Arcadia

A Case For Willows And Lane #3

by Peter Grainger

Sir Roger Parkes is a man of some influence in the West Country. When he loses touch with his youngest daughter, he has a word with the Assistant Chief Constable of the local force. It’s not a police matter, he is told, but if Sir Roger wants to pursue it privately, there is a lady who might be able to help – two of them, actually. As far as Summer Lane is concerned, she has enough problems without going into the investigations business with her next door neighbour; Mrs Emily Willows’ problems all seem to centre around the fact that her neighbour is refusing to go into the investigations business with her. They have reached, it seems, an impasse. Until, that is, Emily notices that someone has left a message on her answering machine…

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Fiction, Detective, Crime, Thriller, Suspense

270 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 16, 2022

About the author

A British author, the writer Peter Grainger is a well known novelist of mystery fiction, largely focused on detective lead investigations. This his been the prime focus for much of his career, as he takes much of his inspiration from that of other infamous British detectives, such as Inspector Morse. The influence is clearly evident here, as he brings his own detective, DC Smith, to life, along with other books as well. Setting his mysteries firmly within the world of British detective fiction it is clear where his tastes lie as an author of his increasingly popular stories, stories that only increase in popularity as time goes on.

Reviews

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Willows and Lane series is my least favorite of Grainger’s works. And this book did nothing to dissuade me of that opinion. It gets off to a very slow start. Emily Willows is still hoping to go into business with Summer Lane, but Summer is resisting. This whole will they, won’t they, is getting a little stale. It’s also a weird partnership, as Emily is definitely in the background for most of this story.
The police refer Sir Roger Parkes to Emily to help locate his missing daughter. He knows where she is, in a possible cult setting on an island off the Welsh coast. It’s a slow start but the action ramps up at the end.
I wouldn't recommend reading this series out of order.
Grainger does a good job of fleshing out Summer, but again, Emily is less fully formed.
This series lacks the wit of the DC Smith series of the solid plotting of the Kings Lane series.
Henrietta Meire narrates and does her normal wonderful job.

[Mike Finn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Perhaps you can't judge a book by its cover but I often do judge it by its opening pages. Reading 'Arcadia''s opening pages was like stepping into quicksand. I was unexpectedly and irresistibly sucked into the story. It started with a small, silent group of people, gathered on a quayside in the pre-dawn dark of a December morning, the smell of the rising tide in the air and a small boat, visible only as a tiny red light on the water, approaching them from the island. The scene was described from the point of view of an unnamed woman who had stepped away from the group to watch the boat approach. The setting was dramatic but it was the woman's thoughts about the four other people gathered on the quay that captured curiosity:

"...as far as she could tell, none of them had known each other before they met in the café last night. They had eaten a meal together – something she would usually have avoided – but there were good reasons why she should take a close look at them and hear what they had to say. They were young and excited, a little afraid, talking too much, revealing a little too much – two young women, Toby, who was also still in his twenties, and the other man, who told them his name was Rich. He was older, closer to her own age, and good at asking questions, getting them to open up without giving anything away about himself. She thought he was most likely a plant, already a member of the community."

I'd opened 'Arcadia' while browsing my TBR pile during a spell of insomnia, with no particular expectation other than a cosy read. As soon as I read the opening, I knew I had to continue with the book to the end. I wanted to know who the woman was, why she was there, what the community was and why she would suspect one of the group of being a plant.

The woman was Lane, who I met in 'Lane' and 'One-Way Tickets' but I hadn't seen her like this before, back in her comfort zone, on a mission and under stress. I was settling into the mystery of what Lane was up to when the next chapter flipped me a month back in time, landing me in comfortable Cornwall and telling the story from the point of view of Willow, Lane's next-door neighbour. The tone was domestic and tentative and drew me in because I knew that, somehow, it had led to Lane being alone on an isolated Welsh island amongst people she didn't trust.

The narrative continued to flip between the island in December and Cornwall in November. This gave the story more texture. It maintained the tension through the growing sense of threat on the island while giving the story a realistic grounding and getting me engaged with the main characters and not just in the mystery.

The first three-quarters of the book delivered a very a very plausible thriller that was winding up to an action-oriented finale.

I liked that the ending wasn't over the top. We didn't suddenly shift into a James Bond movie with the bad guys' lair exploding as our heroes fled the scene. The outcome was tense and believable and fitted with the characters of the people in the story. I thought it was a good example of how to deliver something low-key but compelling.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am such a fan of Peter Grainger's DC Smith and Kingslake series but there is something about the Willows and Lane that just doesn't gel for me and this, the third instalment, was no exception.
While Smith et. al. are so well drawn, so interesting and believable I find Willows and Lane totally opposite. Similarly, the plots seem far fetched and just don't do it for me. This book didn't feel like it was written by the same author, not just in plot and character development, but even in dialogue, the lack of description and scene setting and more.
So grateful for Smith and Kingslake but three of Willows and Lane is enough for me.

[Carlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner by Peter Grainger

I adored this book and the whole premise of the Willows and Lane series. The main characters are awesome, very different yet making a perfect match for their fledgling investigation business. At this stage of my life I identify more with Emily Willows but am awestruck by the abilities of Summer Lane!

This is the 3rd and most recent book in this series. I have loved all the D.C. Smith and the L....series as well. My only complaint is that the author can't write books as fast as I read them! Needless to say I will be anxiously awaiting the next Willows and Lane installment.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a “caper” than a mystery, but still Peter Grainger’s lovely writing. Can’t quite put my finger on it, but this book felt incomplete—as if it was an outline that was missing content. Not a waste of time, just not my fave in the series so far.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I have now caught up with all books from Peter Grainger. My kindle is misbehaving and I can't put my thoughts in order because I get rather agitated when my electronics act up.
This was a very enjoyable read with dangerous action that ends up free of harm for the active participants involved in a rescue mission from cult-like bad guys. Very weird bad guys!

Kindle Unlimited

[Lisa Lambert Nicholson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good grief! More compelling and unforgettable characters from Peter Grainger.Not sure how much more I can take but I am hoping that more are forthcoming!
Willows and Lane, much like Sherlock and Watson, are perfect fools for each other. After my love affair with DC Smith and the Kings Lake crew I wasn’t sure I would take to new folks. It was a slow start to move into the stories but, man, once there it has been a slow steady appreciation build. Now Summer Lane is getting close to my fav character, DC. Looking forward to any next work by the author. Audible versions of these are exceptional too.

[Nonnagee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the D.C. Smith series but have found the Willows and Lane series less engaging. This might be be in part due to the narrator. I might have liked the story better if I had read rather than listened to it.

[Eliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emily wants to start a detective firm with Lane. Lane is evasive. After receiving a call from Sir Roger Parkes regarding his missing daughter, Emily tries to get Lane to look into her disappearance. An activist, Annie, finds herself on a remote island unable to leave. Lane finds her and reports back, thinking she has fulfilled her assignment. Lane, however finds a note from Annie in her hold all saying she is not happy and wants to leave. Lane returns to the island and rescues Annie and her friend Susie. Sir Roger pays them €25k and plans to have the authorities check into the goings on at the island. The story ends with a fizzle as Lane heads off to visit her dying father.
Not one of Peter’s best.

[Linda Rowlett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this book. I love Grainger’s Kings Lake books, but the Willows and Lane novels are not so impressive.

There was not much of an investigation here. The book’s focus was really the relationship between the two women. Any change in their dynamic (whether they will actually become a detective agency) was left up in the air. It has been a sort of over-arching question of the first three novels of this series.

[Mark Robison · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the first two books in the series but this one was just OK for me. (My wife loved it so your experience may vary.)

Plot: Rich dad wants to find missing daughter who may have moved in with a group of cult-like environmentalists.

Some random issues:

* The author still hasn't figured out what to do with the 50-something widow of a banker who is trying to start a detective agency with a hotshot former Met detective. He just ignored her in the second book, and this time, the chapters with her feel forced. She didn't need to be in any of them except for contrived scenes pretending that maybe the duo won't start a detective agency.

* Perhaps I'm spoiled by the somewhat recent book "The Running Grave" — which is admittedly more than 5 times as long — that had a similar rescue-from-a-cult plot. The scenes with the cult were simply too skimpy. Everything on the cult's island happened so fast that it just didn't feel creepy or dangerous.

* Frankly, I don't believe our heroine would've done what she did when she first encounters the cult. It doesn't fit her personality. It was rationalized well and took the plot in a good direction, but it would've been far more interesting to have the banker's wife have to attempt a rescue.

* The climax — again — is skimpy. The action is over before any tension ratcheted up, for this reader anyway.

I'm not excited to see what case Willows & Lane next tackle. I will keep reading the author's other two series, though.

[Valerie Campbell Ackroyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable

I like these two characters, the older woman, Emily Willows, who’s finding the whole idea of private investigation exciting after a very staid and proper life, and the younger, Summer Lane, ex DI, thinking that she really doesn’t want to get involved in Emily’s plans but ends up doing so. The story was a bit odd: a wealthy couple ask Emily and Summer to convince their daughter to come back home from a mysterious group on an almost inaccessible island off the coast of Cornwall or Wales (I couldn’t quite get the location straight and haven’t yet gone back to check which it is.) It’s not an unusual story but it’s told in a very quick way and I found it uneven. On the one hand Summer is very capable and savvy but then she has moments where she really isn’t sure about what she is doing. She involves two ex military guys and things get more disjointed.
Still I enjoyed the book, I like the characters and am curious where this odd pairing of prim widow and odd young ex policewoman will go next.

[Virginia B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book comes at the story from back to front, which although a little distracting, is still very good and exciting. I don’t usually like thrillers, because there’s more emphasis on the thrill than on the characters…not the case here. I do wish that Mr Grainger had let us know what happened to the horrible smooth-talking narcissist and his crew, though! Last book of three, unfortunately.

[Michele M Barron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ticks All My Boxes

Loved, loved this book. As I said. It ticks all my boxes in that delivers all that holds my interest and entertains me when I read a book. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the Willows and Lane books so far. I hope others do as well.

[Gail Radka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great 3rd book so hoping this is just the start of a full series. Like Nick coming back into it hoping for a love interest there!! Unusual interesting storyline good action. Like the additional characters.
Book 4 required please!!

[Tango · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got the first two of this series for free via the Audible Plus Library and the third one on sale. The plots are fairly basic (especially compared to the DC Smith series), but I initially liked the characters enough to rather enjoy the first two of these short novels. However, something that began in the first novel and has gotten worse through each successive one is the really horrible characterization of Emily Willows as old and stupid. For as out of touch as this woman is (she hasn't heard of an IP address?, she's unaware of running security on any internet device? she has never done any file sharing?, she can't even use basic functions on a cell phone?) and as often as she is referred to as the "old dear", the "old girl", the "sweet old thing", you'd think you were reading about a woman in her 90's, but she's in her 50's for pity's sake. The vast majority of Boomers are far more tech savvy than Emily and she isn't old enough to be a Boomer. Emily is so ridiculously pathetic in this book, that I can't imagine why Summer Lane would ever consider going into business with her. On the other hand, I also can't imagine any woman in her 30's thinking of a woman in her 50's as old! If you are 10, you might think of someone in her 50's as old, but not at 30.

There is very little detective work involved in this "case"; it's mostly an undercover op/rescue caper for Lane so there's little interaction between the women in this one and no mystery at all. The ending suggests that the relationship may go no further than this book and that's OK by me. I won't want to read any more condescension of middle age women than Grainger has already fed me.

Henrietta Meire did a good job with narration once I slowed her to 90% speed. She's speaks fairly quickly and with a pronounced British accent - my Texas drawling ears needed a little extra time to process her words.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As others have said, I definitely don't care as much for this series as for the DC Smith and Kings Lake ones. This one wasn't helped by the fact that I found the timeline confusing. It evidently started as Lane arrived at the island and then jumped back to the beginning in the next chapter, but since she was also away when Emily talked to the client in that one I thought they were happening at the same time. (I assume that paying more attention to the dates at the beginning of chapters might have helped, but that tends to be a little harder on audio.) However, the plot didn't grab me either - pretty standard "rescuing an adult child of the client from a cult" with no surprises or twists. I also found it hard to understand why they wanted Annie so much in the first place - her father was obviously rich but he didn't seem to have any specific type of influence they would want him to use like some of the others who were mentioned. Also, why be so rough with Lane before then letting her go? (At that point they probably had no choice, since "disappearing" her would have definitely brought the law in, but still...)

Anyway, back to Kings Lake, I guess, and I still have one more DC Smith I haven't read - hopefully there will be more!

[Doug Sundseth · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

In this book, as in the previous books in this series, the story is about Summer Lane. Emily Willows is a minor supporting character, notwithstanding her star billing.

The first half of the book alternates between setup chapters and actual investigation chapters. I found this distracting and would have preferred a more straightforward telling of the story. Further, I don't see any particular advantage to drawing out the exposition.

The story is about investigating a disappearance of a wealthy young woman, apparently into a shadowy, cult-like group. We never really find out much about the group, other than that they are bad people.

The action is written well enough, though the climax is a bit low-key for a suspense novel.

We do get some character development for Lane, but it seems largely peripheral to the story being told.

I generally like Grainger's work, but this series does not seem to have the same depth as his other series. After three books with not much change to the style, I think I'm done with this.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I. Loved. This. Book!
The narration switches between present day, voiced by Lane, and a month earlier, voiced by Willows. The storyline matches up with the characters perfectly, as the present day is in the midst of the job/op, voiced by the intense Lane, and a month earlier is a slower exploration of how they got to the taking of the job, voiced by the more methodical, middle aged Willows. I’ve read a lot of split narration books and this was one of the more compelling ones.
While I enjoyed the first two in this series, they didn’t grip me from the beginning like this one did. They’re necessary to read, because these aren’t stand alone stories, but a slow unwrapping of layers as you gradually get to know the characters and their backstories.
I felt confused a little over halfway through because based on what I could tell, the story was wrapping up, but the amount of time left on the audiobook let me know I was obviously wrong, ha! And I liked the sudden turn when the storyline opened back up again.
Very well written, and I hope there are more books to come in this series!

[DrJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unabridged audio e version read by Henrietta Meire borrowed from the Norfolk Libby App.

Okay, now this series is definitely getting going in episode 3. My favourite so far. Emily Willows and Summer Lane once again find themselves embroiled in a missing person case. And Nick from the previous novella comes back to help out which is great. It involves a dodgy group with spurious aims on an island, but luckily we don't get too much of the cult's behaviours and it's more like a problem solving exercise for Lane. There is action, but it's necessary and not protracted as in book 1. We get more character context and we are left on a bit of an ambiguous note to know whether this novella series will continue. I hope so as I'm getting into it now! Still can't quite bring myself to give it 5* though....

[Jeni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Doesn’t live up to the DC Smith series. I find that (as I wrote in my review of the previous book in the series, One-Way Tickets) these aren’t really “Willows and Lane” cases. The main character is Lane, and Willows is a stereotype of middle-aged/older widows that are bored and looking for something of interest to fill their time. She hardly is necessary to the story at all. For partner/buddy stories to work, each has something to contribute, but Lane does everything while Willows stays home and wrings her hands and worries that Lane is eating properly. What skills does she have to contribute? I just feel like she is a cardboard character, and the author (whose other work I really enjoy) doesn’t know what to do with her. If something is going to change to make their working relationship more equal, it shouldn’t take three books to get there.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always surprised when I read one of Peter Grainger’s books! I always like them immensely. I love the characters in the Willows and Lane books. Willows is just sure that they should have their own detective agency. Lane is uncommunicative, undemonstrative, unsociable.

In this next in the series, I was very concerned that Nick had only been mentioned in passing. What? Was Lane never destined for romance? But, he finally became a major player again. Grainier is making me wait a LONG time for something to develop between them.

This one is excellent with subterfuge, a cult, and a rescue. Good fun! They now have more talented players to add to their private investigation firm.

[Rosanne Coury · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Good Read!

I have enjoyed all 3 of Peter Grainger’s Lane and Willow novels. I enjoyed the first 2 but this one I enjoyed even more. The characters are much more clear. The reader can recognize the character voices easily; he has given just enough depth and expressive style to each character to make them convincing. I didn’t expect to find that I cared about the different characters, but I realized that I did. Grainger gives enough description of landscape (outdoors and indoors) to support the imagination. I wish I knew how to pronounce the Welsh names. Perhaps the author could give some phonetic guidance to the non-Welsh reader 😊 .

[LindaJ^ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third of the Willows and Lane series, featuring a widow in her 60's (Willows) and a former female DI (Lane) in her 30's. A rich man is referred to them by a high ranking police official who is trying to locate his youngest daughter to be sure she is alive and well. He's a bit miffed when he finds out he is their first paying client but his wife politely tells him to stuff it and hires the team. Two ex-military guys are engaged to assist and all ends well. Lots of action. I don't find this series as appealing as the DC Smith series was but still enjoyable.

I read the audio edition not the Kindle but GR only has the Kindle version in its library.

[Vera Beato-Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

a lovely adventure

Beautifully written. Bravo Mr.Grainger and thanks for the pleasure of this reading. The characters are all engaging interesting people one will want to keep reading about. And they are showing signs of influencing each other, opening to new possibilities, growing together. The story is unusual yet so relevant and so well told. Sparse telling, knows where to elaborate and where to move on. Please give us another Lane, Emily with Nick please - soon. I’ll be watching! Thanks.

[Terry Hocevar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing detective novel

I became a fan of Peter Grainger and his thoughtful writing with the DC Smith series of novels. He demonstrated that you don't have rely on extreme violence and unrealistic macho protagonists to capture a readers attention.
While I miss DC Smith and his quirky team of detectives, Willows and Lane proved to be very entertaining.
Keep up the good work Peter!

[Don Bruckner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Characters and Action

Wonderfully drawn characters are the heart of this story. The characters drive the action. I have read all the Peter Grainger booKs and found all of them hard to put down. I'm always a little sad to have gotten to the end. Action lovers will enjoy these books as well. Some authors write the same story over and over, but Peter Grainger books are always fresh and new.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed all of Peter Grainger’s books and I’m looking forward to more in this series. Lane knows how to take charge and get things done. It helps she knows people she can call on to help. Emily is the business side, the one who wants to run an agency she knows nothing about. I find her a bit irritating - She reminds me of Miss Marple.

Interesting premise and a good action-filled book to listen to.

[I’m a Paula too… Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arcadia, book 3

This was quite the story! Summer Lane has an amazing adventure in this one, bringing back Nick and Flynn. I love Nick’s character and I definitely want more of him. Which, based on the ending, I may not get.

In fact, I may not get more of Lane and Emily either. I’m not particularly pleased with the ending at all.

Mind you, the book is really good. But please don’t let this be the end of the series…

Recommended…

[Alisa Brink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read from Grainger

We’ll developed characters and a great plot. As with the two prior books in this series (and all of the other Grainer books), it was difficult to put his down once started. Think I’ll go back and re-read through another one of his book series while I wait for his next release.