Faithful Unto Death

Chief Inspector Barnaby #5

by Caroline Graham

When bored young housewife Simone Hollingsworth misses bell-ringing practice-her latest effort to find something to do-no one is surprised. In fact, if old Mrs. Molfrey, her neighbor, didn't report it to Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby, Simone's disappearance might have gone unrecorded in Fawcett Green. But even Barnaby isn't concerned-until a body is found.

Soon Barnaby is uncovering the passionate entanglements beneath the placid surface of Fawcett Green-and perhaps jeopardizing his career. Now, if he misconstrues the clue buried in Simone's garden-and a subtlety of human behavior his experienced eye should spot-a brutal killer may go free...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, British Literature, Audiobook, Cozy, Procedural

420 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Caroline Graham is an English playwright, screenwriter and novelist. She attended the Open University, and received a degree in writing for the theatre from the University of Birmingham.

Series:
* Chief Inspector Barnaby

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fifth in the Chief Inspector Barnaby series. It is set in the village of Fawcett Green, where things the signs that things are wrong begin on Thursday, 6th June. Simone Hollingworth, beautiful, bored wife of businessman, Alan Hollingsworth,, fails to turn up for her latest hobby - bell-ringing. Did she leave because her husband was violent? If so, why does he seem to have fallen to pieces?

As the mystery progresses – and it is longer than previous books in the series – we learn about the secrets in the village and the unfolding relationships among the characters. These include not only Alan and Simone Hollingworth, but the delightful Elfrida Molfrey, elderly lover of mysteries and former star, her devoted acolyte, Cubby Dawlish, artist Sarah Lawson, Gray Patterson, who was cheated in a business deal by Alan Hollingsworth, and the reclusive Brockley family.

I found this an interesting, character driven, mystery. I enjoyed the various twists and turns, although some of the novel was a little sad. Graham is good at uncovering human frailties; including the casual spitefulness that is often revealed. Although these mysteries are set in a small village, this is definitely not a series which offers all happy endings. Love is not always returned, some lives are lived without happiness or love, and Barnaby’s sidekick, Troy, is often the most quick to judge and comment. However, even Troy has a lesson taught to him in this mystery; although I doubt he will change much by the next in the series. I do intend to read on and I am enjoying the series very much.

[Carrie CJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Agatha Christie meets Mapp and Lucia. If you love the human interest factor of the Miss Marple stories but fancy something a little more caustic you will ADORE this, it has Christie's perception about small community life but the characters are starker and so the overall tone more satirical. It's just an absolute joy to read, all the best bits of a police procedural plus a supporting cast of colourful eccentrics.

[Jill H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series featuring DCI Barnaby and Sgt. Troy and can always count on the author to provide a twisting turning plot that often leaves the reader taken by surprise. This entry is much longer than most of Graham's other books and suffers for it.

The setting is beautifully drawn........a typical, almost stereotypical English village with some wonderful and eccentric characters. Disaster strikes when one of the residents is found dead in his home and it appears to be suicide....or is it? Two women go missing as well and at this point the plot becomes more complex than it needs to be. There is too much going on here and it could almost have been written as two stand alone stories. Trying to connect the dots and figure out relationships (or lack thereof) slows down the flow of the narrative.

Although I was a little disappointed, I still enjoyed the book. But it is far from my favorite in this usually excellent detective series.

[Elizabeth (Alaska) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simone Hollingsworth disappeared on Thursday, 6 June. You could have said she had a wonderful day for it.

These are the opening two sentences. I wondered how long it would be before someone discovered her body. I think it's hard being hooked any earlier in a book than this, and hooked I was.

Again, Graham gives us well-drawn characters. There was no one who I found truly quirky and no one to truly dislike. Since I never get the mystery right, it probably isn't necessary to say I didn't guess it. Even when I guessed one of the clues early on, I still didn't get the picture. Barnaby was always more than just one step ahead of me. Sgt. Troy is still a bit of a creep, but I've come to just do a bit of eye-rolling, even a laugh now and then. Political correctness had not yet reared its ugly head when this was published, and we are allowed to believe people like Troy actually existed - without reprimand or discharge.

For me, this is the best of the series so far. There are two more in the coming months. My rating for the genre tops out at 4-stars and I'll happily let this sit in the upper echelons of that group.

[Sharla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished the fifth in Caroline Graham's Barnaby series. I love the setting and the way she makes the characters come to life. I know her books are generally given the "cozy" label but I'm not so sure that really fits. Pretty much all her books feature significant gory details, which make them more exciting and realistic than the average cozy. I'd seen the movie some years ago but had forgotten exactly how it ended so it was a surprise. Another good one from Caroline Graham.

[Kyrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's really well-written, and kept me going the whole way through.

And I was very angry at the end because Simone got away with it. Yes. I know this sort of thing happens in real life, but I don't read fiction to get real life results. I read fictional mysteries so I can imagine there's justice in the world.

[dmayr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still four stars on reread. Caroline Graham delves deep into the motives and personalities of her characters. I've always been reminded of P.D. James on reading her, though James' series is much darker and gloomier, though both are equally fantastic. The only thing disappointing here is the ending.

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This Midsomer Murder was quite different than the episode on tv. And for once, I preferred the episode. There was more about the summer fete, Brenda was a much more interesting character who was creepier and died a much different death. Alan Hollingsworth, in the tv episode, was someone to despise. I don't rely like Troy in the books. He's a philandering woman chaser even with his baby and wife at home. And Barnaby is much more love able on tv. The novel character is much more flat and seems to have less to do with his family as a whole. And Kilmowski has a much bigger part in tv instead of having a fleeting cameo.

[Nadishka Aloysius · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved watching the Midsummer Murders TV serial. But the books are a disappointment. Barnaby and Troy did not come into the picture until halfway into the story so all they really had to do was tie up a few lose ends since the reader already knew the backstory.
I hated the character of Troy - he's a selfish, cruel bully. So different to the character on TV
The humour in the TV series is also lacking although there were a few good one liners scattered here and there

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great characterisation as always - I love all the little details she puts in to the narrative. This mystery was intriguing all the way through with twists and turns that kept me guessing till the end.

[Lizzytish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plots and twists abound in this 5th Chief Inspector Barnaby mystery. I wasn’t as crazy about this one.

[Tami Watts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy this author’s books. Complicated plot with a surprise ending.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful

[Michael Bafford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed reading Ms Graham's mysteries. Tom does not come off too well in this one, personally, or professionally. Troy continues to be an arse – in fact more of an arse than previously. Ms Graham continues unabashed, to write for British readers in present day England. Present day being 1995.

I also enjoy Angela Thirkell's books. Her UK fan group has produced pdf files of "relusions", her character Sam Adams non-standard word for allusions; often literary but not exclusively so. Readers track down quotations and explain concepts or abbreviations. In the latest book I've been reading, Miss Bunting. Mrs Merrivale has three daughters, one is ATS, one is WAAF and the third is WREN. That is: Auxillary Territorial Service, the women's branch of the army; Women's Auxillary Air Force; and the Women's Royal Naval Service respectively. This was surely well-known when the book was written in 1944, now probably not so much. Faithful unto Death was published in 1996. I would assume that some of the allusions Ms Graham makes will require relusions in the future. For example:
"It was a lovely evening. The soft, sweet air pressed against Reg's plump cheeks and stiff little moustache. All he needed was a cherrywood pipe and copper-coloured spaniel and he could have stepped straight into a Metroland poster..." (p. 14)
...Metroland is a name given to the suburban areas that were built to the north-west of London... in the early part of the 20th century that were served by the Metropolitan Railway... It promoted a dream of a modern home in beautiful countryside with a fast railway service to central London... According to Wikipedia.

"...Troy was saved as his boss came alongside, laying a blister pack of cherry Genoa, an apple and a Lion bar on the counter and wondering aloud if there was such a thing to be had as a can of Seven-Up.
'We say "tin" at Ostlers,' chided Mrs Boast. 'It's a little way we have. A little discipline. Perpetuating classical English.'
'Do you have a tin of Seven-Up?' asked the Chief Inspector politely.
'Never stock it.'" (p. 143-144)

"A blister pack is "a term for several types of pre-formed plastic packaging used for small consumer goods, foods, and for pharmaceuticals. The primary component of a blister pack is a cavity or pocket made from a formable web, usually a thermoformed plastic. This usually has a backing of paperboard or a lidding seal of aluminium foil or plastic..." Wikipedia

"...Genoa is a fruit cake consisting of sultanas, currants or raisins, glacé cherries, almonds and candied orange peel or essence, cooked in a batter of flour, eggs, butter and sugar..." Wikipedia
How a fruit cake can be put in a blister pack I do not begin to understand but apparently this was possible, at least in the mid-nineties of the previous century.
All of this is, of course, by the way. But if one has "world enough and time" which I do, being retired and having Google at my elbow, it's sometimes fun to discover just what Ms Graham is saying. "Mrs Molfrey cried, 'Cooee!' and fluttered her tiger-striped organza pelerine..." (p. 237)

Another aspect I have enjoyed is trying to put Causton – and Midsomer – on the map. There are several references to actual places in this volume, Heathrow Airport is a couple of hours distant. On the way "...He drove through Causton and Uxbridge before taking the road towards West Drayton..." (p. 74)
And later: "Troy was still enjoyably reflecting on Perrot's interview as he drove Barnaby's Rover Four Hundred swiftly along the A4020 towards Chalfont St Peter, the windows wide open against the warm, pressing air. Nothing entertained him more than another's discomfiture... (p. 87).
Uxbridge, West Drayton, Chalfont St Peter and the A4020 all exist, as do High Wycombe and other locations. I suspected that Causton could be Slough, but as Slough is mentioned later on, apparently not. That Midsomer is imaginary I well understand but that it is so near to Greater London, as these real locations suggest, I had not realized. Midsomer seems so very rural.

The local bobby in Fawcett Green, the village where our crimes are committed, the above mentioned Perrot, is less ardent and professional than Barnaby would wish. He tells him so in no uncertain terms. Naturally Troy enjoys listening to this. And later on Troy manages to play a particularly nasty trick on Perrot causing considerable distress to the man. Barnaby, learning of this does not, even in passing, rebuke Troy. I find this wrong. Barnaby knows what Troy is and should miss no opportunity to correct him. As a direct result of their bullying him Perrot fails to report a bit of curious evidence which, while not vital, is suggestive. As the story is told I suspect Ms. Graham also thinks Troy deserves a good ticking off, if not a good kick.

Later on Barnaby sums up constable Perrot: "'Poor sod,' Barnaby turned the key in the Yale. 'Out of his league, out of his depth, desperate to please. All he wants is a kind word.'
'He's in the wrong bloody job then,' said Sergeant Troy" (p. 368)

On a lighter note:
"...Something to do with computers. The vicar's brain turned to custard at the very thought. One of his flock had recently presented St Chad's with a second-hand machine on to which had been transferred every scrap of data relating to parish matters. Now the vicar could not even find his verger's phone number. He had thought the dark night of the soul a mere metaphysical concept until pitched into its shadows by the demon Amstrad..." (p., 12)

"...'People don't always tell the truth about their personal affairs. Why should they?'
'I do,' said Mrs Molfrey with the simplicity of a child.
There was no answer to this and Barnaby wisely did not attempt one.
'Don't you think,' continued Mrs Molfrey, 'it all sounds rather,' she searched her mind for an adjective which would adequately sum up the dark and terrible complexities of the matter in hand, 'Sicilian?'
Barnaby thought it sounded about as Sicilian as a stick of Blackpool rock..." (p. 47-48)

"Heather Gibbs gave Arcadia, [Mrs Molfrey's residence], a good seeing-to every Friday. Two hours, twelve pounds. Generous in comparison with the usual but, as Heather's mum pointed out, if you're batty as an egg whisk you're going to have to cough up just that little bit extra..." (p. 20)

"...'Actually, the vicar came round asking questions. He was quite persistent – you know what do-gooders are.'
PC Perrot, who inevitably had had rather more experience with the way do-badders were, nodded agreeably." (p. 57).

Lunch at the local pub:
"Last year his daughter and her husband had toured Eastern Europe with an Arts Council production of Much Ado About Nothing. Cully had sent her parents a copy of a Polish menu, woefully mistranslated. Joyce's favourite line had been: 'Our wines leave you nothing to hope for.' Barnaby had thought this merely an interpretive hiccup until he tasted Fawcett Green's Liebfraumilch." (p. 128)...

"...'They're like that, women.'
Women, like foreigners, the pigmentally challenged or differentially abled, like anyone in fact who did not fall into the lower middle to working class white male aggressively heterosexual brotherhood were diminished, in Troy's categorisation, to 'they'." (p. 129)

"They waited at a pedestrian crossing. The flagstones burned through the synthetic soles of Troy's highly polished tasselled black loafers. An elderly man came towards them draped in sandwich boards heavy with biblical instruction. Troy noted his approach sourly. The man, no doubt overcome by that irritating compulsion to share his convictions, which afflicts the over religious, gave Troy a sugary smile. He said, 'Jesus loves you.'
'Jesus loves everybody, mate' snapped Troy, well equipped to recognise the emotionally promiscuous. 'So don't think you're anything special.'" (p. 190-191)

"Freddie Blakely did not keep them waiting. Once inside the office he indicated two extremely uncomfortable looking seats, all leather straps and writhing chrome. They looked like a harness for some exceptionally gruelling medical examination. Or the practice of bizarre sexual shenanigans..." (p. 191)

"Troy put on his silky tweed jacket, adjusted his tie with immaculately clean hands and briefly admired himself in the mirror. Smoothing his hair and smiling, he checked his teeth for any foody bits. Finesse he might lack but you couldn't fault him when it came to a tidy mouth.
He unwrapped a stick of Orbit menthol, popped it on to his tongue and set off for the station bar and a glass of weasel piss. Plus a spot of amorous backchat which could well lead, should his cards fall sunny side upwards, to a nice little roll in the hay." (p. 225-226)

On TV Barnaby is a man of the people, enjoying a glass of beer with the boys. frying sausages on the barbie. In the books he is a thoughtful and competent chef and not only his cooking is more refined.
"...She opened the window slightly. He heard the music then. 'Softly Awakes My Heart' from Samson and Delilah. It was sung in French, he guessed by Jessye Norman. Or maybe Marilyn Home..." (p. 243) I wonder how many other coppers would recognize the music and even made a qualified guess as to the singer of a bit of grand opera? Well, maybe Endeavour Morse. In this volume we also learn that Barnaby's wife Joyce has begun singing; opera, and possibly (shudder) lieder!

"Like everyone else, Barnaby was familiar with stories of lengthy waiting lists, patients on trolleys in corridors waiting for beds and dramatic dashes from one hospital to another trying to find a unit available for someone in need of intensive care. He wondered how long it would be before hospital administrators, tapping their feet, sucking their teeth with impatience and checking their watches, would be positioned at the bedside of the dying, silently urging them to get a move on..." (p. 389)

"We are all in the lap of the gods. When Barnaby listened to criminals whining during interrogations or later from the dock that they had never had any luck, he was not overly sympathetic.
Though he himself had had the luck – affectionate parents, a stable and happy marriage, an intelligent and healthy child – he was not a man to pour libations or even offer up a grateful prayer. Like most people in such a fortunate position, he took it all for granted..." (p. 409-410)

This is a pretty good mystery. I didn't figure it out until very near the end. Surprisingly though, this being Midsomer, there is only one murder! A second will occur at a later date; perhaps murder is not the word, callous neglect causing someone to pine away until death comes as a release.
"'What are you hoping to gain by all this?' [asked Barnaby]
'I just want to get it over with.'
'What?'
'Everything. This long disease, my life.' (p. 395)

This last quotation suggests the ending was not very cheerful but Ms Graham's series differs from those of nearly every other crime writer. Barnaby is not a loner, disliked by his colleagues, bullied by his boss, separated from his ex-wife and children. Just the opposite in fact; and in fact we get an Asterix ending – not with a wild boar roasted whole, but near enough.

[Harry Weaver · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unlikeable characters, overly long, and with a disappointing conclusion (in terms of how it ties up the story, not to do with the plot outcome necessarily)

[Spuddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

#5 DI Tom Barnaby British police procedural. Once again a small English village is the setting, as Alan Hollingsworth is found dead--at first believed to be of a suicide, his wife Simone having disappeared a few days previously, ostensibly to visit her sick mother, although her mother had been believed dead for many years. Then the thirty-year-old daughter of one of the Hollingsworth neighbors disappears, something totally out of character for her.

DCI Barnaby and his Sergeant Troy begin investigating, gleaning information from all the nosy neighbors and trying to sift through to find the important bits. Was Alan done in by a former business partner that he'd swindled out of hundreds of thousands of dollars? Is the beautiful Simone's disappearance voluntary, or was she abducted? Neither were well-liked, but neither were they seemingly the types to incur strong hatred.

Through many twists and turns, the mysteries are eventually solved, although not to Barnaby's satisfaction, as it's mostly speculation on his part. I did figure out the main part of the mystery about halfway through, but the hows and whys were a bit muddled til the end. Enjoyable, but perhaps a little TOO long and twisty.

[Annabelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Graham is a good writer, flowery and descriptive but solid and interesting. She brings a small, parochial English village to life in quirky charm, and is particularly good at the flowers and botany. Her detective Barnaby and his assistant Sergeant Troy are also drawn in different molds than the standard rude but brilliant detective who has a sexually repressed female assistant as in P.D. James. The supposed crime is a missing bored, beautiful housewife isolated in the country by her workaholic, possessive husband. But soon he is dead, and a truly sexually repressed neighbor obsessed with the husband is dead, and the wife was supposedly kidnapped. There is an eccentric lesbian artist in the background. Branaby’s taste in cooking and his love for his opera singing wife is a little boring. But in general it is a satisfying mystery, where justice comes through karma, not necessarily through the law.

[Eugenia · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a big fan of Midsomer Murders I've decided to check out one of Caroline Graham's books (on which the TV series is based). Well, this book is nowhere near as good or as charming as the TV show. It much less cozy and interesting than the TV show, both D.C.I. Barnaby and D.S. Troy especially are pretty unsympathetic characters, and the ending is rushed and unsatisfying.
If you seen and like Midsomer Murders don't bother reading this book,

[Katherine Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably closer to 3 1/2, but I love this series so much, I'll push for higher number. It is another beautifully characterized British village mystery. My problem with it surprises me: it went on much too long. By being so long (and I have no problem with long books) it lost a great deal of the tension. IT felt as though it dragged. I'll happily start the next one though.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this very witty and well-written English murder mystery, although the ending was not completely satisfying. Chief Inspector Barnaby and his foil, Sergeant Troy, make a great crime-solving couple.

[Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if I was distracted or what but it felt like there was a bit of a drop-off in this one. Gavin continues to be awful, which is not part of the drop-off.

[Les Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book but was a little disappointed with the ending.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Non riesco a scrivere una recensione al romanzo.

Una lettura talmente faticosa per le continue inesattezze, pronomi confusi, il genere maschile e femminile messo a casaccio, frasi tradotte malamente o addirittura con il senso stravolto. Una traduzione che non rende giustizia all’autrice, alla casa editrice, al costo del libro nemmeno in Kindle.
Esempi?

Troy, dopo aver dato una occhiata al suo ritratto in studio ben incorniciato, non le avrebbe dato neanche la cera delle sue orecchie. Ma veramente?
Credi che ho tutta la giornata a disposizione? Un omaggio ai congiuntivi
Del tutto confuso su quali siano i compiuti del cane da guardia. In effetti anche io sono confusa
L’uomo schiavo del suo telaio a ricamo e troppo vecchio per avere una qualsivoglia reazione contraria. Forse è una oscura metafora
Ho sentito che stanno chiamando a Yard. Ma lo hanno capito che era Scotland Yard?
Le persone che ostentano sui loro soldi cercano guai. L’italiano, questo sconosciuto
Ho conosciuto sua moglie quando stavo raccogliendo Duane all’asilo. Un viaggio su un cucchiaio?
Barnaby lo vide tornare a casa. Qui occorre una spiegazione, l’uomo in questione è seduto al tavolo e reagisce con l’immobilità durante un interrogatorio, non sta tornando a casa, si sta ritirando nel suo guscio
Le persone che muoiono per caso non si rialzano per poche parole. Eh, mi arrendo
…disse Barnaby intendo la manovra. Crasi per intendendo
C’era quello molto basso. Tutto corretto peccato che il soggetto è una lei
I genitori afflitti dal dolore di Brenda. Il dolore è dei genitori per Brenda, per, per!
Eden indicò il tavolo rotondo trascurato da uno sfogo di rabbia di un gruppo di beoni semivestiti radiosamente lascivi. Meravigliosa immagine, forse migliore del vero significato
Solo sei mesi prima era partito, attraverso Quantas. Evidentemente Google Traduttore non conosce le compagnie aeree australiane
Il sergente Troy portò tè e pasticcini… tutti gli uomini rientrarono. Vuol dire che tutti mangiano, quale sia il verbo è al di là delle mie possibilità
Il suo aspetto è peggio del suo morso. Eh?
Tutti erano così concentrati su Simone era talmente alta che quasi nessuna attenzione era stata prestata al conducente del veicolo. Non è Simone alta, ma la concentrazione su di lei
E poi, Platone dice che esistiamo in parte non che in parte esistiamo, in italiano la differenza è enorme
La migliore? La telegrafica “Sunbeam Washeteria”!!
Con una grande intuizione (non mia, io sono oramai sconsolata) si è intuìto che: “Big Lucy e la sua aria sul calcio esclusa” in realtà potrebbe essere: Eccetto il Grande Luciano (sigh, non Lucy) con la sua aria (slogan, utilizzata come inno) sui campi di calcio, ovvero Vincerò. Però ragazzi, cambiate spacciatore!
Per me sarebbe un onore fare la traduttrice, far volare un libro oltre i confini della lingua, una tale leggerezza mi manda in bestia.

Ma, per un attimo, pensando a chi si approccia alla lettura di questa serie, cosa dire della trama? Ok, ingegnoso, ma per me l’assassino era palese da prima dell’omicidio (Morse insegna).

[Budge Burgess · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book which leaves me in two minds - there are elements of it which are superbly written, some excellent plotting, some engaging characterisation ... and then there are some dismally bad elements. The discerning reader will have deconstructed the plot early, will have worked out what happened, will know whodunnit very early - the intrigue and entertainment is in following how Barnaby catches up with you and tracks down the villain.
The Barnaby of the books is a different creature from the one served up by TV. The Troy of the books is hardly the most engaging and attractive of sidekicks - he's quite an objectionable piece of work. There are interesting interactions between the pair - more friction than TV allows. Graham can explore character when she wants, can people her books with creations who have depth, complexity, failings, vulnerabilities.
Strikingly, she can interweave the plotting with character development and exposition, there's a logic and individual rationality to the behaviour of her best creatures.
But then we get a catastrophically dreadful denouement and ending. I mean it's a set-your-teeth-on-edge grindingly awful ending.
I could spend what remains of this afternoon qualifying my comments about plotting, structure, characterisation, denouement, etc., but that would be to serve up a catalogue of spoilers, and, by the time I got to deconstructing the ending I would be in psychotic mood.
There's a lot of writing worth reading here, there are passages which you might do best to skim, and when it comes to the final chapter, pour yourself a stiff drink (or several) before you start reading it.

[FM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, I definitely did NOT see this ending coming! I loved it, even though I'll bet some people found it unsatisfying--I thought it was great, very different.
I liked this one a lot and wish she had written more of these novels. I have never seen the TV show and most probably never will, and I like that these books aren't quite the "cozy" Agatha-Christie-type books . . . they're actually more gritty. I also like how the characters are more three-dimensional than in typical books of this sort. For example, Troy, who was pretty awful in the first book, has hidden depths--he's a bigot and a misogynist but he loves his daughter dearly and he loves & is gentle with animals . I like how he is ambitious for himself, and simultaneously envious of and filled with admiration for Barnaby. His feelings are hurt when Barnaby makes assumptions about him that are uncharitable. I like how Barnaby is efficient, smart, and cultured but his folks are JUST a bit afraid of him. And I particularly like how Graham can express the emotions of all the different characters and shift viewpoints so we can see through the eyes of the various characters.
Anyway, this was a good one and I didn't guess the ending, which is always preferable for me when reading mysteries!
Forget the TV series--these are the originals and really good!

[John Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is similar to others in this series. Possibly it is a little more convoluted, but many of the standard characters are there. We learn by example that obsessive love can be a dangerous thing, if combined with naivety or stupidity. The local bobby, Constable Perrot, provides light relief with his earnestness and stupidity. Maybe I should be kind and say lack of experience, but he HAS been in the force for about 13 years - unlucky for the force. He was briefly promoted to Sergeant on page 402, but apparently the higher ranks realised their error, for it was soon back to Constable for "Polly", as Troy calls him.
Whodunnit lovers will have a tough time - when I said "convoluted", I should perhaps have used upper case. With around 450 pages of this, too long in my opinion, it's hard to keep track of characters and plot.
It is confirmed that, without any doubt, DCI Barnaby loves his wife - REALLY! When buying a present for her 50th birthday, and foolishly failing to enquire the price, he stumps up GBP417 for 2 oz of perfume - "I'm sorry, sir, we are out of the 1 oz size." Not only careless, but unlucky.
There's no use going into too much more detail, because, despite any faults in this book, I enjoyed reading it, as I have the two or three others already finished. I rate this 3.7 and have no hesitation in recommending it to lovers of this genre.

[David Hallstrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a 2-1/2 star book in all honesty.

Caroline Graham does a masterful job of writing character driven crime books. Her prose is luscious and rich in detail. Her characters - even her minor characters - are extremely developed. And when she is at her best her plotting is impeccable.

Faithful Unto Death is not her plotting at its best. The plot is very thin. You are a good 3/4 of the way through the book before the story begins to unfold. And when it unfolds it is weak and ends with little clarity.

The person who committed the crime is dishonest and Barnaby does not succeed in getting the truth out of her. Barnaby's interviewing is so weak in this book you wonder how he ever rose to DCI.

Sgt. Troy is unlikable in the books and he is exceptionally unlikable in Faithful Unto Death. Graham goes out of her way to highlight every flaw in his compromised character.

The Barnaby series usually features strong books but strong does not apply to this title.

[A.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find it really intriguing how brilliant it is that Sergeant Troy is such an awful person. It really adds something to the narrative to have his often skewed viewpoint of proceedings or the character of people or the possibility that they may be smarter or gay or creative or something outside of his ever so narrow purview.

It is all happening in the cul-de-sac - a woman has gone, her husband has fallen to pieces but done nothing about reporting her missing, then the daughter of his neighbours who is madly in love with him, follows him in her car when he leaves the house.

And a carefully set plan unravels quickly and turns to complete disaster.

These are so much darker than the TV show.

This one hit me hard; one of those things you keep thinking about for days after reading. Especially the stuff upper lip neighbours. Gah. Not sure Barnaby would be adding this case to his memoirs.

4 stars

So far this year my library saved me $865.53

[Malene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Graham has delighted me once again. So much sparkling wit throughout. Never-to-be-underestimated DCI Barnaby again his clever, apparently stolid self, and Sergeant Troy with his plebeian, envious asides and remarks, are simply two of my favourite characters. I was kept guessing, enthralled and gripped. Characters appearing to be what they are not, and there is enough murder to satisfy the wicked. I watched the Midsomer Murders version on TV and was astounded to see how it differed from the book, and how the film makers interpreted the story and characters. Wily and pretty main protagonist Simone was nothing like the character in the book. Some people prefer the TV version, but although I always enjoy it, the books are much better. Superb reading. Here I go, onto the next one.

[Mrs B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to imagine why any author would create such a vile character as foxy Sergeant Troy (all the more shocking when compared with his pleasant TV counterpart). In this book, as well as a bigoted and insecure right wing narcissist, Troy also becomes a spiteful womaniser - can any character these days really say that women are begging to be abused?

His horridness unfortunately overpowers what is otherwise a decent mystery with all the trademark features - missing suspects, wronged lovers, eccentric locals etc. The author is adept at bringing all this to life through details: the miniature hedgehog cheese dish, the pining poodle, the unappetising sausage roll in the village pub. It’s what makes the book so engrossing, despite the police.