. The special relationship began slowly as the boys grew to maturity, and, gradually, Lydia had absorbed them into her sphere, imposing her cultural and class values, and alienating them from their parents.
Gavin was the brighter of the two, a clever, strong, courageous lad. Lydia had high expectations for him, but he went to war in the Falklands and died a terrible death. Maurice remains a disappointment. Instead of the distinguished career Lydia had envisioned for him, he labours on a television soap opera.
Gavin and Maurice have escaped from Lydia, by death and by distance, but thirteen-year-old Colin Belingham and his fifteen-year-old brother, Ted, are likely replacements.
Once again, as with her nephews twenty years ago, Lydia disrupts lives, forging ahead with a single-mindedness that is devois of compassion and self-knowledge. Many people have reason to hate Lydia Perceval. One of them hates enough to kill..

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, British Literature, Procedural, Detective, Cozy

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Aka Bernard Bastable.

Robert Barnard (born 23 November 1936) was an English crime writer, critic and lecturer.

Born in Essex, Barnard was educated at the Royal Grammar School in Colchester and at Balliol College in Oxford. His first crime novel, A Little Local Murder, was published in 1976. The novel was written while he was a lecturer at University of Tromsø in Norway. He has gone on to write more than 40 other books and numerous short stories.

Barnard has said that his favourite crime writer is Agatha Christie. In 1980 he published a critique of her work titled A Talent to Deceive: An Appreciation of Agatha Christie.

Barnard was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2003 by the Crime Writers Association for a lifetime of achievement.

Under the pseudonym Bernard Bastable, Robert Barnard has published one standalone novel and three alternate history books starring Wolfgang Mozart as a detective, he having survived to old age.

Barnard lived with his wife Louise in Yorkshire.

Series:
* Perry Trethowan
* Charlie Peace

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've now read three books in the Charlie Peace series - the first two and a later one - and, although this is a bit dated (published 1992), Barnard was skilled at characterization and having Peace sort out the "why" of the murder, which usually has a lot to do with the actions, personal relationships, and character of the victim. This one, however, had a stunning plot at the end - not one but two unexpected twists, plausible but not at all predictable. Barnard is Christie-like in his writing, and that's not to say derivative. Will continue to revisit this series from time to time, not my favorite but worthwhile reading.

[Mark Macatee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started out really not caring for this book, but then the author did what he always does and makes the characters so interesting that you want to know more and more about them. Lydia is not a sympathetic character, nor is she really mean to be, but the story surrounding that comes out after the murder is really enjoyable to read.

[John Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've now read quite a few books by Barnard, and they are generally not bad mysteries. He usually spends a fair amount of time on relationships between the characters, and this is no exception. The murder is not committed until a third of the way through the book. By this time we are well aware that the victim was not universally liked.
That's when Det. Superintendent Oddie and DC Charlie Peace swing into action. It's an unusual combination, since it's not common for Superintendents to do much actual investigating, and the gap between the two ranks is huge. DC Peace is black, also unusual for the late 90s, I would think. He's a cockney who has come from London to live in the country. Throughout the book, there is seemingly no evidence of overt racism, maybe a little hard to believe.
There is a relatively casual relationship between the two, but Oddie hammers away at the theme " don't form preconceived opinions, get the facts first".
I got an inkling of the solution early on, as there are clues to pick up on. However, there are plenty of red herrings as well, so whodunnit lovers will not be disappointed. The ending of the book seemed a bit rushed, but overall this was a good read.
I rate this 3.7.

[Terry Steinborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story of a murder in a small Yorkshire town. A Famous Author is strangled under mysterious circumstances and Peace and Odding attempt to resolve the mystery. The FA has a history of taking over children by separating them emotionally from their parents, an this is beginning again when she is killed. There are of course many people near and far who are likely suspects in the murder, but alibis abound. Sorting through all of them and studying the relationships among the suspects and the victim is the meat of the story. The murder is resolved by the end of the book, but a bit of a surprise appears at the end ...

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first heard of Robert Barnard when I read his introduction to an edition of a Josephine Tey mystery. I thought that a fellow devotee of Tey was worth looking into, and that led to finding this book in my library.
After a lukewarm start, this book drew me in and I was glad to have happened upon the work of this author. I must say that the ending left me with mixed feelings, but have to give credit to creative license. I can't be more specific without revealing spoilers, but I can recommend it as an entertaining read.

[M Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read with a brilliant little twist at the end. It's difficult to find Robert Barnard 'Charlie Peace series' books outside of the public library (not going there until after vaccine) but I'm having luck via Abe. Highly recommend for those who like Agatha Christie-Ngaio Marsh type mysteries.

[Dot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good character study, ending was a bit too cute. As part of the Charlie Peace series, his character is given little attention.

[Jessica]

Among J.I. Packer's favorite authors list.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent mystery - the middle meandered a bit, but the ending was satisfying.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second Charlie Peace book, and like others in the series, treats Charlie as more of a peripheral character to the cast of characters in the village where the crime takes place. Lydia Perceval's reputation as an author of best selling historical biographies give her a certain stature among her neighbors, but few really know her. Those who do know her, her sister, brother-in-law, and two nephews, know her too well, because Lydia is a classic manipulator, a narcissist who has spent years cultivating the boys' sensibilities and cleverly separating from their parents. Now they are grown, but a couple of new young brothers have moved into the neighborhood, and it looks like she will be repeating history--until she is murdered. Like so many of Barnard's victims, Lydia elicits little sympathy among the other characters or in the reader's mind. The ending comes as a bit of a shock.

[Bruce MacBain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Barnard is fast becomming my favorite British mystery author. In his books (the ones I've read so far) murder is always an outcome of tense family dynamics, which he delineates with great subtlety.

[Partridge Public]

Barnard, Robert

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Barnard takes a look at a personality trait in a woman that affects all the people around her and eventuates in a circumstance leading to murder. It is a subtle well done story.

[Cathy Houston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Early Charlie Peace mystery, great twist in the end