Doomed To Die

Inspector Thanet #10

by Dorothy Simpson

Inspector Luke Thanet investigates the murder of Perdita Master--a woman who, before her death, had felt a sense of impending doom

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Crime, British Literature, Cozy Mystery

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Dorothy Preece Simpson writes...

"I was born and brought up in South Wales, went to Bridgend Grammar School and then on to Bristol University, where I read modern languages before moving to Kent, the background of the Thanet novels, to teach French at Dartford and Erith Grammar Schools.

Moving to the Maidstone area on my marriage, I then spent several years devoting myself to bringing up my three children. During that time I trained as a marriage guidance counsellor and subsequently worked as one for thirteen years.

You may think that marriage guidance counsellor to crime writer is rather a peculiar career move, but although I didn’t realise it at the time, of course, the training I received was the best possible preparation for writing detective novels. Murder mysteries are all about relationships which go disastrously wrong and the insights I gained into what makes people tick, into their interaction and motivations, have been absolutely invaluable to DI Thanet, my series character, as have the interviewing skills I acquired during my years of counselling.

I began to write after a long illness in 1975. The success of my first book, a suspense novel called HARBINGERS OF FEAR, gave me sufficient impetus to carry me through the two rejections which followed - very disheartening at the time, but invaluable in retrospect.

It was during this period that I realised that the crime novel is of such diversity that it offers enormous scope to the writer and decided to attempt to lay the foundation for a series of detective novels in my next book. This was the THE NIGHT SHE DIED." This was the first in a 15 book series starring Detective Inspector Luke Thanet. Severe repetitive stress injury caused her to stop writing in 2000.

She is an award winning author, receiving a Silver Dagger Award from the Crime Writers' Association of Great Britain.

Reviews

[Watchdogg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clever addition to the Inspector Thanet series. Twists and turns in a rather difficult to decipher mystery. One thing that I was very impressed with was the author's handling of an interview by Thanet with a young teenage girl who had been the subject of incestuous hebephilia that was crucial to solving the case.

[ShanDizzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mother speaking of an incident that happened to her teen aged daughter Perdita, who was later murdered: [The mother] shook her head sorrowfully, 'I was just thinking...At one time in her teens, she used to be obsessed with death. She was forever asking questions about it, questions I couldn't answer. And then, a few years ago, when she was going through an especially difficult patch with Giles, she said to me, "Still, I don't suppose it matters much does it, Mum? I don't expect I'll have to put up with it much longer." And when I asked her what she meant, she told me that she'd always thought she would die young...It's almost,' she whispered, 'as if she knew...that she was doomed to die before her time.'

This is the 1st Thanet mystery that I've read which made me tear up at the end. It was an inexpressibly sad murder that started in the past and reverberated to the future of the victim and created a domino effect of badness for others close to her.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couldn't get to sleep last night! Read the whole thing. I can probably stop reading these now, but it's been kind of fun visiting an "old" author and they are very recreational reading.

[Colin Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good straightforward detective novel set in the Kentish countryside. Called to the scene of a murder in the home of a local barrister, Thanet, and Lineham are soon on the trail of an elusive foe. Lots of good descriptive text that describes the suspects and the environs. Good easy reading. 4 stars.

[sg.00 macc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another quick read. Great series

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of the better ones, but still enjoyable.

[Tamsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good one; I really enjoyed the descriptions of the paintings and homes, and this was maybe the first murder victim that I would have really enjoyed "meeting" alive. I think my enjoyment of this one had a lot to do with my recent reading of the latest Cormoran Strike book (a series that, in my opinion, has really gone downhill...) but perhaps I only think that because of this Inspector Thanet series. Simpson's mysteries are quite different than Rowling's. Of course, Rowling is master character writer, but ultimately I believe I might prefer Simpson. Her books are short, but deliver, her execution is swift but encompassing, and there is something sweet about her books set across so many years of Thanet's life. I like that "murder most British" happens only every so often, so that when Thanet is called to a case, his life is always changing a bit (his kids getting older, his relationships with others shifting, changes on the force). It is comforting in a way.

That said, I remain on the edge of my seat... when do you think DNA will really be a contributing factor to this police procedural?! How much will it change everything? PS I had an idea for a new Thanet book, set today, where Thanet realizes he mistakenly arrested the wrong man. He and a team of forensic scientists put the murderer away, finally achieving justice. On the side, Thanet has lost his beloved wife Joan and his children petition him to seek a second marriage. Simpson: you're welcome. Use it.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are nice little mysteries set in the 80's. The main inspector is a happily married man with two imperfect children. He spends long hours at work & therefore chooses to tell his wife about his cases so she feels part of it all. His partner is rather stiff & has a stiffer mother, then wife. They work well together & are very organized. There's no gratuitous violence, no sex, no cussing & that's a good thing. The author doesn't waste words or our time, she gets on with it. I like that each night the inspector goes home to his family, that they share their lives & struggles with the reader. It's what kept me reading all of them up to the final four. The final four had a serious price increase over the first 14 or so, why I don't know. I've sadly resolved not to read those as a result.

[Damaskcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perdita Master is found murdered at the house of a friend where she is looking after her friend's children temporarily. She has just told her jealous and possessive husband that she wants a divorce. DI Luke Thanet and DS Mike Lineham must try and weed out the suspects. There's her husband, his mother, her lover and his wife for starters. Perdita, in spite of the fact that she was very quiet and apparently inoffensive, appear to have upset rather a lot of people in her short life.

This is a well written and intriguing mystery. I didn't work out who had murdered her so it came as a shock to me when the killer was revealed. Thanet himself has to balance work and home as his mother in law is ill. Draco - the fiery superintendent - obviously has something on his mind and lacks his usual verve and vigour.

This is a well written series of police procedural crime novels and if you enjoy crime novels which do not contain lots of graphic violence and bad language then you will probably will enjoy the series. The books can be read as a standalone novels but are probably better read in the order in which they were published.

[John R. Goyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy reading these volumes - another good story with lots of human interest and a good plot. The ending seemed a bit hard to figure, in that we really weren't given enough information to figure it out and even our good inspector solved the mystery in a dream supposedly - very emotional ending and not at all what I expected - satisfying but very sad...

[Tuti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was tempted to downgrade this to 3 stars, but it's still an enjoyable read.

It seems that the quality of the books in this series has started to go downhill. The author has been recycling the same recipe.

- Another complicated timeline
- Another case with a lot of facts hidden from readers It's a huge leap to think of sexual abuse from very little evidence
- Another case of incest, this time sexual abuse of your own child (and your stepchild)
- It is, however, easily guessed whodunit (as usual)
It is becoming: who is the unlikeliest person to commit the crime? First, it's Vanessa Broxton, then another likely suspect is Harrow, after we resolve the Broxton question

- The scenes after mystery is resolved are interminable, going on and on

The author tries to make Giles Master a bad, very controlling person. Yes, he's very controlling, but I can't help but feeling bad for him. At the end, he did have a reason to doubt her faithfulness. Perhaps it's like a self-fulfilling prophecy. He controlled her because he didn't want to lose her, so she ran to someone else because he's too controlling. Actually I found their relationship a bit odd. How did he even manage to win her to begin with? She seemed very detached, avoiding men. He must have felt like he won some really tough competition, only for the prize to slip away. To his credit, he actually really, really loved her and would do anything for her, except shielding her from his mother.

I felt sorry for Perdita. It seemed like everything bad happened to her, ending with her being murdered. However, my sympathy for her went down a notch, because she cheated on her husband with a married woman.

I feel no sympathy for Howard Swain. He cheated on his wife with a married woman.

Victoria Swain, however... I kind of liked her. She tried to act tough and nonchalant, but as Thanet concluded, her husband was actually the one with the power in the relationship.

[Sep · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover looks like a cosy but this is a serious mystery. This is my first book by Ms. Simpson but meeting the Thanets is a pleasure. He and his wife treat each other well and he tells her about his work each night. (What a relief. The reader is not forced to got through the hackneyed scene where the detective wife resents the time he spends at work. She just gets on with it and hands him a mug of hot coffee.)

The mystery is tragic and complicated. I had no clue who the murderer was thought there were clues a-plenty. Perdita, an artist, is found suffocated on the floor of the kitchen in a house where she has been working as a nanny. She has an abusive husband she's trying to leave, a mother-in-law whose life goal was to NOT have a daughter-in-law and possibly a married lover. With at least 4 people who want the victim dead, Inspector Thanet's work is cut out for him.

On the home front are complications with his missing his daughter's departure to cooking school and his mother-in-law having a heart attack.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover and format of the book screams "cozy mystery" so I was surprised that it addressed head on a gravely serious subject. Dorothy Simpson's books can't be easily pigeonholed: they aren't gory or intense like Gillian Flynn's thrillers, but they aren't exactly light reading, either.

The characters inspire some interest and sympathy, but they are still somewhat shallowly developed, as if Thanet is getting a mere glimpse into their lives (which he is.) The same seems to hold for his personal life. Family life occupies a reasonable amount of Thanet's time. The lives of the families he investigates have interesting, though simplistically defined, problems. While Simpson seems to have a good understanding of human nature, her characters do not stand out as individual or quirky. Thanet is a sober man who takes his job seriously and empathizes for the victims and survivors of the murders he solves.

[ElaineY · Rating 2 out of 5]

I' been enjoying this series for the most part but decided I've had enough of the same defensive reactions to the police questioning. There's not even a change in phrasing. I could copy and paste each response "What are you implying?", "How is that relevant?" ad nauseum to every book.

And don't even get me started on the way the narrator pronounces 'grimace'! LOL! It's the author's favourite word and appears twice, at the very least, in every single book. I cringe every time I hear the narrator say 'grim MACE' instead of 'GRIMus'. I know the former pronunciation is very likely the original one and the latter a modern one but...just sayin', y'know. Ugh.

I'll take a break from this series until I've gotten over my pet peeves.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased a "pile" of Dorothy Simpson books and have been trying to bond with Inspector Thanet---it was an unsuccessful endeavor up to this point, but I loved this book.

Yes, it is a mystery. And, a rather routine "police procedural" from some perspectives, but it is also a psychological drama with a lot of human interest. The characters are much more complex and compelling than the other Simpson books I've read and I found myself really drawn in to the life of the deceased artist.

I am not sure if this novel is really more interesting than the others I've read, or if I am just more accepting of the author's style and the very low key, somewhat plodding, approach of her detective team. But, there was a humanity--and a tragedy-- to this book that really drew me in.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 10th in the Inspector Thanet series; I'll be sorry when I reach the end!

In this one, a married woman has told her husband she wants a divorce because she has fallen in love with someone else. He doesn't want to let her go and stalks her. Determined to get away, she agrees to watch the children of an old school classmate for a few days, hoping that the few days will give him a chance to accept her decision and her a chance to figure out her next steps. The old school friend is a criminal attorney whose regular nanny has taken suddenly ill.

The nanny is found dead in the kitchen of the attorney's home with a plastic bag over her head--who did it? Her jealous, betrayed husband is the obvious choice, but....it seems several other people had motives.

[Greg Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than I expected! I’d envisioned something rather shallow, to be honest. But I like a good mystery even if it’s not ground-breaking. Just as long as it’s well-written. This one was both well-written and deeper than anticipated. The beginning was a bit clunky in style, but it kept getting stronger as it unfolded. It ended very strongly. I see why Dorothy Simpson has received awards for her writing. She fleshes out and humanizes her characters in a way that I think was crucial for this plot to have an impact on its audience. There is a commentary here that naturally extends beyond the pages and leaves one contemplating things beyond just the characters within the story, and I think that’s what every writer wants to achieve in the end.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, short police procedural. A young woman, recently separated from her possessive husband, offers to babysit for a friend, but is found murdered soon thereafter. Inspector Thanet and his team meticulously retrace the victim's last days, including multiple interviews with husband, mother-in-law, lover, lover's wife, mother, stepfather. Much of the story has to do with the parade of visitors to the house where the victim was babysitting, and so that was not particularly interesting. But Inspector Thanet's warm humanity, and his refreshingly ordinary family life, are very welcome for those readers who have been overdosing on noir mysteries.

[Lana L Fiems · Rating 3 out of 5]

A whole series

I have been reading, in order, the Luke thanet series. Dorothy Simpson writes a good mystery, the setting in Kent gives back nice atmosphere. I
find it strange that as someone who loves English mysteries I had never read Simpson. Glad that I discovered them, even if 20 years late.

[Peggy H. Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very well written and kept you guessing who was the murderer. I like a book where you think you have figured it out and of course you really haven't

This is the first of Simpson's books that I have read and it won't be the last. Thank you for putting this series on Goodreads

[Cate · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing I really appreciate about Simpson's books is that while the murder mystery puzzle is enjoyable, she takes the time to really mourn the situation that occurred that lead to the murder, and to really remember that murder is loss of life, not just a fun book puzzle. Very enjoyable yet bittersweet read.

[Richard Brand · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another interesting read. But do not expect to be able to solve these mysteries that Simpson creates. There is always some unexplained leap that Thanet makes that is not provided for in the story. There is a letter about a missing bribe payment, an abandoned baby that is the now grown, an incest, a late confession we do not hear.

[Dana Kaplan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Predictable, plodding. The section where the detective “lays out/details” his thinking goes on for pages, a sure sign the author has pulled a rabbit out of the hat, rather than constructing a well developed plot.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a really tight, well-written mystery in the vein of Agatha Christie. While the trappings are a bit dated, the plot is good - this is a little darker than her usual fare, though the body count isn't too high. This is a very enjoyable, quick read.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

A TIDY STORY

This book had a very good storyline. The characters were well written and mostly predictable. The solution to the case was not obvious to the reader but it did tidy up the loose ends.

[Lilly Hi Way · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Excellent Mystery

The mystery keeps unfolding as I read this book with a surprise ending that made lots of sense. Quite enjoyable to read and makes me want to read another of Dorothy Simpson's mysteries.

[Jeannette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I wasn't as surprised at the ending as I have been in her other Inspector Thanet books, this was still another "Murder Most British" interesting read. I have come to admire Thanet's way of working and figuring out what actaully happened.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanet never disappoints.

As always a good read. This one was somewhat different. I think I sometimes feel much sympathy for the murderer in this series but not this time!

[Jane Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect mystery series. Good characters, fine investigative work, and interesting plot lines. A nice go-to when I need something quick and relatively light (but not frivolous.)

[Lauren Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm afraid that Thanet's "leaping" conclusions at the end just don't feel tied up after his explanations to his wife.