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The Companion
In a grand old mansion in the middle of the Sussex countryside, seven people have seen more than they should... The new chilling thriller from Lesley Thomson. James Ritchie was looking forward to a boys' day out with his son, Wilbur – even if he was a little late picking him up from the home of his ex-wife, Anna. Annoyed by his late arrival, and competing for their son's attention, Anna leaves the two of them to their day with the promise of a roast dinner when Wilbur returns. But Anna will never see her family again. That afternoon, James and Wilbur are found dead, the victims of a double stabbing on the beach. DI Toni Kemp, of Sussex police, must unravel a case which has shocked the county to its core. What she discovers will lead her to Blacklock House, a grand country mansion, long ago converted into flats. Here in the middle of nowhere, where a peacock struts the lawn, and a fountain plays intermittently, seven long-term residents have seen more than they should. But this is a community who are good at keeping secrets... 'Like the best of Barbara Vine and Agatha Christie crossed with the unique Lesley Thomson brilliance.' Elly Griffiths
'This modern take on the country-house mystery shocks from the off.' The Times
'Electrifying, gritty.' Woman's Own
'This modern take on the country-house mystery shocks from the off.' The Times
'Electrifying, gritty.' Woman's Own
416 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2022
35 people are currently reading
323 people want to read
About the author
Lesley Thomson
19 books174 followersLesley Thomson was born in 1958 and grew up in London. She went to Holland Park Comprehensive and the Universities of Brighton and Sussex. Her novel A Kind of Vanishing won The People's Book Prize in 2010. Lesley combines writing with teaching creative writing. She lives in Lewes with her partner.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
June 9, 2022
‘Death of a Mermaid’ introduces readers to the characters of Freddy Power and DI Toni Kemp who in the second book in the series are involved in solving a sequence of murders. Central to the case is Blacklock House, a mansion that has been turned into apartments with grounds around which King Tut the peacock struts in all his feathered splendour. The occupants of Blacklock are a colourful bunch ranging from the eccentric to downright creepy. The Companion in question is Timothy Mew who is employed by resident Rex Lomax who is suffering from Parkinson’s.
Well, the body count mounts in this one! I really like that Lesley Thomson always creates characters that are unusual, they’re often quirky and a bit different and that is certainly true here. There is friendship and trust between Freddy and Toni who are both very likeable.
This has a definite Christie cozy mystery ‘nods’ and that is especially apparent at Blacklock House which could very easily be a setting for one of Agatha’s works with dialogue and atmospheric weather to match. This element is very enjoyable and entertaining as the author makes a good job of it and it’s interspersed with plenty of humour. I especially like the idea of King Tut strutting about and making everyone jump with his screams! It sure adds an extra dimension! I really like the setting in and around Newhaven and Lewes which I’m able to picture.
However, don’t settle down too much and get too comfortable as there is some ominous dialogue and moments of chill and creep which really stand out against the cozy feel of the rest. The ending is very surprising and one I definitely don’t see coming. Nicely played.
My only negatives are that it is very confusing at the start as we are introduced to a lot of characters at once and there’s quite a lot of over detailing although this does set the scene. Once the story gets going it’s a very enjoyable read. I hope we get to read about Freddy and Toni again
Ps. This can very easily be read as a stand-alone.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Head of Zeus, Aries for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Well, the body count mounts in this one! I really like that Lesley Thomson always creates characters that are unusual, they’re often quirky and a bit different and that is certainly true here. There is friendship and trust between Freddy and Toni who are both very likeable.
This has a definite Christie cozy mystery ‘nods’ and that is especially apparent at Blacklock House which could very easily be a setting for one of Agatha’s works with dialogue and atmospheric weather to match. This element is very enjoyable and entertaining as the author makes a good job of it and it’s interspersed with plenty of humour. I especially like the idea of King Tut strutting about and making everyone jump with his screams! It sure adds an extra dimension! I really like the setting in and around Newhaven and Lewes which I’m able to picture.
However, don’t settle down too much and get too comfortable as there is some ominous dialogue and moments of chill and creep which really stand out against the cozy feel of the rest. The ending is very surprising and one I definitely don’t see coming. Nicely played.
My only negatives are that it is very confusing at the start as we are introduced to a lot of characters at once and there’s quite a lot of over detailing although this does set the scene. Once the story gets going it’s a very enjoyable read. I hope we get to read about Freddy and Toni again
Ps. This can very easily be read as a stand-alone.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Head of Zeus, Aries for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
May 8, 2022
This book, which is apparently a book 2 in a series (who knew), gives many nods to Agatha Christie. There is a spate of murders in the sleepy environs of Newhaven. It is clear they are the work of the same killer or killers but it also soon becomes clear that there are strong links to Blacklock House. This former country manor, the home of a former Earl, has been converted to apartments. Quite nice apartments actually.
The residents are an interesting mix - a doctor couple (he is retired, she is not quite), a relative of the former Earl who has a lifetime tenure in her apartment, a retired defence attorney, a woman who provides ideas for characters and plots to ‘her author’ who shall remain nameless and a couple of others who are more mundane. Also in residence is Timothy Mew, the companion of Rex Lomax who is the former lawyer. The supporting cast include Freddy, the (female) fishmonger who delivers to the apartments weekly and Martha who is a hairdresser and a friend of Timothy’s. These people all have secrets. They are all unreliable narrators and they are mostly quite unlikeable! Trying to solve the murders is DI Antonia (Toni) Kemp and her team.
This story had so much potential but it started off slowly and never really got going. The characters were all thrown at the reader at the start and I struggled to keep track of them for a while. But my major problem is that, for the bulk of the story, the investigation into the murders went around in circles. We went over the same ground again and again and nothing seemed to progress the murder investigation, there were no real suspects put forward and it got quite tedious. When Gary Harlem, one of the residents, was murdered it seemed like everyone was a suspect as Gary was universally disliked.
The ending was very ‘Christie’ where all the players are assembled in one room and all the secrets are revealed. But it was too late to save the book for me. The rationale for the murderer, when finally revealed, made no sense to me. Many thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
2.5 stars rounded up.
The residents are an interesting mix - a doctor couple (he is retired, she is not quite), a relative of the former Earl who has a lifetime tenure in her apartment, a retired defence attorney, a woman who provides ideas for characters and plots to ‘her author’ who shall remain nameless and a couple of others who are more mundane. Also in residence is Timothy Mew, the companion of Rex Lomax who is the former lawyer. The supporting cast include Freddy, the (female) fishmonger who delivers to the apartments weekly and Martha who is a hairdresser and a friend of Timothy’s. These people all have secrets. They are all unreliable narrators and they are mostly quite unlikeable! Trying to solve the murders is DI Antonia (Toni) Kemp and her team.
This story had so much potential but it started off slowly and never really got going. The characters were all thrown at the reader at the start and I struggled to keep track of them for a while. But my major problem is that, for the bulk of the story, the investigation into the murders went around in circles. We went over the same ground again and again and nothing seemed to progress the murder investigation, there were no real suspects put forward and it got quite tedious. When Gary Harlem, one of the residents, was murdered it seemed like everyone was a suspect as Gary was universally disliked.
The ending was very ‘Christie’ where all the players are assembled in one room and all the secrets are revealed. But it was too late to save the book for me. The rationale for the murderer, when finally revealed, made no sense to me. Many thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
2.5 stars rounded up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2022
This is the second in a series, of which the first book is, 'Death of a Mermaid.' I didn't initially realise this was a second book and so backtracked to read the first in the series first. This works as a stand-alone, but I am pleased that I did go back, as I understood the relationship between D.I. Toni Kemp and Freddy Power better.
After events in the first book, Freddy has stayed in her childhood home, where she is still running the mobile fish service. She also takes an elderly man, retired QC Rex Lomax, to mass. She met Rex on her round, where he lives in Blacklock House, a former stately home, now divided into flats. Freddy is lonely and is happy to take Rex, so is a little put out when he informs her that he has asked for a Companion, from a company called, 'Cuckoo's Nest,' which matches the elderly, with a spare room, with young people who can provide company and help with tasks, such as driving or cooking, for somewhere to live.
The companion is Timothy Mew, a young man with grandiose ideas and his friend, hairdresser Martha Merry, is, like Freddy, a little put out to be losing him. Timothy settles happily into a setting he feels is his due, but Freddy is suspicious of his motives. There are a spate of murders locally, involving the deaths of a father and son, then of a whole family, in a lovely picnic area near Blacklock House. Toni is investigating the killings and her attention is drawn to the cast of characters who live within the walls of Blacklock House.
Author Lesley Thomson has cleverly re-invented the country house mystery and made it modern and relevant. I loved the eccentric residents, most, or all of whom, are not what they seem. It is obvious that Thomson is having fun with this. A deluded crime researcher, with a cat called Rendell, is one such in-joke, but she also creates real tension, especially with the relationship between the rather creepy companion and the elderly resident, Rex. Loved every word and it has made me want to investigate the rest of Lesley Thomson's back catalogue.
After events in the first book, Freddy has stayed in her childhood home, where she is still running the mobile fish service. She also takes an elderly man, retired QC Rex Lomax, to mass. She met Rex on her round, where he lives in Blacklock House, a former stately home, now divided into flats. Freddy is lonely and is happy to take Rex, so is a little put out when he informs her that he has asked for a Companion, from a company called, 'Cuckoo's Nest,' which matches the elderly, with a spare room, with young people who can provide company and help with tasks, such as driving or cooking, for somewhere to live.
The companion is Timothy Mew, a young man with grandiose ideas and his friend, hairdresser Martha Merry, is, like Freddy, a little put out to be losing him. Timothy settles happily into a setting he feels is his due, but Freddy is suspicious of his motives. There are a spate of murders locally, involving the deaths of a father and son, then of a whole family, in a lovely picnic area near Blacklock House. Toni is investigating the killings and her attention is drawn to the cast of characters who live within the walls of Blacklock House.
Author Lesley Thomson has cleverly re-invented the country house mystery and made it modern and relevant. I loved the eccentric residents, most, or all of whom, are not what they seem. It is obvious that Thomson is having fun with this. A deluded crime researcher, with a cat called Rendell, is one such in-joke, but she also creates real tension, especially with the relationship between the rather creepy companion and the elderly resident, Rex. Loved every word and it has made me want to investigate the rest of Lesley Thomson's back catalogue.
June 13, 2022
In the Acknowledgments, Lesley Thomson writes that she loves to curl up with a country-house murder mystery and so, following her own advice to her creative writing students that they write the book they’d like to read themselves, she decided to write her own version of a country-house murder mystery.
The book features a diverse cast of characters to whom the reader is introduced in short order, much in the manner of the beginning of an Agatha Christie novel such as Death on the Nile or Murder on the Orient Express. Christie fans will take pleasure in spotting a few subtle references to her novels, such as the choice of Blacklock as the name of the mansion around which much of the action centres. There are also the tried and tested elements of a classic crime novel such as a gathering of all the suspects towards the end of the book (in the library, no less). Given Elly Griffiths’ cover quote describing the book as ‘like the best of Barbara Vine and Agatha Christie’, I also loved that one of the characters (whose first name is Barbara) has a cat named Rendell.
The police procedural elements of the book are very much of the here and now, as are some of the social issues explored in the book: the proliferation of social media, loneliness, drug dependency and the targeting of the elderly and vulnerable. You didn’t get characters in an Agatha Christie novel posting selfies on Facebook or possessing a burner phone!
When it comes to crafting the plot of a murder mystery the author knows her stuff, laying false trails, slipping in red herrings and generally leading readers up the garden path so that, like me, you’ll probably have suspected just about everyone of being the culprit by the end of the book – even Molly the owl. I wasn’t completely sure a killer who includes children amongst their victims quite fitted with the kind of crime you associate with an Agatha Christie novel, but then of course we’re in the present day, not the 1920s and 1930s.
The Companion is a neat homage to the classic country-house murder mystery but brought bang up to date.
The book features a diverse cast of characters to whom the reader is introduced in short order, much in the manner of the beginning of an Agatha Christie novel such as Death on the Nile or Murder on the Orient Express. Christie fans will take pleasure in spotting a few subtle references to her novels, such as the choice of Blacklock as the name of the mansion around which much of the action centres. There are also the tried and tested elements of a classic crime novel such as a gathering of all the suspects towards the end of the book (in the library, no less). Given Elly Griffiths’ cover quote describing the book as ‘like the best of Barbara Vine and Agatha Christie’, I also loved that one of the characters (whose first name is Barbara) has a cat named Rendell.
The police procedural elements of the book are very much of the here and now, as are some of the social issues explored in the book: the proliferation of social media, loneliness, drug dependency and the targeting of the elderly and vulnerable. You didn’t get characters in an Agatha Christie novel posting selfies on Facebook or possessing a burner phone!
When it comes to crafting the plot of a murder mystery the author knows her stuff, laying false trails, slipping in red herrings and generally leading readers up the garden path so that, like me, you’ll probably have suspected just about everyone of being the culprit by the end of the book – even Molly the owl. I wasn’t completely sure a killer who includes children amongst their victims quite fitted with the kind of crime you associate with an Agatha Christie novel, but then of course we’re in the present day, not the 1920s and 1930s.
The Companion is a neat homage to the classic country-house murder mystery but brought bang up to date.
February 23, 2023
Not for me.
Good idea but poorly executed.
Didn’t particularly like and of the characters (or should that be caricatures?). Not good when a serial killer is on the loose and you don’t care who gets killed next or who the killed is.
Good idea but poorly executed.
Didn’t particularly like and of the characters (or should that be caricatures?). Not good when a serial killer is on the loose and you don’t care who gets killed next or who the killed is.
July 21, 2022
“By two o’clock in the morning, the storm had passed. The rain had stopped. The air was cleansed. A rational soul would easily attribute the constant dripping to water dropping from leaves, a creaking to an ancient bough that, battered by the tumult, would soon break. But this was the time when the ghosts roamed the honeysuckle-scented walks, lingered in the arbours and strolled around the fountain.”
Lesley Thomson has a way with words. That’s’ rather a simplistic statement for the mastery with which this author manipulates words into their most effective and spectacular use. But, saying that Thomson “has a way with words” is also absolutely spot-on. I like to think of her as the word whisperer. I could cite example after example from her new book The Companion, but I’ll suffice with one of my favorite phrases, “an aural mirage.” Doesn’t that description thrill the word nerds amongst us and give the most apt description. Another example that made me giddy with glee shows how she turns the ordinary into something delightful to read, “so many occasional tables the name was ironic.” Of course, being a word artist needs a story artist to weave all those wonderful words and phrases into a captivating tale, and so how fortunate we readers are that Lesley Thomson is a masterful storyteller, too. Add intriguing, quirky characters and immersing settings, both of which elements I’ll mention again, and Bob’s your uncle, you have a book that you don’t want to stop reading but you don’t want to end.
The first book to feature characters Freddy Power and Toni Kemp was Death of a Mermaid. This first book brought Freddy Power back to Newhaven in Sussex, England after 22 years away. Toni and Freddy had grown up together as best friends, and now that Freddy seems to be staying in Newhaven, their friendship has been rekindled. Toni also had time away from Newhaven, as she served in the Met for some years. Death of a Mermaid was more Freddy’s story, but The Companion is more equally a story involving them both. Lots happened to Freddy in the first book that has resulted in her job as a fish monger, selling fresh fish from her van, and her living in her deceased mother’s house. Toni is settled in as a DI for the Sussex Police and is much respected for her detective skills, although she has a tiny little problem that surfaces when she’s stressed.
The action is swift and dark from the beginning of The Companion. A father and his son go off to fly kites on a Saturday afternoon and are brutally murdered, with no witnesses or discernable motive. DI Toni Kemp is assigned the case, along with her right-hand man Malcom and their younger team members Sheena and Harry. With a dearth of evidence and clues, the deaths of James Ritchie and his son Wilbur will not be an easy solve, and they also won’t be the last murders. Toni and her team must eventually face the possibility of a serial killer.
Freddy, unlike Toni, has found her way back to religion, to the Catholic faith which the friends grew up with, as school and life were centered around it. In doing her fish mongering rounds, Freddy has met a resident of the impressive Blacklock House apartments, Rex Lomax, who is a retired, highly successful barrister. She has fallen into a pleasurable routine of taking Rex to church on Sundays. But, Rex announces that he has hired a “companion” to live with him, one Timothy Mews, who will take over the task of driving him to church. Disappointed, Freddy still has the interaction with the other quirky characters of Blacklock House in her delivery of fish to the residents, and it is through that she meets Timothy and his friend Martha, who owns a beauty shop and has more than one secret concerning a past and future murder victim.
Timothy Mew takes the job of companion to Rex Lomax as a steppingstone to the entitled life he has always coveted and felt he deserved. He considers it more of a genteel position, one in which he will be on equal footing with Rex, and the perk of driving Rex’s new Jaguar sweetens the pot. The introduction to Blacklock House brings the story and the murders to the country house atmosphere that is so Agatha Christie-like. Christie’s multifarious cast of characters in such tales as And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express come to mind, as the reader meets the odd collection of residents in the once former grand Blacklock House. These quirky characters provide a myriad of suspects and secrets to be revealed. And, the name Blacklock House reminds us of Letitia Blacklock in Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced. There’s even a door that swings open as the lights go out in both Christie’s book and The Companion. Although there are quite a lot of characters in the story due to the residents of Blacklock House, Thomson has given them each a uniqueness that allowed me to easily assimilate them into the story and my memory.
Lesley Thomson is the complete package in mystery/crime writing. I’ve already noted her outstanding skills at making language shine. And, the plots that twist and turn to keep readers on their toes are full of the high octane suspense that fuels our thirst for thrills. Aiding that suspense in its effectiveness is that creeping air of sinister called atmosphere. There are some large and favorite atmosphere inclusions in this tale. Thomson expertly employs flashing lightning, pelting rain, loss of electricity, and even a screaming peacock to give readers a full-on dark and stormy night.
As this book is a police procedural as well as a country house murder story, the details of that aspect are important. The interviews conducted by Toni and her team, their research, and their gathering of evidence fascinated me. The use of social media by the victims is an interesting part of the police investigation into the murders. Clues to who these people were and how they might appear to a killer help broaden the story of how they came to be victims. The vulnerability of a person can too easily show through their posts on FaceBook. It’s an issue the author cleverly enfolds into the story, bringing the police procedural aspects into full contemporary form.
While The Companion isn’t listed as the second in a series and can be read with complete enjoyment on its own, I can’t imagine the reader wouldn’t want to read Death of a Mermaid as well. Of course, you can absolutely read The Companion first. I am quite smitten with the characters of Freddy and Toni, so I do hope there will be more of them to come. I highly recommend anything Lesley Thomson writes, and it comes as no surprise to me that The Companion is a solid choice for my favorite reads list this year.
Lesley Thomson has a way with words. That’s’ rather a simplistic statement for the mastery with which this author manipulates words into their most effective and spectacular use. But, saying that Thomson “has a way with words” is also absolutely spot-on. I like to think of her as the word whisperer. I could cite example after example from her new book The Companion, but I’ll suffice with one of my favorite phrases, “an aural mirage.” Doesn’t that description thrill the word nerds amongst us and give the most apt description. Another example that made me giddy with glee shows how she turns the ordinary into something delightful to read, “so many occasional tables the name was ironic.” Of course, being a word artist needs a story artist to weave all those wonderful words and phrases into a captivating tale, and so how fortunate we readers are that Lesley Thomson is a masterful storyteller, too. Add intriguing, quirky characters and immersing settings, both of which elements I’ll mention again, and Bob’s your uncle, you have a book that you don’t want to stop reading but you don’t want to end.
The first book to feature characters Freddy Power and Toni Kemp was Death of a Mermaid. This first book brought Freddy Power back to Newhaven in Sussex, England after 22 years away. Toni and Freddy had grown up together as best friends, and now that Freddy seems to be staying in Newhaven, their friendship has been rekindled. Toni also had time away from Newhaven, as she served in the Met for some years. Death of a Mermaid was more Freddy’s story, but The Companion is more equally a story involving them both. Lots happened to Freddy in the first book that has resulted in her job as a fish monger, selling fresh fish from her van, and her living in her deceased mother’s house. Toni is settled in as a DI for the Sussex Police and is much respected for her detective skills, although she has a tiny little problem that surfaces when she’s stressed.
The action is swift and dark from the beginning of The Companion. A father and his son go off to fly kites on a Saturday afternoon and are brutally murdered, with no witnesses or discernable motive. DI Toni Kemp is assigned the case, along with her right-hand man Malcom and their younger team members Sheena and Harry. With a dearth of evidence and clues, the deaths of James Ritchie and his son Wilbur will not be an easy solve, and they also won’t be the last murders. Toni and her team must eventually face the possibility of a serial killer.
Freddy, unlike Toni, has found her way back to religion, to the Catholic faith which the friends grew up with, as school and life were centered around it. In doing her fish mongering rounds, Freddy has met a resident of the impressive Blacklock House apartments, Rex Lomax, who is a retired, highly successful barrister. She has fallen into a pleasurable routine of taking Rex to church on Sundays. But, Rex announces that he has hired a “companion” to live with him, one Timothy Mews, who will take over the task of driving him to church. Disappointed, Freddy still has the interaction with the other quirky characters of Blacklock House in her delivery of fish to the residents, and it is through that she meets Timothy and his friend Martha, who owns a beauty shop and has more than one secret concerning a past and future murder victim.
Timothy Mew takes the job of companion to Rex Lomax as a steppingstone to the entitled life he has always coveted and felt he deserved. He considers it more of a genteel position, one in which he will be on equal footing with Rex, and the perk of driving Rex’s new Jaguar sweetens the pot. The introduction to Blacklock House brings the story and the murders to the country house atmosphere that is so Agatha Christie-like. Christie’s multifarious cast of characters in such tales as And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express come to mind, as the reader meets the odd collection of residents in the once former grand Blacklock House. These quirky characters provide a myriad of suspects and secrets to be revealed. And, the name Blacklock House reminds us of Letitia Blacklock in Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced. There’s even a door that swings open as the lights go out in both Christie’s book and The Companion. Although there are quite a lot of characters in the story due to the residents of Blacklock House, Thomson has given them each a uniqueness that allowed me to easily assimilate them into the story and my memory.
Lesley Thomson is the complete package in mystery/crime writing. I’ve already noted her outstanding skills at making language shine. And, the plots that twist and turn to keep readers on their toes are full of the high octane suspense that fuels our thirst for thrills. Aiding that suspense in its effectiveness is that creeping air of sinister called atmosphere. There are some large and favorite atmosphere inclusions in this tale. Thomson expertly employs flashing lightning, pelting rain, loss of electricity, and even a screaming peacock to give readers a full-on dark and stormy night.
As this book is a police procedural as well as a country house murder story, the details of that aspect are important. The interviews conducted by Toni and her team, their research, and their gathering of evidence fascinated me. The use of social media by the victims is an interesting part of the police investigation into the murders. Clues to who these people were and how they might appear to a killer help broaden the story of how they came to be victims. The vulnerability of a person can too easily show through their posts on FaceBook. It’s an issue the author cleverly enfolds into the story, bringing the police procedural aspects into full contemporary form.
While The Companion isn’t listed as the second in a series and can be read with complete enjoyment on its own, I can’t imagine the reader wouldn’t want to read Death of a Mermaid as well. Of course, you can absolutely read The Companion first. I am quite smitten with the characters of Freddy and Toni, so I do hope there will be more of them to come. I highly recommend anything Lesley Thomson writes, and it comes as no surprise to me that The Companion is a solid choice for my favorite reads list this year.
June 8, 2022
After reading "Death of a Mermaid" two years ago, I was delighted to have the opportunity to revisit some of the characters from that novel. The setting is a seaside town in Sussex called Newhaven. Blacklock House was very well described and I could imagine the atmosphere it would have evoked.
Despite its charming facade, Blacklock House is not a place I would like to live. The neighbors were an eclectic group ranging from the desperate to the odious. The only one I rather liked was Rex Lomax and I wondered why he didn't get rid of the new companion after week one. The companion, 33 year old Timothy Mew was a self-important, unscrupulous, snob, with absolutely no basis to be so. It is clear that the only reason he applied for the job of companion was so that he could reside at a stately home - where he felt he belonged.
I found this book to be rather character heavy. It took me some time to discern all the various residents of Blacklock House. I would have preferred that more emphasis be placed on Freddie, and on the police investigation led by Toni Kemp.
This book had an Agatha Christie type vibe and felt a tad contrived. The mystery element of the book was well plotted and it had me guessing 'whodunit' until the end. And yes, I was surprised.
With themes of loneliness, status seeking, extortion, and duplicitous behavior, this novel has a lot to offer the reader.
Despite its charming facade, Blacklock House is not a place I would like to live. The neighbors were an eclectic group ranging from the desperate to the odious. The only one I rather liked was Rex Lomax and I wondered why he didn't get rid of the new companion after week one. The companion, 33 year old Timothy Mew was a self-important, unscrupulous, snob, with absolutely no basis to be so. It is clear that the only reason he applied for the job of companion was so that he could reside at a stately home - where he felt he belonged.
I found this book to be rather character heavy. It took me some time to discern all the various residents of Blacklock House. I would have preferred that more emphasis be placed on Freddie, and on the police investigation led by Toni Kemp.
This book had an Agatha Christie type vibe and felt a tad contrived. The mystery element of the book was well plotted and it had me guessing 'whodunit' until the end. And yes, I was surprised.
With themes of loneliness, status seeking, extortion, and duplicitous behavior, this novel has a lot to offer the reader.
October 11, 2022
Freddy Power and DI Toni Kemp return to solve a series of brutal murders in this book. An old manor house, now divided into apartments, is central to the case, and its many, really unlikeable residents. There is also an unsolved hit-and-run that occurred outside the house years earlier.
Freddy becomes involved with the residents with her weekly fish deliveries, and she gets to know a retired lawyer reasonably well, though wonders why the man would hire a live-in assistant (who is seriously questionable).
Lesley Thomson builds lots of tension through character dialogue (nearly everyone in the house makes barbed or just downright nasty statements to each other), and it's a wonder they're not all slaughtering each other! Also, with each new murder, the pressure builds for DI Kemp to solve things, and her friendship with Freddy suffers somewhat as a result.
I liked this, though I was a little confused at the start as Thomson introduces the many characters. But once that's over, the pace picks up, and I was reading avidly to the somewhat surprising end.
I should mention that I've yet to read book one, but will be picking that up sometime, based on my reaction to this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Head of Zeus for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Freddy becomes involved with the residents with her weekly fish deliveries, and she gets to know a retired lawyer reasonably well, though wonders why the man would hire a live-in assistant (who is seriously questionable).
Lesley Thomson builds lots of tension through character dialogue (nearly everyone in the house makes barbed or just downright nasty statements to each other), and it's a wonder they're not all slaughtering each other! Also, with each new murder, the pressure builds for DI Kemp to solve things, and her friendship with Freddy suffers somewhat as a result.
I liked this, though I was a little confused at the start as Thomson introduces the many characters. But once that's over, the pace picks up, and I was reading avidly to the somewhat surprising end.
I should mention that I've yet to read book one, but will be picking that up sometime, based on my reaction to this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Head of Zeus for this ARC in exchange for my review.
June 9, 2022
This is the first book by Lesley Thomson that I’ve read and I believe that the characters of Freddy and DI Antonia ‘Toni’ Kemp first appear in a previous book, Death of a Mermaid. Not having read that one wasn’t an issue for me and The Companion can easily be read as a standalone.
James Ritchie and his son Wilbur will not be the only victims in this intriguing crime story. Set around the Sussex coast, there are a number of characters to get to know, including The Companion of the title. Timothy Mew is a strange fellow. In his twenties, he has delusions of grandeur and his placing by an organisation, ‘Cuckoo’s Nest’, with a resident in Blacklock House, an old converted country house in the countryside causes unsettling ripples amongst the other residents. In return for shopping, driving and company, he gets to live in a manner way above his means and does he make the most of it!
Timothy isn’t the only odd character that causes disquiet. For me, the story was a mix of police procedural and cosy crime, add in a nod to Agatha Christie and I hope I have painted an accurate picture. Readers who like their crime on the hard side might feel that this is rather light as there are no gory murders on the page, however it is the myriad of characters and the secrets they are hiding that give Toni Kemp more than a few headaches in her quest to find a killer. No wonder she resorts to her age old habit of shoplifting Snickers bars!
Local fishmonger, Freddy Power (aka Freddy the Fish) and Toni are long time friends and they work well together. In part due to her fish delivery job, Freddy has a little more insight into the goings on at Blacklock House and becomes rather more involved than she expects. Apart from Kemp and her sergeant, she was one of the few characters that I actually liked, although to be fair, one or two of the others grew on me over the course of the story.
I’m trying not to give too much away about the plot, but suffice to say The Companion is an entertaining and at times, quite suspenseful read and I did enjoy it. This is foremost a crime story but there are some underlying recurring themes in the story, one being loneliness. With well described, atmospheric backdrops, some rather unusual characters ranging from the eccentric to the odious together with a well plotted mystery, it was one that I was completely invested in and although I thought I had sussed out the killer, I was well and truly beaten by the final reveal.
James Ritchie and his son Wilbur will not be the only victims in this intriguing crime story. Set around the Sussex coast, there are a number of characters to get to know, including The Companion of the title. Timothy Mew is a strange fellow. In his twenties, he has delusions of grandeur and his placing by an organisation, ‘Cuckoo’s Nest’, with a resident in Blacklock House, an old converted country house in the countryside causes unsettling ripples amongst the other residents. In return for shopping, driving and company, he gets to live in a manner way above his means and does he make the most of it!
Timothy isn’t the only odd character that causes disquiet. For me, the story was a mix of police procedural and cosy crime, add in a nod to Agatha Christie and I hope I have painted an accurate picture. Readers who like their crime on the hard side might feel that this is rather light as there are no gory murders on the page, however it is the myriad of characters and the secrets they are hiding that give Toni Kemp more than a few headaches in her quest to find a killer. No wonder she resorts to her age old habit of shoplifting Snickers bars!
Local fishmonger, Freddy Power (aka Freddy the Fish) and Toni are long time friends and they work well together. In part due to her fish delivery job, Freddy has a little more insight into the goings on at Blacklock House and becomes rather more involved than she expects. Apart from Kemp and her sergeant, she was one of the few characters that I actually liked, although to be fair, one or two of the others grew on me over the course of the story.
I’m trying not to give too much away about the plot, but suffice to say The Companion is an entertaining and at times, quite suspenseful read and I did enjoy it. This is foremost a crime story but there are some underlying recurring themes in the story, one being loneliness. With well described, atmospheric backdrops, some rather unusual characters ranging from the eccentric to the odious together with a well plotted mystery, it was one that I was completely invested in and although I thought I had sussed out the killer, I was well and truly beaten by the final reveal.
June 12, 2022
I have been a fan of Lesley’s work for a while now. I especially love the series she created featuring the Detective’s Daughter. When I was invited to take part in the blog tour for ‘The Companion’, I immediately accepted. I couldn’t wait to start reading and so without further ado, I grabbed a cup of tea, grabbed my copy of the book and settled down for what proved to be a fun afternoon of reading. I really enjoyed reading ‘The Companion’ but more about that in a bit.
As soon as I started reading, I knew that ‘The Companion’ would be one of those books that I would find hard to put down for any length of time. It didn’t take me long to get into the story at all. The story seemed to develop a hold over me and it was a hold that I wasn’t willing to break. The characters intrigued me and I was interested to see in which direction the story was going to take them. I became so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the book. The pages were turning that quickly that it was almost as if they were turning themselves. All too quickly I reached the end of ‘The Companion’. I found ‘The Companion’ to be a gripping read, which certainly held my attention throughout and kept me guessing.
‘The Companion’ is extremely well written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Lesley Thomson. She certainly knows how to grab the reader’s attention and draw them into what proves to be one hell of a read. Lesley has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. For me the story hits the ground running and maintains a fairly gentle pace throughout. Reading ‘The Companion’ felt like being on an occasionally scary and unpredictable rollercoaster rides with several twists and turns along the way. This story actually reads like an episode of ‘Midsomer Murders’. Yes there is murder and mayhem but there are also some rather funny and at times bizarre moments. I love the way in which Lesley makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Companion’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Lesley’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
As soon as I started reading, I knew that ‘The Companion’ would be one of those books that I would find hard to put down for any length of time. It didn’t take me long to get into the story at all. The story seemed to develop a hold over me and it was a hold that I wasn’t willing to break. The characters intrigued me and I was interested to see in which direction the story was going to take them. I became so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the book. The pages were turning that quickly that it was almost as if they were turning themselves. All too quickly I reached the end of ‘The Companion’. I found ‘The Companion’ to be a gripping read, which certainly held my attention throughout and kept me guessing.
‘The Companion’ is extremely well written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Lesley Thomson. She certainly knows how to grab the reader’s attention and draw them into what proves to be one hell of a read. Lesley has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. For me the story hits the ground running and maintains a fairly gentle pace throughout. Reading ‘The Companion’ felt like being on an occasionally scary and unpredictable rollercoaster rides with several twists and turns along the way. This story actually reads like an episode of ‘Midsomer Murders’. Yes there is murder and mayhem but there are also some rather funny and at times bizarre moments. I love the way in which Lesley makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Companion’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Lesley’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
November 25, 2024
4.75 stars. Wow, this was excellent. I’d rank this among the best cozies I’ve ever read (up there with Anthony Horowitz and Elly Griffiths). I could hardly put it down. I will say that the ending was a bit more sinister than I’m used to cozies being, so that unsettled me a bit. (It ends up that a seemingly-strait laced, retired attorney in the story is a serial killer who kills almost randomly, when he’s *lonely*!! Quite dark.) But, excellent writing, and exquisite character development and sense of place. This was really well crafted.
I was surprised to learn halfway through this book that this is the 2nd in an unofficial series. But I look forward to going back now and reading more about Toni and Freddy in Death of a Mermaid.
I was surprised to learn halfway through this book that this is the 2nd in an unofficial series. But I look forward to going back now and reading more about Toni and Freddy in Death of a Mermaid.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2022
Very good
May 24, 2025
The characters were unlikeable (and overly contrived) and the way the book was written made the plot feel so confusing and disjointed. I could see what type of book the author wanted to write, but it fell flat. Also, really poorly edited with spelling/grammar mistakes. An easy read, but I didn't enjoy it.
July 27, 2024
Unfortunately I didn’t really enjoy reading this. It felt too disjointed, none of the characters were particularly likeable (a shoplifting detective?) and so you didn’t really care about them or root for them.
A few particular howlers for me…
“Malcolm’s Thomas Cromwell haircut stuck up on one side as if he’d gelled it then slept on it. Toni suspected Malcolm was into Tudor re-enactments, but he’d never said.”
The haircut gets several mentions, all were annoying.
“‘I know we’ve checked his bank accounts and found no record of paying for one. ‘Probably had a burner.’ ‘You’re right.’ Toni slapped her forehead. Duh. People having affairs lived like criminals, practised at deception.”
*headdesk* Oh come ON! Seriously?!
“‘It means Garry Haslem is the latest victim of the serial killer.’ Like the double act they were, Malcolm finished Toni’s sentence.”
What happened to “show, don’t tell”? This felt like a very amateur, inexperienced thing to write to demonstrate the point.
“Rex slathered a chunk of bread with a smear of ripe Brie.”
Is Rex Jesus now, with the feeding of the 5000? You can’t slather a smear, surely?
And finally…
“‘The day we resort to looking for motives, we’ll consider this investigation on life-support,’ Toni groaned. ‘Leave motive to the media and armchair detectives. We want hard evidence.’”
Admittedly I’m not a detective, but surely motive is important?
Ultimately a disappointing read that I probably should have DNFed, but by the time I considered it, I’d read too much and felt I had to at least salvage another book for my reading total. I am glad that some other people have enjoyed this, there will always be some who like a book and some who don’t - sadly this time I was one of the latter.
I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. Apologies for the delay in providing this.
A few particular howlers for me…
“Malcolm’s Thomas Cromwell haircut stuck up on one side as if he’d gelled it then slept on it. Toni suspected Malcolm was into Tudor re-enactments, but he’d never said.”
The haircut gets several mentions, all were annoying.
“‘I know we’ve checked his bank accounts and found no record of paying for one. ‘Probably had a burner.’ ‘You’re right.’ Toni slapped her forehead. Duh. People having affairs lived like criminals, practised at deception.”
*headdesk* Oh come ON! Seriously?!
“‘It means Garry Haslem is the latest victim of the serial killer.’ Like the double act they were, Malcolm finished Toni’s sentence.”
What happened to “show, don’t tell”? This felt like a very amateur, inexperienced thing to write to demonstrate the point.
“Rex slathered a chunk of bread with a smear of ripe Brie.”
Is Rex Jesus now, with the feeding of the 5000? You can’t slather a smear, surely?
And finally…
“‘The day we resort to looking for motives, we’ll consider this investigation on life-support,’ Toni groaned. ‘Leave motive to the media and armchair detectives. We want hard evidence.’”
Admittedly I’m not a detective, but surely motive is important?
Ultimately a disappointing read that I probably should have DNFed, but by the time I considered it, I’d read too much and felt I had to at least salvage another book for my reading total. I am glad that some other people have enjoyed this, there will always be some who like a book and some who don’t - sadly this time I was one of the latter.
I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. Apologies for the delay in providing this.
June 20, 2023
I'm afraid to say I found this novel to be a bit of a slog. It was only after I'd finished it that I realised that there was an earlier book featuring a couple of the characters, so perhaps I needed to have read the previous one first.
The synopsis appealed to me. I'm a fan of these types of murder mysteries but I had a hard time distinguishing one character from the next. I think the novel's main failing was its huge array of characters - in the first 25 pages we're introduced to at least 12 different people, plus several other names who are mentioned - and it became difficult to keep track of the relationships between them all.
The writing is perfectly fine, however, and there are a few amusing lines of dialogue, but overall I thought it a rather poorly-paced book, with too many characters crammed in. I'm sorry to say it left me with no inclination to pick up any of the other books in the series.
The synopsis appealed to me. I'm a fan of these types of murder mysteries but I had a hard time distinguishing one character from the next. I think the novel's main failing was its huge array of characters - in the first 25 pages we're introduced to at least 12 different people, plus several other names who are mentioned - and it became difficult to keep track of the relationships between them all.
The writing is perfectly fine, however, and there are a few amusing lines of dialogue, but overall I thought it a rather poorly-paced book, with too many characters crammed in. I'm sorry to say it left me with no inclination to pick up any of the other books in the series.
July 23, 2022
DNF @ 10%. The writing is this awful blend of mediocre and twee:
Malcolm mussed his Cromwellian haircut. Garry gave a gust of laughter. Timothy plunged his hands in his jacket pockets like Prince Charles.
I knew from the first few sentences I couldn't read an entire book this irritating, but I gave it a few chapters just in case I was hooked by the story. It... didn't improve. This is how a DI and a DS react to a pathologist telling them the cause of death was stab wounds:
'Murder?' Toni exclaimed. Malcolm's expression reflected her own horror.
It's like they've never done this before??? Pretty sure investigating murders is their JOB.
Malcolm mussed his Cromwellian haircut. Garry gave a gust of laughter. Timothy plunged his hands in his jacket pockets like Prince Charles.
I knew from the first few sentences I couldn't read an entire book this irritating, but I gave it a few chapters just in case I was hooked by the story. It... didn't improve. This is how a DI and a DS react to a pathologist telling them the cause of death was stab wounds:
'Murder?' Toni exclaimed. Malcolm's expression reflected her own horror.
It's like they've never done this before??? Pretty sure investigating murders is their JOB.
December 28, 2022
Confusing. Could not believe in any of the characters.
January 10, 2024
not her best
The lack of compassion for two dead children.
Even a hardened detective would have tried to solve it because of the children,
They were hardly acknowledge
The lack of compassion for two dead children.
Even a hardened detective would have tried to solve it because of the children,
They were hardly acknowledge
June 6, 2022
I haven't yet read Death of a Mermaid, the book that introduced DI Toni Kemp and her childhood friend, Freddie Power but while I am sure those who have will enjoy returning to Sussex for another murder mystery, I am happy to confirm that The Companion can very easily be enjoyed as a standalone too.
Any crime novel that features a grand country house will inevitably be compared to Agatha Christie and it's clear that Lesley Thomson pays homage to her books in The Companion. However, although it quickly becomes apparent that a killer is probably living in Blacklock House, this isn't a classic locked-room mystery. Indeed, the first murders take place outside the house and at first there is no obvious connection to the venerable mansion. The deaths are brutal but the writing isn't and so we only discover how James Ritchie and his young son, Wilbur were killed after the fact. The impact of investigating the murder of a child is shown to keenly affect the detectives assigned to the case – especially Toni whose father was murdered when she was a child.
Toni is a superb character and I hope to see her in future books; she has a fascinating backstory which still demonstrably influences her behaviour but she isn't the typical damaged detective who drinks heavily and instead turns to bottles of Gaviscon and shoplifting Snickers bars. Although there are suggestions that her light-fingered habits could eventually derail her career, it's really quite refreshing – and slightly amusing – to come across a police officer who could never be accused of being corrupt but is still occasionally on the wrong side of the law. Her friendship with Freddie Power is another highlight of The Companion. They don't always agree and can be quite sharp-tongued with each other but the love that underpins their abiding bond is apparent throughout and is the most important relationship in the book.
The residents of Blacklock House are introduced quickly and it took me a little while to feel I properly knew them but I felt this worked well as it reflected the experience of Timothy Mew, the companion of the title. Timothy, a pretentious, rather strange character who is difficult to like, has been engaged to provide companionship to one of the residents; former defence barrister, Rex Lomax. In a brief scene that is both a little perturbing and witty, Timothy and the readers meet the other people who live in the mansion – and it's fair to say they're an eccentric bunch who wouldn't be out of place in an Agatha Christie novel. There's the elderly, undeniably shrewd former Earl's daughter who verbally spars with the repugnant ageing lothario who wants to be Michael Caine's Alfie; a pair of married doctors who bicker constantly and evidently have money worries; a woman who says she works as a researcher for a famous crime writer but refuses to name him; and a man living in the former servants' quarters who takes a close interest in Timothy's friend, Martha. Meanwhile, Martha is shown to be a habitual liar who stalks her married lover's wife on Facebook.
Throw them all together, add more murders which alert the police and press to the possibility of a serial killer being active, a noisy peacock and a missing baby owl, and the scene is set for an intriguing story featuring a plethora of suspects and red herrings. The investigation itself is shown to be painstaking and there seems to be no real sign of a breakthrough despite Toni and her team coming up with several potential leads. This is a slower driven, character-led novel that gradually reveals its secrets but there is an underlying sense of tension throughout the book, culminating in a terrific denouement which fittingly finds all the main players together on a stormy night with a killer in their midst. Having changed my mind several times during the course of the book, I had worked out the murderer before the reveal but the clues are there and I enjoyed having my suspicions proved correct.
The Companion is an engaging mystery which echoes classic whodunnits without feeling stale or derivative, and in DI Toni Kemp and Frankie Power has a double act I hope to see more of.
Any crime novel that features a grand country house will inevitably be compared to Agatha Christie and it's clear that Lesley Thomson pays homage to her books in The Companion. However, although it quickly becomes apparent that a killer is probably living in Blacklock House, this isn't a classic locked-room mystery. Indeed, the first murders take place outside the house and at first there is no obvious connection to the venerable mansion. The deaths are brutal but the writing isn't and so we only discover how James Ritchie and his young son, Wilbur were killed after the fact. The impact of investigating the murder of a child is shown to keenly affect the detectives assigned to the case – especially Toni whose father was murdered when she was a child.
Toni is a superb character and I hope to see her in future books; she has a fascinating backstory which still demonstrably influences her behaviour but she isn't the typical damaged detective who drinks heavily and instead turns to bottles of Gaviscon and shoplifting Snickers bars. Although there are suggestions that her light-fingered habits could eventually derail her career, it's really quite refreshing – and slightly amusing – to come across a police officer who could never be accused of being corrupt but is still occasionally on the wrong side of the law. Her friendship with Freddie Power is another highlight of The Companion. They don't always agree and can be quite sharp-tongued with each other but the love that underpins their abiding bond is apparent throughout and is the most important relationship in the book.
The residents of Blacklock House are introduced quickly and it took me a little while to feel I properly knew them but I felt this worked well as it reflected the experience of Timothy Mew, the companion of the title. Timothy, a pretentious, rather strange character who is difficult to like, has been engaged to provide companionship to one of the residents; former defence barrister, Rex Lomax. In a brief scene that is both a little perturbing and witty, Timothy and the readers meet the other people who live in the mansion – and it's fair to say they're an eccentric bunch who wouldn't be out of place in an Agatha Christie novel. There's the elderly, undeniably shrewd former Earl's daughter who verbally spars with the repugnant ageing lothario who wants to be Michael Caine's Alfie; a pair of married doctors who bicker constantly and evidently have money worries; a woman who says she works as a researcher for a famous crime writer but refuses to name him; and a man living in the former servants' quarters who takes a close interest in Timothy's friend, Martha. Meanwhile, Martha is shown to be a habitual liar who stalks her married lover's wife on Facebook.
Throw them all together, add more murders which alert the police and press to the possibility of a serial killer being active, a noisy peacock and a missing baby owl, and the scene is set for an intriguing story featuring a plethora of suspects and red herrings. The investigation itself is shown to be painstaking and there seems to be no real sign of a breakthrough despite Toni and her team coming up with several potential leads. This is a slower driven, character-led novel that gradually reveals its secrets but there is an underlying sense of tension throughout the book, culminating in a terrific denouement which fittingly finds all the main players together on a stormy night with a killer in their midst. Having changed my mind several times during the course of the book, I had worked out the murderer before the reveal but the clues are there and I enjoyed having my suspicions proved correct.
The Companion is an engaging mystery which echoes classic whodunnits without feeling stale or derivative, and in DI Toni Kemp and Frankie Power has a double act I hope to see more of.
June 7, 2022
A man and his young son are the victims of a grisly double stabbing while out flying a kite on the beach. There appears to be no motive for their deaths, making it very hard for DI Toni Kemp and her Sussex police team to track down the perpetrator.
When another unsuspecting family become the next victims of the serial killer, found dead after a picnic on Deadman's Heath, DI Kemp's attention is drawn to Blacklock House, a former grand mansion that has been converted into flats. Now housing a small group of residents who seem to have plenty to hide, including the slightly peculiar twenty-five-year old Timothy Mew who has just taken on the job of companion to retired QC Rex Lomax.
Can DI Kemp get to the bottom of this perplexing case before the murderer strikes again?
The Companion is a literary crime thriller that begins with a shocking double murder and evolves into a left-of-field country house mystery, with all the sinister vibes you could possibly want.
The story starts with a grisly bang, and explodes into a number of intermingled threads around the lives of various local characters, gradually spreading to include the eccentric gaggle of residents at the creepy Blacklock House. There are essentially two sides to the tale, splitting between the personal relationships of the characters and the murder plot at hand, which are connected through a bevy of subplots.
A lot of characters come at you very quickly, and I did find it tricky to navigate through them at first, as there are so many aspects of their personal stories that link everything together. However, you soon get into the rhythm of where Lesley Thomson is going with this, and get a handle on how they all fit into the intricately wrought plotlines that need to be hammered out before the truth becomes clear, and it provides her with a wealth of red herrings to mix things up nicely.
What really draws you in is Blacklock House itself and the odd collection of residents that live there, ranging from the endearingly batty to the out-and-out menacing, and I can see that Thomson has had a field day coming up with all their perverse traits. Their encounters spill out into tense, and often blistering, verbal encounters that are darkly entertaining to read. If ever there was a cast of suspicious characters under one eerie roof then this lot fit the bill perfectly - and they definitely keep you guessing about their involvement in the macabre goings on in the neighbourhood.
My favourite character in this book was Freddy, and I loved her friendship with DI Kemp, who has some very quirky traits of her own it seems. I really enjoyed how Freddy ties many threads of the story together, and some of the most humorous parts of the book stem from her role in the tale - the heart warming ones too.
I think it's fair to say that this is a book that you need to give your full attention to, but if you fancy a cleverly conceived crime story that combines a touch of Elly Griffiths by way of a literary Knives Out, then this is an intriguing choice for your reading pile. It has some interesting observations on loneliness to ponder too.
When another unsuspecting family become the next victims of the serial killer, found dead after a picnic on Deadman's Heath, DI Kemp's attention is drawn to Blacklock House, a former grand mansion that has been converted into flats. Now housing a small group of residents who seem to have plenty to hide, including the slightly peculiar twenty-five-year old Timothy Mew who has just taken on the job of companion to retired QC Rex Lomax.
Can DI Kemp get to the bottom of this perplexing case before the murderer strikes again?
The Companion is a literary crime thriller that begins with a shocking double murder and evolves into a left-of-field country house mystery, with all the sinister vibes you could possibly want.
The story starts with a grisly bang, and explodes into a number of intermingled threads around the lives of various local characters, gradually spreading to include the eccentric gaggle of residents at the creepy Blacklock House. There are essentially two sides to the tale, splitting between the personal relationships of the characters and the murder plot at hand, which are connected through a bevy of subplots.
A lot of characters come at you very quickly, and I did find it tricky to navigate through them at first, as there are so many aspects of their personal stories that link everything together. However, you soon get into the rhythm of where Lesley Thomson is going with this, and get a handle on how they all fit into the intricately wrought plotlines that need to be hammered out before the truth becomes clear, and it provides her with a wealth of red herrings to mix things up nicely.
What really draws you in is Blacklock House itself and the odd collection of residents that live there, ranging from the endearingly batty to the out-and-out menacing, and I can see that Thomson has had a field day coming up with all their perverse traits. Their encounters spill out into tense, and often blistering, verbal encounters that are darkly entertaining to read. If ever there was a cast of suspicious characters under one eerie roof then this lot fit the bill perfectly - and they definitely keep you guessing about their involvement in the macabre goings on in the neighbourhood.
My favourite character in this book was Freddy, and I loved her friendship with DI Kemp, who has some very quirky traits of her own it seems. I really enjoyed how Freddy ties many threads of the story together, and some of the most humorous parts of the book stem from her role in the tale - the heart warming ones too.
I think it's fair to say that this is a book that you need to give your full attention to, but if you fancy a cleverly conceived crime story that combines a touch of Elly Griffiths by way of a literary Knives Out, then this is an intriguing choice for your reading pile. It has some interesting observations on loneliness to ponder too.
June 17, 2022
It's always exciting when a new Lesley Thomson book is published - they never fail to keep you reading and The Companion is no exception - it's been my companion for a few days and I stayed up late last night as I needed to finish it and find out who, what, why, how, and when.
Who is the companion? In a straightforward reading it is Timothy Mew who takes the titular position to Rex Lomax, retired defence counsel, in his home, an apartment in a stately home now sub divided into luxury accommodation. But the question is far broader as Lesley's characters explore companionship in its many facets and this bring such a richness to the story. The other theme is what do we tell ourselves about ourselves...and what do we tell others? Identity is an important undercurrent - are we ever who we say we are? It is an intricate tapestry of many threads.
In The Companion we are back in Mermaid territory with Toni and Freddy - which gives me a point of reference as I feel reunited with people I met in Death of a Mermaid...but this is also a stately home murder story, a setting familiar to every crime reader! There's something fishy going on at Blacklock House and it's not Freddy's weekly fish delivery - although that alone gives us an insight into the residents.
There are murders aplenty and a detection team struggling to make sense of the killings - and I shared their struggle guessing again and again only to find I was wrong, wrong, wrong.
Timothy introduces Rex to a game called The Leela of Self Knowledge - a sort of snakes and ladders but a game offering insight into your character through the roll of a die (not dice, as we are firmly told!). This game exists - fascinating to read about it and I am left wondering how Lesley found out about it - feels too scary for me to play!
The writing is as rich as ever. Classic example: 'Barbara Major's sitting room was redolent with mute suffering and premature mortality' (pg 67). I laughed out loud when I read that as it captures a room (one I wouldn't want to spend time in) perfectly - in just 12 words. I have recently read (and very much enjoyed) Elizabeth Taylor's 'Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont' and Lesley's writing reminded me of how Elizabeth Taylor used her words to paint a picture.
This is a stand-alone book - no need to have read the previous one.
I highly recommend this - it is the perfect companion!
Who is the companion? In a straightforward reading it is Timothy Mew who takes the titular position to Rex Lomax, retired defence counsel, in his home, an apartment in a stately home now sub divided into luxury accommodation. But the question is far broader as Lesley's characters explore companionship in its many facets and this bring such a richness to the story. The other theme is what do we tell ourselves about ourselves...and what do we tell others? Identity is an important undercurrent - are we ever who we say we are? It is an intricate tapestry of many threads.
In The Companion we are back in Mermaid territory with Toni and Freddy - which gives me a point of reference as I feel reunited with people I met in Death of a Mermaid...but this is also a stately home murder story, a setting familiar to every crime reader! There's something fishy going on at Blacklock House and it's not Freddy's weekly fish delivery - although that alone gives us an insight into the residents.
There are murders aplenty and a detection team struggling to make sense of the killings - and I shared their struggle guessing again and again only to find I was wrong, wrong, wrong.
Timothy introduces Rex to a game called The Leela of Self Knowledge - a sort of snakes and ladders but a game offering insight into your character through the roll of a die (not dice, as we are firmly told!). This game exists - fascinating to read about it and I am left wondering how Lesley found out about it - feels too scary for me to play!
The writing is as rich as ever. Classic example: 'Barbara Major's sitting room was redolent with mute suffering and premature mortality' (pg 67). I laughed out loud when I read that as it captures a room (one I wouldn't want to spend time in) perfectly - in just 12 words. I have recently read (and very much enjoyed) Elizabeth Taylor's 'Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont' and Lesley's writing reminded me of how Elizabeth Taylor used her words to paint a picture.
This is a stand-alone book - no need to have read the previous one.
I highly recommend this - it is the perfect companion!
June 8, 2022
If you love a good old fashioned English murder mystery, then you need to pick up The Companion by Lesley Thomson. This is the first novel by Lesley that I’ve read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There’s a real sense of mystery and I loved how Lesley put the spotlight on various characters, I was never able to guess who the killer was.
The novel opens with a shocking murder when a family are murdered during a day out as well as a father and son. This creates a sinister tone right from the beginning as DI Toni Kemp and his team grapple with the case and attempt to bring the perpetrator to justice before they kill again. What would give anyone a reason to want to kill these people? The crimes are so shocking, and I could see just how terrifying it was for the residents, fearing that at any moment the killer could strike again. I was rooting for the police to catch the killer.
The novel shifts its focus to an old manor house, converted into apartments. It is also the home of Rex, who is seventy years of age. Rex has just employed Timothy Mew, who is twenty-five years old to be a live in companion, following the death of Rex’s wife five years earlier. It is around the time that Timothy arrives that the murders start. The manor house falls under the spotlight of the police’s investigation, and it is clear to see that there are more than a few strange happenings going on in the former mansion. This adds to the chilling atmosphere of the novel, and I could feel danger lurking around every corner.
I liked how Lesley Thomson kept me guessing about her characters and I liked trying to work out what their real motives are. Is it too much of a coincidence that Timothy arrived at around the same time the murders take place? The character’s individual personalities come through so well on the page, really making you think about them. There are so many mysteries surrounding them which kept me utterly gripped as I was reading. I think this would make an excellent television drama.
The Companion is a highly addictive read and I was drawn into the mystery from the first page. I thought this was a highly entertaining read. It’s the type of book that you can lose an afternoon to. I really enjoyed it. The Companion is the perfect murder mystery novel.
The novel opens with a shocking murder when a family are murdered during a day out as well as a father and son. This creates a sinister tone right from the beginning as DI Toni Kemp and his team grapple with the case and attempt to bring the perpetrator to justice before they kill again. What would give anyone a reason to want to kill these people? The crimes are so shocking, and I could see just how terrifying it was for the residents, fearing that at any moment the killer could strike again. I was rooting for the police to catch the killer.
The novel shifts its focus to an old manor house, converted into apartments. It is also the home of Rex, who is seventy years of age. Rex has just employed Timothy Mew, who is twenty-five years old to be a live in companion, following the death of Rex’s wife five years earlier. It is around the time that Timothy arrives that the murders start. The manor house falls under the spotlight of the police’s investigation, and it is clear to see that there are more than a few strange happenings going on in the former mansion. This adds to the chilling atmosphere of the novel, and I could feel danger lurking around every corner.
I liked how Lesley Thomson kept me guessing about her characters and I liked trying to work out what their real motives are. Is it too much of a coincidence that Timothy arrived at around the same time the murders take place? The character’s individual personalities come through so well on the page, really making you think about them. There are so many mysteries surrounding them which kept me utterly gripped as I was reading. I think this would make an excellent television drama.
The Companion is a highly addictive read and I was drawn into the mystery from the first page. I thought this was a highly entertaining read. It’s the type of book that you can lose an afternoon to. I really enjoyed it. The Companion is the perfect murder mystery novel.
May 29, 2022
Now I will say from the start of my review, this isn't an instantly gratifying novel. It's what many of us would call a slow burner. But it does of course begin with murder and intrigue. . .
James Ritchie is a man who has recently split up from his wife. He was looking forward to a spending some time with his son, Wilbur. Little does he know (or his ex Anna) but this will be the last time that they all see each other.
Quite simply because that afternoon, both James and Wilbur are found dead. The unfortunate victims of a double stabbing on the beach. All they were doing was flying a kite weren't they?
In steps DI Toni Kemp, who has the tricky job of solving this disturbing case which has shocked the county to its core.
Clues lead her to Blacklock House. A large and looming country mansion, that has over time been changed into numerous flats.
The residents here all seem suspicious in their own way and out in the middle of nowhere, this picturesque place actually filled me with dread!
Told from varied points of view, each chapter gave us more insight into the main cast. This gave a great deal of backstory, details that really made the tale much more atmospheric. I was impressed at how Lesley was able to alternate between each person without letting the tension drop.
Interestingly, I found myself liking all of the characters (even the bad ones), this was quite a refreshing aspect for me.
I personally loved this novel.
It felt like a traditional whodunnit with extra spice.
With a great mix of characters (and red-herrings), this was a story that although not quick in its pace, delivered everything I think a crime novel should. Most importantly, the fact that I was kept guessing until the very end.
Deceptive and dark, The Companion definitely has me wanting to read more books by Thomson now.
Highly recommended.
James Ritchie is a man who has recently split up from his wife. He was looking forward to a spending some time with his son, Wilbur. Little does he know (or his ex Anna) but this will be the last time that they all see each other.
Quite simply because that afternoon, both James and Wilbur are found dead. The unfortunate victims of a double stabbing on the beach. All they were doing was flying a kite weren't they?
In steps DI Toni Kemp, who has the tricky job of solving this disturbing case which has shocked the county to its core.
Clues lead her to Blacklock House. A large and looming country mansion, that has over time been changed into numerous flats.
The residents here all seem suspicious in their own way and out in the middle of nowhere, this picturesque place actually filled me with dread!
Told from varied points of view, each chapter gave us more insight into the main cast. This gave a great deal of backstory, details that really made the tale much more atmospheric. I was impressed at how Lesley was able to alternate between each person without letting the tension drop.
Interestingly, I found myself liking all of the characters (even the bad ones), this was quite a refreshing aspect for me.
I personally loved this novel.
It felt like a traditional whodunnit with extra spice.
With a great mix of characters (and red-herrings), this was a story that although not quick in its pace, delivered everything I think a crime novel should. Most importantly, the fact that I was kept guessing until the very end.
Deceptive and dark, The Companion definitely has me wanting to read more books by Thomson now.
Highly recommended.
April 14, 2022
I would like to thank Netgalley and Head of Zeus for an advance copy of The Companion, a stand-alone novel set in Newhaven.
James Richie and his nine year old son, Wilbur, are murdered when out flying a kite. DI Antonia “Toni” Kemp is assigned the case, but with few clues the going is tough. What she does know leads her to take an interest in Blackstock House, a former country house turned into flats, and its residents.
I quite enjoyed The Companion, which is as much an examination of the characters and their interactions as it is a murder enquiry. I’m glad I read it as it held my attention, but not to the extent that I would want to read a sequel.
I liked the plot premise and the way it developed with several twists and turns and a well concealed perpetrator. There is a certain amount of misdirection, but I didn’t feel it worked particularly well, because one character it was aimed at was simply too unlikeable to be a possibility and the other has a voice so is accounted for. I was less keen on the execution of the novel. It is told from various points of view, so initially keeping up with who’s who is a challenge, especially when there is a host of characters involved. I found it difficult to keep my concentration when the novel slips from one voice to another quickly and regularly. Ensemble pieces like this do not suit my reading style. I would also note that this is a relatively long novel and that makes it slow and to a point meandering. It is certainly not a crisp, sharp read.
Everyone of the characters has a kink or a secret, except perhaps Freddy, Toni’s best friend. She seems honest and straightforward, almost out of place among the other characters.
The Companion is a solid read.
James Richie and his nine year old son, Wilbur, are murdered when out flying a kite. DI Antonia “Toni” Kemp is assigned the case, but with few clues the going is tough. What she does know leads her to take an interest in Blackstock House, a former country house turned into flats, and its residents.
I quite enjoyed The Companion, which is as much an examination of the characters and their interactions as it is a murder enquiry. I’m glad I read it as it held my attention, but not to the extent that I would want to read a sequel.
I liked the plot premise and the way it developed with several twists and turns and a well concealed perpetrator. There is a certain amount of misdirection, but I didn’t feel it worked particularly well, because one character it was aimed at was simply too unlikeable to be a possibility and the other has a voice so is accounted for. I was less keen on the execution of the novel. It is told from various points of view, so initially keeping up with who’s who is a challenge, especially when there is a host of characters involved. I found it difficult to keep my concentration when the novel slips from one voice to another quickly and regularly. Ensemble pieces like this do not suit my reading style. I would also note that this is a relatively long novel and that makes it slow and to a point meandering. It is certainly not a crisp, sharp read.
Everyone of the characters has a kink or a secret, except perhaps Freddy, Toni’s best friend. She seems honest and straightforward, almost out of place among the other characters.
The Companion is a solid read.
May 11, 2022
The Companion - Lesley Thomson
James Ritchie was looking forward to a boys' day out with his son, Wilbur picking him up late from his ex-wife Anna, she leaves the two of them to their day. But Anna will never see her family again. That afternoon, James and Wilbur are found dead, the victims of a double stabbing on the beach.
DI Toni Kemp, must unravel a case which has shocked the county to its core. What she discovers will lead her to Blacklock House, a grand country mansion, long ago converted into flats. Here in the middle of nowhere, where a peacock struts the lawn, and a fountain plays intermittently, seven long-term residents have seen more than they should.
But this is a community who are good at keeping secrets...
Well, this one was a slow burn and then at times caught fire for me. I loved the police procedural elements, the murders themselves and their investigation. It felt quite real with the investigation going one step forward, then two steps back. The people living in Blacklock House I found difficult to engage with, except Rex, but that is the point. I didn’t trust them, didn’t particularly like them and slowly, slowly, suspicions build and tension rises.
As more murders occur, we are fed little breadcrumbs pointing this way and that, I felt like I was blundering about, somewhat like DI Kemp in fact. Although towards the end I had decided ‘whodunnit’, I enjoyed reading the threads of the story move towards each other until all the elements combined in a satisfying conclusion.
✩✩✩✰
Thanks to Sophie Ransom PR, Netgalley and Aries fiction for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
James Ritchie was looking forward to a boys' day out with his son, Wilbur picking him up late from his ex-wife Anna, she leaves the two of them to their day. But Anna will never see her family again. That afternoon, James and Wilbur are found dead, the victims of a double stabbing on the beach.
DI Toni Kemp, must unravel a case which has shocked the county to its core. What she discovers will lead her to Blacklock House, a grand country mansion, long ago converted into flats. Here in the middle of nowhere, where a peacock struts the lawn, and a fountain plays intermittently, seven long-term residents have seen more than they should.
But this is a community who are good at keeping secrets...
Well, this one was a slow burn and then at times caught fire for me. I loved the police procedural elements, the murders themselves and their investigation. It felt quite real with the investigation going one step forward, then two steps back. The people living in Blacklock House I found difficult to engage with, except Rex, but that is the point. I didn’t trust them, didn’t particularly like them and slowly, slowly, suspicions build and tension rises.
As more murders occur, we are fed little breadcrumbs pointing this way and that, I felt like I was blundering about, somewhat like DI Kemp in fact. Although towards the end I had decided ‘whodunnit’, I enjoyed reading the threads of the story move towards each other until all the elements combined in a satisfying conclusion.
✩✩✩✰
Thanks to Sophie Ransom PR, Netgalley and Aries fiction for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
May 7, 2022
I was really pleased to read this book by Lesley Thomson, especially when I realised she was revisiting Newhaven, and the characters from Death of a Mermaid.
The Companion in question is Timothy Mew a young man with delusions of grandeur, who comes to be a companion to a retired barrister. The barrister, Rex, lives in a country house that has been converted into apartments, containing an interesting mix of people.
At this time, a serial killer is on the loose, attacking families, and detective Toni Kemp is investigating the case. One of the attacks takes place on the woods behind the house.
With a slight Agatha Christie-esque feel, the country house, the many suspects/victims, Freddie the fish delivery lady, Martha the hairdresser, this book is still very modern and intriguing, and full of great characters.
Lots of red herrings, and I certainly didn’t guess the ending!
I look forward to reading more about Toni and Freddie.
(There were a few continuity errors which need ironing out, some confusion with names, but more importantly, the layout of the country house, where was Barbara Major’s apartment?)
Thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the opportunity to read this book.
The Companion in question is Timothy Mew a young man with delusions of grandeur, who comes to be a companion to a retired barrister. The barrister, Rex, lives in a country house that has been converted into apartments, containing an interesting mix of people.
At this time, a serial killer is on the loose, attacking families, and detective Toni Kemp is investigating the case. One of the attacks takes place on the woods behind the house.
With a slight Agatha Christie-esque feel, the country house, the many suspects/victims, Freddie the fish delivery lady, Martha the hairdresser, this book is still very modern and intriguing, and full of great characters.
Lots of red herrings, and I certainly didn’t guess the ending!
I look forward to reading more about Toni and Freddie.
(There were a few continuity errors which need ironing out, some confusion with names, but more importantly, the layout of the country house, where was Barbara Major’s apartment?)
Thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the opportunity to read this book.
June 12, 2022
This is a story that begins with a terrible crime a father and son are found dead after a day trip and D I Toni Kemp is called into investigate this is the second book that has featured Toni but I had no problem reading as a standalone story.
Timothy Mew has a new job as the companion of Rex Lomax, a resident of Blacklock House, which was once a stateley home and now converted into apartments. Rex’s wife was killed in a car crash and Rex has Parkinson’s Disease. We are also introduced to Freddy who is delivering fish at Blacklock House and is a friend of Toni’s and of Rex.
This is well written and detailed crime story which is best enjoyed slowly where you can immerse yourself in the narrative. There are lots of characters, including a peacock called King Tut in this story and it did take me a little while to get to know them all.
The residents of the flats think that they know everything about everyone or do they ? It definitely kept me guessing and that is always a huge plus for me in a book. Entertaining and full of detail.
4 stars ****
Timothy Mew has a new job as the companion of Rex Lomax, a resident of Blacklock House, which was once a stateley home and now converted into apartments. Rex’s wife was killed in a car crash and Rex has Parkinson’s Disease. We are also introduced to Freddy who is delivering fish at Blacklock House and is a friend of Toni’s and of Rex.
This is well written and detailed crime story which is best enjoyed slowly where you can immerse yourself in the narrative. There are lots of characters, including a peacock called King Tut in this story and it did take me a little while to get to know them all.
The residents of the flats think that they know everything about everyone or do they ? It definitely kept me guessing and that is always a huge plus for me in a book. Entertaining and full of detail.
4 stars ****
February 16, 2023
I love Lesley Thomson’s writing and was particularly happy to find out more about “Mermaids” Toni and Freddy in this standalone murder mystery featuring the two popular characters from Thomson’s earlier book Death of a Mermaid.
Red herrings abound in this whodunnit and the eponymous Companion is definitely a bad ‘un. But is he a serial killer?
I also love books in which the author (a crime writer, obviously) includes a character who is a crime writer. Barbara Major and her professional stalking of random other people who might make good characters in novels made me laugh out loud.
Finally, I really enjoyed the burgeoning romance between Freddy and Martha. It felt just the right amount of side plot and just the right level of hearts and flowers for caring, down-to-Earth Freddy. I also liked the way Thomson highlights early on the contrast between Freddy, who wants a relationship, and her best friend Toni, who is happy being single.
Too often, I think, female DIs in murder stories are given convoluted love lives as subplots, and it’s great to have Toni who is all about the job and her platonic friendships. The happily single woman should feature more in fiction - after all, I’ve been happily single myself for stretches of my own life and I have some very happily longterm single friends.
Three Word Review: Mermaids solve murder.
Red herrings abound in this whodunnit and the eponymous Companion is definitely a bad ‘un. But is he a serial killer?
I also love books in which the author (a crime writer, obviously) includes a character who is a crime writer. Barbara Major and her professional stalking of random other people who might make good characters in novels made me laugh out loud.
Finally, I really enjoyed the burgeoning romance between Freddy and Martha. It felt just the right amount of side plot and just the right level of hearts and flowers for caring, down-to-Earth Freddy. I also liked the way Thomson highlights early on the contrast between Freddy, who wants a relationship, and her best friend Toni, who is happy being single.
Too often, I think, female DIs in murder stories are given convoluted love lives as subplots, and it’s great to have Toni who is all about the job and her platonic friendships. The happily single woman should feature more in fiction - after all, I’ve been happily single myself for stretches of my own life and I have some very happily longterm single friends.
Three Word Review: Mermaids solve murder.
June 6, 2022
Another fantastic novel from Lesley Thomson – whose writing just keeps getting better and better!
When James Ritchie took his son, Wilbur, out for the day he expected to have fun flying a kite; he didn’t think they would be the latest murder victims. DI Toni Kemp and her team have the task of finding out what happened and why. Everything seems to lead to Blacklock House, a grand country mansion converted into flats with seven residents, none of whom seem to be very forthcoming. When the bodies start mounting up, DI Kemp has her work cut out for her.
The one thing guaranteed with this author’s novels is that they are never cut and dried. She creates the most amazing characters, wraps them up with fabulous dialogue into a seemingly unfathomable tale and thoroughly bamboozles her readers! There is a wonderful cast of characters in The Companion; I began by taking them all at face value and ended up trusting none of them. I would have said I suspected everyone at some point or another but, when I reconsidered, I realised that I never actually suspected the guilty of having ‘done the deed’! Skilfully crafted, beautifully written and another of this author’s novels which I am delighted to recommend highly and, of course, give all five sparkling stars.
When James Ritchie took his son, Wilbur, out for the day he expected to have fun flying a kite; he didn’t think they would be the latest murder victims. DI Toni Kemp and her team have the task of finding out what happened and why. Everything seems to lead to Blacklock House, a grand country mansion converted into flats with seven residents, none of whom seem to be very forthcoming. When the bodies start mounting up, DI Kemp has her work cut out for her.
The one thing guaranteed with this author’s novels is that they are never cut and dried. She creates the most amazing characters, wraps them up with fabulous dialogue into a seemingly unfathomable tale and thoroughly bamboozles her readers! There is a wonderful cast of characters in The Companion; I began by taking them all at face value and ended up trusting none of them. I would have said I suspected everyone at some point or another but, when I reconsidered, I realised that I never actually suspected the guilty of having ‘done the deed’! Skilfully crafted, beautifully written and another of this author’s novels which I am delighted to recommend highly and, of course, give all five sparkling stars.
August 29, 2022
If you like watching Midsomer Murders, then this book will be right up your street. There’s a serial killer on the loose in Sussex, and the suspects are a very eccentric bunch, from geezer Garry to dotty Bunty. And they all live in a dilapidated and decayed mansion, with a storm raging outside every 5 minutes and a bonus owl flying about for good measure.
So, it’s enjoyable. But it also disappoints for two key reasons. 1) There’s no motive or rationale behind the killings. The police never discover it and the perpetrator never explains it. That’s unsatisfactory for a reader who likes to know who, and why. 2) Midsomer Murders is popular not just for its reliable cast of quirkily English suspects. The main detective is amiable and at the heart of the action. Here, the main detective Toni seems like a nice lady with a sad past - that’s it, and that’s not enough to counterbalance the list of suspects.
So, it’s enjoyable. But it also disappoints for two key reasons. 1) There’s no motive or rationale behind the killings. The police never discover it and the perpetrator never explains it. That’s unsatisfactory for a reader who likes to know who, and why. 2) Midsomer Murders is popular not just for its reliable cast of quirkily English suspects. The main detective is amiable and at the heart of the action. Here, the main detective Toni seems like a nice lady with a sad past - that’s it, and that’s not enough to counterbalance the list of suspects.
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