What do you think?
Rate this book
Robert Macdonald #38
Crook o' Lune
It all began up at High Gimmerdale with the sheep-stealing, a hateful act in the shepherding lands around the bend in the Lune river – the Crook o’ Lune. Then came the fire at Aikengill house and with the leaping of the flames, death, disorder and dangerous gossip came to the quiet moorlands.
Visiting his friends, the Hoggetts, while searching for some farmland to buy up ahead of his retirement, Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald’s trip becomes a busman’s holiday when he is drawn to investigate the deadly blaze and the deep-rooted motives behind the rising spate of crimes.
Drawing on her own experience living in Lunesdale, Lorac spins a tale portraying the natural beauty, cosy quiet and more brutal elements of country living in this classic rural mystery first published in 1953.
Visiting his friends, the Hoggetts, while searching for some farmland to buy up ahead of his retirement, Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald’s trip becomes a busman’s holiday when he is drawn to investigate the deadly blaze and the deep-rooted motives behind the rising spate of crimes.
Drawing on her own experience living in Lunesdale, Lorac spins a tale portraying the natural beauty, cosy quiet and more brutal elements of country living in this classic rural mystery first published in 1953.
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1953
89 people are currently reading
576 people want to read
About the author
E.C.R. Lorac
74 books178 followersEdith Caroline Rivett (who wrote under the pseudonyms E.C.R. Lorac, Carol Carnac, Carol Rivett, and Mary le Bourne) was a British crime writer. She was born in Hendon, Middlesex (now London). She attended the South Hampstead High School, and the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London.
She was a member of the Detection Club. She was a very prolific writer, having written forty-eight mysteries under her first pen name, and twenty-three under her second. She was an important author of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.
She was a member of the Detection Club. She was a very prolific writer, having written forty-eight mysteries under her first pen name, and twenty-three under her second. She was an important author of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
November 25, 2023
My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for a review copy of this book via NetGalley.
Crook O’ Lune (1953) is as much a book of Lancashire’s farms and fells as it is a (murder) mystery featuring Edith Caroline Rivett or E. C. R. Lorac’s Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald, with Lorac’s wonderful powers of description bringing the place (which she herself called home) alive.
Our story open with Gilbert Woolfall making his way to Aikengill, the old stone house he has inherited after the recent death of his uncle Thomas.
It was a glorious spring evening, the sun still gilding the crests of the high fells, though the valley was already in shadows. At first, the steep narrow road ran between hedgerows in which the first blackthorn was spreading a mist of white, and the willow catkins were blobs of gold, but after a couple of miles the hedgerows gave way to dry-stone walls, the arable land dropped behind and the road rose even more steeply to the open fellside. There was a cattle grid across the road at the top of the hill, in addition to the gate which used to bar the road: stone walls ran to right and left as far as the eye could see, dividing the cultivated land from the rough sheep pasture.
Gilbert is a city-man, with an established business, but visits Aikengill whenever he can, feeling a connection to the place which prevents him from simply selling it, yet well aware that on his own he is in no position to take up farming. Aikengill is looked after by the housekeeper Mrs Ramsden, she too unable to leave though she is wanted to look after an ailing relative. As we are introduced to the small village and its few inhabitants who live in a few farms spread out across the village, we see the rector Mr Tupper is not well-liked and holds a grudge against old Thomas Woolfall for not leaving any bequest for the church. Some other residents are also interested in what is to become of Aikengill, either for purchase or employment.
Meanwhile Chief Inspector Macdonald himself arrives in Lunesdale, to visit his friends the Hoggetts (Giles and Kate), with the intention of finding and purchasing a farm for himself which he can eventually retire to (we also learn that he knows his cows well). Needless to say, this dream does turn into a busman’s holiday as some strange events take place, some sheep thefts around the area for starters, and followed by arson at Aikengill. This latter is complicated by the death of poor Mrs Ramsden who was supposed to be away from Aikengill when the fire took place. Macdonald is roped in, initially just as ‘consultant’, as the local Chief Inspector Bord wishes to take advantage of his expertise, but that pretence is dropped soon and he is officially deputed to work on it.
I’ve only just begun exploring E. C. R. Lorac’s books but like the previous one I read Shroud of Darkness, her powers of description stood out in this one as well. Whether it be the countryside, beautiful (as seen from the quote above) yet unrelenting and difficult to navigate, life in the farms themselves, attractive on the one side, yet with many hardships from early days and sleepless nights to the fragile sheep and cattle, or the weather itself, the snow cutting off people from any help, and consequently, life. This is, as Martin Edwards points out in his helpful introduction, the place which Lorac made her home, and her love for it shines through, also highlighting how the loveliness and peaceful atmosphere belies the popular perceptions of ‘industrial’ Lancaster.
The mystery is a slower one in the sense that the initial developments, whether the sheep thefts or the fire at Aikengill with a death that appears accidental doesn’t follow the course of the usual murder mystery, as Macdonald begins to look into the matter and more developments take place, we begin to see how the different pieces of information, relationships and equations made known to us all through do have a bearing on the answers we get at the end (and like the usual murder mystery there are other deaths/attempts as well). The solution and explanation were nicely done, not unexpected (the person was a possible suspect) yet not one I could have worked out entirely either.
Even though this is a small village with few characters, the ones we meet are well drawn out and distinctive; there is also a good sense of the period in terms of shadows of the war and its consequences still visible.
I also enjoyed how the ‘Crook’ of the title could refer to so many things, whether that in the river which Macdonald observes, or the shepherd’s crook, or indeed the kind Macdonald deals with, as he himself notes.
A very enjoyable title by Lorac and I’m glad that the British Library Crime Classics series has brought back so many of her titles back in print, which I will be continuing to explore.
4.5 stars
Crook O’ Lune (1953) is as much a book of Lancashire’s farms and fells as it is a (murder) mystery featuring Edith Caroline Rivett or E. C. R. Lorac’s Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald, with Lorac’s wonderful powers of description bringing the place (which she herself called home) alive.
Our story open with Gilbert Woolfall making his way to Aikengill, the old stone house he has inherited after the recent death of his uncle Thomas.
It was a glorious spring evening, the sun still gilding the crests of the high fells, though the valley was already in shadows. At first, the steep narrow road ran between hedgerows in which the first blackthorn was spreading a mist of white, and the willow catkins were blobs of gold, but after a couple of miles the hedgerows gave way to dry-stone walls, the arable land dropped behind and the road rose even more steeply to the open fellside. There was a cattle grid across the road at the top of the hill, in addition to the gate which used to bar the road: stone walls ran to right and left as far as the eye could see, dividing the cultivated land from the rough sheep pasture.
Gilbert is a city-man, with an established business, but visits Aikengill whenever he can, feeling a connection to the place which prevents him from simply selling it, yet well aware that on his own he is in no position to take up farming. Aikengill is looked after by the housekeeper Mrs Ramsden, she too unable to leave though she is wanted to look after an ailing relative. As we are introduced to the small village and its few inhabitants who live in a few farms spread out across the village, we see the rector Mr Tupper is not well-liked and holds a grudge against old Thomas Woolfall for not leaving any bequest for the church. Some other residents are also interested in what is to become of Aikengill, either for purchase or employment.
Meanwhile Chief Inspector Macdonald himself arrives in Lunesdale, to visit his friends the Hoggetts (Giles and Kate), with the intention of finding and purchasing a farm for himself which he can eventually retire to (we also learn that he knows his cows well). Needless to say, this dream does turn into a busman’s holiday as some strange events take place, some sheep thefts around the area for starters, and followed by arson at Aikengill. This latter is complicated by the death of poor Mrs Ramsden who was supposed to be away from Aikengill when the fire took place. Macdonald is roped in, initially just as ‘consultant’, as the local Chief Inspector Bord wishes to take advantage of his expertise, but that pretence is dropped soon and he is officially deputed to work on it.
I’ve only just begun exploring E. C. R. Lorac’s books but like the previous one I read Shroud of Darkness, her powers of description stood out in this one as well. Whether it be the countryside, beautiful (as seen from the quote above) yet unrelenting and difficult to navigate, life in the farms themselves, attractive on the one side, yet with many hardships from early days and sleepless nights to the fragile sheep and cattle, or the weather itself, the snow cutting off people from any help, and consequently, life. This is, as Martin Edwards points out in his helpful introduction, the place which Lorac made her home, and her love for it shines through, also highlighting how the loveliness and peaceful atmosphere belies the popular perceptions of ‘industrial’ Lancaster.
The mystery is a slower one in the sense that the initial developments, whether the sheep thefts or the fire at Aikengill with a death that appears accidental doesn’t follow the course of the usual murder mystery, as Macdonald begins to look into the matter and more developments take place, we begin to see how the different pieces of information, relationships and equations made known to us all through do have a bearing on the answers we get at the end (and like the usual murder mystery there are other deaths/attempts as well). The solution and explanation were nicely done, not unexpected (the person was a possible suspect) yet not one I could have worked out entirely either.
Even though this is a small village with few characters, the ones we meet are well drawn out and distinctive; there is also a good sense of the period in terms of shadows of the war and its consequences still visible.
I also enjoyed how the ‘Crook’ of the title could refer to so many things, whether that in the river which Macdonald observes, or the shepherd’s crook, or indeed the kind Macdonald deals with, as he himself notes.
A very enjoyable title by Lorac and I’m glad that the British Library Crime Classics series has brought back so many of her titles back in print, which I will be continuing to explore.
4.5 stars
April 15, 2025
Crook o' Lune is another good read of Lorac's McDonald series. Chief Inspector Robert McDonald is spending his well-earned vacation in Lunesdale with Giles and Kate Hoggett (whom he befriended in a previous mystery case) while looking for a farmland to buy ahead of his retirement. But soon, he finds him entangled in another investigation.
This murder mystery was slow going. In its slow pace, I kind of lost track of the suspects and the motive. Lorac has focused more on the rural setting, its beautiful landscape, and the lives and livelihoods of the people, so the setting has become primary and the mystery, secondary. However, the story came to a satisfying ending with the murderer caught and the motive explained. I vaguely felt the motive was financial, and that was a plus point, but the criminal evaded me, so it came as a surprise.
Slow-paced or not, it is difficult not to enjoy Lorac's writing. It shone with extra brilliance here as she brought the Lunesdale to life. The characters were mostly likable. I didn't so much mind the late appearance of Chief Inspector since the spirited Gilbert Woolfall compensated for his absence.
Overall, it was another good novel by Lorac. I enjoyed it.
More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/
This murder mystery was slow going. In its slow pace, I kind of lost track of the suspects and the motive. Lorac has focused more on the rural setting, its beautiful landscape, and the lives and livelihoods of the people, so the setting has become primary and the mystery, secondary. However, the story came to a satisfying ending with the murderer caught and the motive explained. I vaguely felt the motive was financial, and that was a plus point, but the criminal evaded me, so it came as a surprise.
Slow-paced or not, it is difficult not to enjoy Lorac's writing. It shone with extra brilliance here as she brought the Lunesdale to life. The characters were mostly likable. I didn't so much mind the late appearance of Chief Inspector since the spirited Gilbert Woolfall compensated for his absence.
Overall, it was another good novel by Lorac. I enjoyed it.
More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/
September 21, 2024
Love a good mystery about sheep. And a well-maintained country house. And a likeable detective who respects the community. This one ticked all my boxes for a cozy mystery! It was even more splendid knowing that Lorac based Aikengill on her own home. It was written out of love.
October 13, 2022
Old Macdonald wants a farm…
Inspector Macdonald of Scotland Yard is looking ahead to retiring from the police and is searching for a small farm to buy, farming having been his family background. He’s staying with friends in the Lune Valley in Lancashire while he looks around, and they recommend a farm that is likely to come on the market soon, Aikengill in High Gimmerdale. The old owner is recently deceased and his heir, his nephew Gilbert Woolfall, is a businessman in Yorkshire, so the locals expect he’ll want to sell up. At the moment, he’s spending time going through his uncle’s papers – a lengthy task since his uncle was a bit of an amateur local historian. But then there’s a fire at Aikengill, in which the housekeeper dies. The local police know Macdonald of old so ask him to help them investigate and Macdonald soon determines that the fire was deliberate…
In her own short foreword to the book, Lorac tells us that the places in the book are real although she may have occasionally changed the names, and in fact the house called Aikengill in the book is her own home in the Lune Valley. Her sense of place is always one of her major strengths and never more so than when she’s writing about this rural farming area, which she clearly knows intimately and loves. The book is full of wonderful descriptions of the landscape as Macdonald tramps o’er hill and down dale in pursuit of evidence, and we get an authentic inside look at the working lives of the sheep farmers and smallholders who farm the land.
The plot is also interesting, and rests in part on the long histories of families who live in an area for generations – a real contrast to her London-set mysteries, especially the ones set in the war years, when she often uses the mobility and impermanence of urban living to build her plots around. She has to be one of the most versatile writers from that period, handling rural and urban with equal knowledge and insight, and her skill in this gives her novels an authenticity of atmosphere whatever their setting.
First published in 1953, this one also gives a picture of a Britain still struggling to recover from the war, with the remnants of rationing still lingering and the nature of farming having changed with the drive to increase food production and food security. We also hear about the young men being called up for National Service, and how not all of them were happy to go. She’s excellent at setting her novels in their own time and showing a gradually or sometimes suddenly changing world, and like a lot of vintage fiction her books give a real picture of a period, more authentically than all but the best historical fiction.
We learn more about Macdonald as a person in this one too, because of the element of him looking to move to the area. We already knew from previous books about his love for this hilly country and his background in farming, but Lorac takes us deeper into his thoughts this time. He also interacts with friends – I only remember him with colleagues and suspects before, so this aspect makes him seem more human, as having a life beyond work.
Another one that I thoroughly enjoyed, so I’ll say it again – how can it be that Lorac became “forgotten” when other writers of equal or less talent have remained in print all these years? An injustice that the British Library deserves thanks for putting right. Highly recommended, as always!
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Inspector Macdonald of Scotland Yard is looking ahead to retiring from the police and is searching for a small farm to buy, farming having been his family background. He’s staying with friends in the Lune Valley in Lancashire while he looks around, and they recommend a farm that is likely to come on the market soon, Aikengill in High Gimmerdale. The old owner is recently deceased and his heir, his nephew Gilbert Woolfall, is a businessman in Yorkshire, so the locals expect he’ll want to sell up. At the moment, he’s spending time going through his uncle’s papers – a lengthy task since his uncle was a bit of an amateur local historian. But then there’s a fire at Aikengill, in which the housekeeper dies. The local police know Macdonald of old so ask him to help them investigate and Macdonald soon determines that the fire was deliberate…
In her own short foreword to the book, Lorac tells us that the places in the book are real although she may have occasionally changed the names, and in fact the house called Aikengill in the book is her own home in the Lune Valley. Her sense of place is always one of her major strengths and never more so than when she’s writing about this rural farming area, which she clearly knows intimately and loves. The book is full of wonderful descriptions of the landscape as Macdonald tramps o’er hill and down dale in pursuit of evidence, and we get an authentic inside look at the working lives of the sheep farmers and smallholders who farm the land.
The plot is also interesting, and rests in part on the long histories of families who live in an area for generations – a real contrast to her London-set mysteries, especially the ones set in the war years, when she often uses the mobility and impermanence of urban living to build her plots around. She has to be one of the most versatile writers from that period, handling rural and urban with equal knowledge and insight, and her skill in this gives her novels an authenticity of atmosphere whatever their setting.
First published in 1953, this one also gives a picture of a Britain still struggling to recover from the war, with the remnants of rationing still lingering and the nature of farming having changed with the drive to increase food production and food security. We also hear about the young men being called up for National Service, and how not all of them were happy to go. She’s excellent at setting her novels in their own time and showing a gradually or sometimes suddenly changing world, and like a lot of vintage fiction her books give a real picture of a period, more authentically than all but the best historical fiction.
We learn more about Macdonald as a person in this one too, because of the element of him looking to move to the area. We already knew from previous books about his love for this hilly country and his background in farming, but Lorac takes us deeper into his thoughts this time. He also interacts with friends – I only remember him with colleagues and suspects before, so this aspect makes him seem more human, as having a life beyond work.
Another one that I thoroughly enjoyed, so I’ll say it again – how can it be that Lorac became “forgotten” when other writers of equal or less talent have remained in print all these years? An injustice that the British Library deserves thanks for putting right. Highly recommended, as always!
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
September 22, 2024
Though I would never call this mystery a page turner, I still enjoyed it immensely. Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald is staying with friends in rural Lancashire to investigate whether he might like to buy a small dairy farm as a retirement project. While he’s in High Gimmerdale, he is pulled in to investigate sheep stealing and potential arson at a local home called Aikengill. Macdonald is such a likable detective: shrewd, perceptive, patient, and kindly. He’s definitely a new favorite detective for me. There are some lovely side characters in this as well, particularly Betty Fell and Jock Shearling.
I love the dynamics of this rural area that come into play in the mystery, including how a close-knit community operates and how people farm and live in the oft-harsh fellside setting. Lorac describes the beauty and wildness of the fells so vividly. This was possibly my favorite part of the book. I really felt like I was there with the crystalline views across the hills, the spring chill, the morning fog, and the midnight stars.
I love the dynamics of this rural area that come into play in the mystery, including how a close-knit community operates and how people farm and live in the oft-harsh fellside setting. Lorac describes the beauty and wildness of the fells so vividly. This was possibly my favorite part of the book. I really felt like I was there with the crystalline views across the hills, the spring chill, the morning fog, and the midnight stars.
November 1, 2023
I rarely rate or review books on Goodreads, but this one I shall, simply so at least one more person reads Lorac, whom I love. High quality writing, really vivid places, a pleasant enough detective, and a good enough mystery makes for Golden Age detective fiction worth recommending.
April 24, 2023
Robert MacDonald is on leave and has gone to Lancashire to spend it in Fell country; whilst there, he plans to look around for a farm with a view to retiring there. While there some funny business occurs in a neighbouring village. There have been some sheep thefts, and now a farmhouse has been set alight, killing the housekeeper and destroying some papers of historical value. MacDonald agreed to help Bore, a fellow inspector he has met previously on a couple of cases; (it would be nice to see those re-published too).
This one is a bit of a slow burner, but still compelling, and with a very strong sense of place; the Fells were almost a character in itself. I didn't even try to guess who the culprit was, I just enjoyed going along for the ride.
*Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy in exchange for an honest opinion*
This one is a bit of a slow burner, but still compelling, and with a very strong sense of place; the Fells were almost a character in itself. I didn't even try to guess who the culprit was, I just enjoyed going along for the ride.
*Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy in exchange for an honest opinion*
October 24, 2022
There are many good reviews that I agree with here on GR. I can only add that I found this book totally absorbing and really hope that the British Library reprint her other two Lancashire mysteries, mentioned in the introduction - The Theft of the Iron Dogs and Still Waters.
January 23, 2023
In recent years, the British Library has been doing a sterling job with its reissues of various vintage mysteries by the English crime writer Edith Caroline Rivett. While many of these novels were written under Rivett’s main pen name E. C. R. Lorac, others were published in the guise of Carol Carnac – including the excellent Crossed Skis, a fabulous winter holiday read.
Crook O’ Lune (aka Shepherd’s Crook) is another splendid addition to the list, an absorbing slow-burn mystery with an excellent sense of place. The setting is the fictional farming community of High Gimmerdale, which Lorac based on the parish of Roeburndale in the Lancashire fells, an area she knew very well. It also features her regular detective, Chief Inspector Macdonald, who continues to impress with his sharp mind, likeable manner and thorough investigative skills.
With an eye on his future retirement plans, Macdonald is staying with friends in Lancashire’s Lune Valley while he searches for a small dairy farm to buy. During the trip, an investigation with links to the past arises, and Macdonald gets drawn in…
Gilbert Woolfall, a middle-aged businessman from Leeds, has recently inherited Aikengill, a remote farmhouse in the local area. While Gilbert has always been a town man, he finds himself increasingly tempted by the prospect of making Aikengill his home, especially given the beauty of the local area. Moreover, the property has been in the Woolfall family for centuries and was lovingly refurbished by the previous owner, Gilbert’s Uncle Thomas; so, the emotional pull of the property’s heritage is proving difficult for Gilbert to resist.
But with the other half of his mind he [Gilbert] was aware that something deep down inside him responded to the remoteness and serenity of the place, something tugged at him, told him he belonged here, as his forefathers had done and that if he sold that ancient house which Uncle Thomas had left him in his will, he’d know for the rest of his life he’d made a mistake, as well as lost an opportunity. (pp. 18–19)
Nevertheless, before finalising his decision, Gilbert is keen to work through his late uncle’s vast store of papers on the Woolfall family history. Who knows what he might discover as he continues to dig?
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2023...
Crook O’ Lune (aka Shepherd’s Crook) is another splendid addition to the list, an absorbing slow-burn mystery with an excellent sense of place. The setting is the fictional farming community of High Gimmerdale, which Lorac based on the parish of Roeburndale in the Lancashire fells, an area she knew very well. It also features her regular detective, Chief Inspector Macdonald, who continues to impress with his sharp mind, likeable manner and thorough investigative skills.
With an eye on his future retirement plans, Macdonald is staying with friends in Lancashire’s Lune Valley while he searches for a small dairy farm to buy. During the trip, an investigation with links to the past arises, and Macdonald gets drawn in…
Gilbert Woolfall, a middle-aged businessman from Leeds, has recently inherited Aikengill, a remote farmhouse in the local area. While Gilbert has always been a town man, he finds himself increasingly tempted by the prospect of making Aikengill his home, especially given the beauty of the local area. Moreover, the property has been in the Woolfall family for centuries and was lovingly refurbished by the previous owner, Gilbert’s Uncle Thomas; so, the emotional pull of the property’s heritage is proving difficult for Gilbert to resist.
But with the other half of his mind he [Gilbert] was aware that something deep down inside him responded to the remoteness and serenity of the place, something tugged at him, told him he belonged here, as his forefathers had done and that if he sold that ancient house which Uncle Thomas had left him in his will, he’d know for the rest of his life he’d made a mistake, as well as lost an opportunity. (pp. 18–19)
Nevertheless, before finalising his decision, Gilbert is keen to work through his late uncle’s vast store of papers on the Woolfall family history. Who knows what he might discover as he continues to dig?
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2023...
December 9, 2024
There was a lot to enjoy in this book - especially the setting, a richly described rural landscape of fells and sheep and isolated cottages. And had I been expecting to read the story of the time Detective MacDonald spent rambling the countryside admiring the views I would have enjoyed it quite a lot. However, I was expecting a mystery, and that was sorely lacking. I'd read over half of the book when I realized only the inciting event had taken place, the rest had been conversations that covered the same ground over and over, and rambling over literal ground. I don't particularly want action on every page when I read a mystery, but this book definitely needed more that it had. 2.5 stars that I can't round up.
July 12, 2023
The story of Crook O'lune takes place in the rural setting of the Lune Valley. The area is described in detail and there is a long history to the area. Gilbert Woolfall has inherited a house but since he doesn't live there he only comes once in a while to check on things. There is a question of whether he will sell the house. Several people inquire about it. While he is away at one point there is a fire and someone is killed. Inspector Robert Macdonald is in the area looking for a house and so happens to be on hand when the fire occurs. Soon it becomes clear it was no accident.
As he begins to investigate other strange things happen including sheep being stolen. There are a lot of details to be uncovered in this mystery.
I would describe this as slower paced which matches the setting. There is a calm, chatty tone to the writing. I think this will be enjoyed by those who love reading about countryside life with a mystery thrown in..
As he begins to investigate other strange things happen including sheep being stolen. There are a lot of details to be uncovered in this mystery.
I would describe this as slower paced which matches the setting. There is a calm, chatty tone to the writing. I think this will be enjoyed by those who love reading about countryside life with a mystery thrown in..
April 4, 2024
One of Lorac's best. CDI Robert MacDonald is on vacation--of course, that's never going to happen! He's considering buying a farm in rural northern England and is up visiting friends.
While debating what kind of farm to buy, there is a fire in a nearby, very old and very beautiful house. It was likely arson--and sadly the housekeeper was there and died in the fire.
Did the arsonist know she was there? Why was the house set on fire?
And does the recent wave of sheep-stealing in any way related to the arson?
This installment on the MacDonald series (a favorite of mine) is one of the best--well-paced, interesting plot, and comfortable characters.
Everything I look for in a golden age mystery.
While debating what kind of farm to buy, there is a fire in a nearby, very old and very beautiful house. It was likely arson--and sadly the housekeeper was there and died in the fire.
Did the arsonist know she was there? Why was the house set on fire?
And does the recent wave of sheep-stealing in any way related to the arson?
This installment on the MacDonald series (a favorite of mine) is one of the best--well-paced, interesting plot, and comfortable characters.
Everything I look for in a golden age mystery.
April 8, 2023
A methodical detective story set in a rural agricultural community. I didn't find it very interesting or memorable, but it was solidly written. Somewhat unique among Golden Age mysteries, the problems involve sheep-stealing and some centuries-old legal provisions made for the local church and school. I suppose I prefer my mysteries to have a bit more personality on the part of the investigator, which wasn't the case here. Still, if you enjoy a pastoral setting and a methodical police-detective approach, this one might be for you.
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital review copy!
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital review copy!
April 17, 2023
Great entry in this series featuring my favorite Scotland Yard man, Chief Inspector Macdonald. This particular book was written in 1953 and the background of the story reflects the realities of English life in the early '50s: food rationing, housing shortages among them.
Macdonald is actually on vacation at the start of the story. He's visiting Giles and Kate Hoggett*, friends in the Lunesdale area of Lancashire. Macdonald has come into some money and he's looking to buy a small dairy farm in the area; advance retirement planning, as it were. Not that he'll be retiring anytime soon... Of course, his vacation is cut short by a suspicious death as he is asked to help ferret out the link, if any, between the deadly arson and the recent instances of sheep-stealing.
There are all sorts of interesting characters for Macdonald to deal with--all of whom were nicely sketched and easy to keep track of. I liked our earnest young lovers (Betty Fell and Josh Shearling*), and Mr. Woolfall, whose house was damaged by the arson. I was exasperated by the local clergyman (Mr. Tupper), and wanted to smack the nasty gossip (Miss Wetherby). As always, Macdonald is on good terms with the local policeman, Inspector Bord*, who I also liked.
The entwined mysteries are nicely complicated. The author played fairly straight with the reader. I had figured out 'whodunnit' before the Big Reveal but not the motive. I appreciated the 'Macdonald explains all' final chapter.
I do wish some single publisher would reprint all of her mysteries--I appreciate that several publishers have reprinted some of them, but I'm greedy and I want to read them all!
* The Hoggetts first appear in Murderer's Mistake, as does Inspector Bord; the Hoggetts, Inspector Bord, and the Shearlings also appear in The Last Escape.
Macdonald is actually on vacation at the start of the story. He's visiting Giles and Kate Hoggett*, friends in the Lunesdale area of Lancashire. Macdonald has come into some money and he's looking to buy a small dairy farm in the area; advance retirement planning, as it were. Not that he'll be retiring anytime soon... Of course, his vacation is cut short by a suspicious death as he is asked to help ferret out the link, if any, between the deadly arson and the recent instances of sheep-stealing.
There are all sorts of interesting characters for Macdonald to deal with--all of whom were nicely sketched and easy to keep track of. I liked our earnest young lovers (Betty Fell and Josh Shearling*), and Mr. Woolfall, whose house was damaged by the arson. I was exasperated by the local clergyman (Mr. Tupper), and wanted to smack the nasty gossip (Miss Wetherby). As always, Macdonald is on good terms with the local policeman, Inspector Bord*, who I also liked.
The entwined mysteries are nicely complicated. The author played fairly straight with the reader. I had figured out 'whodunnit' before the Big Reveal but not the motive. I appreciated the 'Macdonald explains all' final chapter.
I do wish some single publisher would reprint all of her mysteries--I appreciate that several publishers have reprinted some of them, but I'm greedy and I want to read them all!
* The Hoggetts first appear in Murderer's Mistake, as does Inspector Bord; the Hoggetts, Inspector Bord, and the Shearlings also appear in The Last Escape.
Read
May 16, 2024Light and pleasant. I knew the culprit from the moment they appeared in the narrative but I still enjoyed reading all the details about farm life and shepherding. Now I want to go on a walking tour of northwest England.
"Kate Hogget had quoted to him from a book written by a farmer's wife.
'Either it's a luxury to sit down or else it's a bore.'"
I'm not a farmer's wife but I'm definitely in my sitting-is-a-luxury era of life right now. 😅
"Kate Hogget had quoted to him from a book written by a farmer's wife.
'Either it's a luxury to sit down or else it's a bore.'"
I'm not a farmer's wife but I'm definitely in my sitting-is-a-luxury era of life right now. 😅
January 16, 2024
This reprint of a British novel from the golden age of mysteries was simply delightful.
July 30, 2023
Scotland Yard chief inspector Robert Macdonald is visiting friends in Lancashire's dales country, but not to solve a crime. No, he is looking for a dairy farm to buy for his retirement. But when an arson fire claims an innocent victim, Macdonald is brought to the scene and finds some curious anomalies. Public opinion among the hard-working farmers is divided between suspecting a young shepherd and his girl, and the local vicar, who is an unpopular and divisive figure. There's nothing Macdonald likes better than being out walking the hills that line on the border between Lancashire and Yorkshire, enjoying the beautiful scenery, and pinning down the real murderer.
December 1, 2025
Yep, a favorite for certain. Lovely countryside and old buildings, what's not to enjoy?
July 21, 2022
"Crook o' Lune" is a wonderful title for this mystery steeped in the atmosphere of the fells near the Lancashire/Yorkshire border. There is a threefold allusion, to the bend in the River Lune which gives its name to the locale, to the shepherd's crook which is weaponised in the plot, and, finally, to the criminal behind the misdeeds whom Chief Inspector Macdonald uncovers.
This novel sees Lorac at the height of her powers of landscape painting and characterisation:she makes it so easy to smell the sheep and vividly picture the farms and their inhabitants. Lunesdale and its people are the stars, and even the likeable and humane Macdonald is effectively relegated to a bit part.
The mystery plot does not unduly puzzle or perplex, although it encompasses stolen sheep, arson, manslaughter, attempted murder and murder. The solution lies in the past, and the case is solved, at least in part, by the piecing together of historical evidence, which was an interesting and different approach.
Lorac is a very good writer of clear and uncluttered prose. I read this almost at one sitting, so involved did I become in all that was going on.
Martin Edwards' Introduction enhances the reader's experience and is to be commended.
Very recommendable, not so much for the detective element, but as a marvellously atmospheric and, in modern terms, immersive dip into rural England in the early 1950s.
This novel sees Lorac at the height of her powers of landscape painting and characterisation:she makes it so easy to smell the sheep and vividly picture the farms and their inhabitants. Lunesdale and its people are the stars, and even the likeable and humane Macdonald is effectively relegated to a bit part.
The mystery plot does not unduly puzzle or perplex, although it encompasses stolen sheep, arson, manslaughter, attempted murder and murder. The solution lies in the past, and the case is solved, at least in part, by the piecing together of historical evidence, which was an interesting and different approach.
Lorac is a very good writer of clear and uncluttered prose. I read this almost at one sitting, so involved did I become in all that was going on.
Martin Edwards' Introduction enhances the reader's experience and is to be commended.
Very recommendable, not so much for the detective element, but as a marvellously atmospheric and, in modern terms, immersive dip into rural England in the early 1950s.
June 21, 2023
An absolute cracker of a read!
Lorac again brings a brilliant mixture of rural life and mystery together for a wonderful read.
Macdonald is on holiday in Lunedale and it soon becomes a busman's holiday when he's asked to help look into a mysterious deadly fire.
Beautiful descriptions of the wilds of the North as always too.
Lorac again brings a brilliant mixture of rural life and mystery together for a wonderful read.
Macdonald is on holiday in Lunedale and it soon becomes a busman's holiday when he's asked to help look into a mysterious deadly fire.
Beautiful descriptions of the wilds of the North as always too.
October 24, 2022
I always think ECR’s Lancashire mysteries are among her best - perhaps because she spent time living there - this one is no exception.
A fire - possible arson - is the cause of an unexpected death in a very remote farming community. On holiday looking for a retirement plan, Chief inspector McDonald helps the investigation.
The plot is fine, and keeps you guessing who and why - with some well placed clues along the way. It’s the evocative scene of the Lancashire fells that makes this book though. You can really feel it. Brilliantly done.
A fire - possible arson - is the cause of an unexpected death in a very remote farming community. On holiday looking for a retirement plan, Chief inspector McDonald helps the investigation.
The plot is fine, and keeps you guessing who and why - with some well placed clues along the way. It’s the evocative scene of the Lancashire fells that makes this book though. You can really feel it. Brilliantly done.
September 15, 2022
I love a Lorac - MacDonald is a fine detective, the stories are satisfying and the characters well rounded. But the star here is the Lune Valley - the fells of Lancashire and the harsh but beautiful farming country. One feels, in Lorac’s hands, as if one is standing amongst the hills, part of the landscape.
August 9, 2023
It's always a pleasant experience to follow along with Inspector Macdonald on one of his cases, even when he's dragged into it while on holiday. Macdonald is visiting some old friends (from a previous novel?) and looking for a farm to buy for his retirement, when a nearby house on the fells is set aflame. In addition to arson, there's murder, assault, and sheep-stealing afoot, and Macdonald gladly tumbles headlong into the investigation.
I think I would've enjoyed this more if I could've read this series in order, so that the Hoggetts would mean more to me (as they apparently have made at least one previous appearance). This late entry into the Macdonald series is full of inside baseball, as apparently the author wrote it in response to clambering from her fans for another book set in this location, with these characters. The main house is also her house, plunked right into the story. I'm sure those who've followed along for all 38 books thus far got a lot more enjoyment out of this than I did, but alas. Maybe one day the whole series will be re-released and readers can once again enjoy it as intended.
There is a lot of stuff about farming in the fells, especially sheep farming, so strap in. The whodunit is pretty deadly, and there are some delightful red herrings along the way, so as a mystery it works - there are just shades of nuance that I know I missed, which is frustrating.
I think I would've enjoyed this more if I could've read this series in order, so that the Hoggetts would mean more to me (as they apparently have made at least one previous appearance). This late entry into the Macdonald series is full of inside baseball, as apparently the author wrote it in response to clambering from her fans for another book set in this location, with these characters. The main house is also her house, plunked right into the story. I'm sure those who've followed along for all 38 books thus far got a lot more enjoyment out of this than I did, but alas. Maybe one day the whole series will be re-released and readers can once again enjoy it as intended.
There is a lot of stuff about farming in the fells, especially sheep farming, so strap in. The whodunit is pretty deadly, and there are some delightful red herrings along the way, so as a mystery it works - there are just shades of nuance that I know I missed, which is frustrating.
January 27, 2024
Another really fun mystery from Lorac and her intrepid detective MacDonald.
This one is a little different from some of her others in that MacDonald is much older here and thinking about his retirement. On his leave he visits friends in the English countryside but of course, he’s drawn into another murder case involving decades old embezzlement, shady priests, and lots of sheep.
I haven’t read the last book in this series (this one is number 38 of 46) but I really hope MacDonald can retire on a farm out here someday with his milk cows and presumably his assistant Reeves to bounce ideas off of.
This one is a little different from some of her others in that MacDonald is much older here and thinking about his retirement. On his leave he visits friends in the English countryside but of course, he’s drawn into another murder case involving decades old embezzlement, shady priests, and lots of sheep.
I haven’t read the last book in this series (this one is number 38 of 46) but I really hope MacDonald can retire on a farm out here someday with his milk cows and presumably his assistant Reeves to bounce ideas off of.
November 17, 2023
A perfect match of place writing and detective novel: the landscape of the Lune valley and the Lancashire fells are not purely decorative to the plot. Sheep farming and the rural communities around it are an integral part of the plot, also the peculiar shape of the landscape. The plot is tight knitted, there are some spectacular night hiking trips on the fells, a lot of good food. Really fun read.
March 3, 2024
One of the British Crime Classic Noverls republished, this story draws you into the fells of NW England and a mystery involving sheep stealing and murder.
July 8, 2024
In the Old West they had horse thieves, Ireland had its cattle raiding, and in Northumberland apparently sheep stealing is a capital offence.
July 10, 2023
1953. Inspector Robert MacDonald is on holiday at the home of the Hoggetts in Lancashire when he becomes interested in several events before becoming involved officially. That of sheep theft, and a house fire resulting in a death.
An entertaining and well-written slow paced, historical mystery with its likeable characters. Another enjoyable addition to this series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
An entertaining and well-written slow paced, historical mystery with its likeable characters. Another enjoyable addition to this series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 22, 2025
3.5* this is the fourth book related to sheep and the English countryside I've read in a row this month. Not sure how that happened 😄. I mixed up the sections of the homeowner and detective because the narrative voice was similar. I'm not sure that the reader could have picked out the villain from the clues given, but I might not have paid close enough attention. Still, an enjoyable mystery with a bit of English history built in.
"as quarrelsome as a Kilkenny cat"
"as quarrelsome as a Kilkenny cat"
May 1, 2023
Reading one of E.C.R. Lorac’s Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald novels is always a treat, and Crook o’ Lune is no exception. The titular crook is not a criminal but a turn in the real-life River Lune in Lancashire, where Macdonald wants to settle after his retirement.
That’s not to say that there isn’t a crook at the heart of this novel. Someone has set a fire at Aikengill, the finest home in the Lune Valley, and, whether with intent to murder or accident, has killed the manor’s longtime, loyal housekeeper. Was the fire connected with sheep-stealing? Or is something else afoot?
Lorac’s ending caught me completely by surprise, as I had never even considered the possibility that the perpetrator was who it ended up being.
While Crook o’ Lune is 38th book in the series, these novels can be read in any order, and newbies won’t have any trouble with it. I’ve been devouring Lorac novels one after the other, and I can’t wait for British Library and Poisoned Pen Press to rerelease the next novel!
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, British Library and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.
That’s not to say that there isn’t a crook at the heart of this novel. Someone has set a fire at Aikengill, the finest home in the Lune Valley, and, whether with intent to murder or accident, has killed the manor’s longtime, loyal housekeeper. Was the fire connected with sheep-stealing? Or is something else afoot?
Lorac’s ending caught me completely by surprise, as I had never even considered the possibility that the perpetrator was who it ended up being.
While Crook o’ Lune is 38th book in the series, these novels can be read in any order, and newbies won’t have any trouble with it. I’ve been devouring Lorac novels one after the other, and I can’t wait for British Library and Poisoned Pen Press to rerelease the next novel!
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, British Library and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews