Season of Darkness

Detective Inspector Tom Tyler #1

by Maureen Jennings

Inghilterra, 1940. Dopo il disastroso ritiro dell’armata britannica da Dunkirk, l’Isola è sprofondata nel panico e teme una nuova invasione nazista. Gli echi della guerra ormai risuonano anche nelle campagne più remote del Regno Unito.
I residenti di nazionalità tedesca sono stati internati in campi di prigionia sparsi per tutto il paese, come quello sperduto nella brughiera di Prees Heath, tra le verdi colline dello Shropshire, poco lontano dalla tranquilla cittadina di Whitchurch.
È qui che l’ispettore Tyler si è trasferito insieme alla famiglia, accettando un noioso incarico di zona. Ma la vita non è idilliaca neppure sul fronte interno, tra crisi matrimoniali, figlie fermmine sulla soglia dell’adolescenza e figli maschi reduci dei campi di battaglia.
Un giorno Elsie, una giovane donna entrata nella Land Army per dare man forte allo sforzo bellico, viene ritrovata morta su una strada di campagna con il cranio martoriato da un colpo di arma da guoco.
E così, nell’ora più buia della Storia, Tom Tyler deve vestire i panni del detective e cercare di far luce sull’inquietante vicenda.
Gli indizi conducono tutti, in modo fin troppo evidente, al campo di Prees Heath, tra gli internati tedeschi. Ma la morte della ragazza è solo l’inizio di una vicenda complessa e dai risvolti ancora più agghiaccianti.
L’unico alleato su cui l’ispettore Tyler potrà contare sarà un individuo decisamente fuori dal comune: uno psichiatra tedesco internato, un vero esperto della mente criminale…

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Historical Mystery, Historical, World War II

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Maureen Jennings, now a Canadian Citizen, was born on Eastfield Road in Birmingham, England and spent her formative years there until she emigrated to Canada at the age of seventeen with her mother.

This has meant that she still feels a deep connection with her homeland. It has also no doubt been a strong influence in her love for, and her writing about, the Victorian period. She attended the University of Windsor where she attained a BA in philosophy and psychology.

A couple of years trying to decide what she really wanted to do with her life resulted in her returning to university, the University of Toronto, this time where she earned an MA in English literature.For the next eight years, she taught English at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute at a time when the English department seemed to be chock full of writers. Eric Wright, went on to write the highly successful Charlie Salter mystery series, Graeme Gibson, Peter Such, and others were writing both novels and poetry. An exciting time in so many ways but after eight years, another change of direction and in 1972, Maureen left Ryerson to become a psychotherapist, which was a long time interest. She has continued in private practice since then, although nowadays she mostly conducts creative expression groups and writes. Always passionate about dogs, she is happy to own a border collie named Jeremy-Brett and a mixed breed named Varley.

Series:
* Detective Murdoch
* Christine Morris
* Detective Inspector Tom Tyler

Reviews

[Tina (I can now make 20 comments! Better!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one!

It's part of Canada's Audible "Editor's Extra" monthly freebies. The narration was perfect!

It's 1940 in the small English town of Whitchurch. WWII has begun and a Land Army Girl's body has been discovered on the side of the road. The girl has been shot. Detective Inspector Tom Tyler tries to crack the case all with a marriage on the rocks, a daughter on the cusp of womanhood, and a son just back from Dunkirk and severely troubled. Not to mention an old lover is back in town.

This book was written by British born (but now a Canadian citizen) Maureen Jennings. 🇨🇦 She is the author of the Detective Murdoch book series that have since been turned into a very popular Canadian tv series called, "Murdoch Mysteries."

The time and setting comes alive in this beautifully written and highly entertaining story. It kept me guessing near the end until the culprit was discovered.

[❀⊱RoryReads⊰❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Police officer Tom Tyler thinks his life is dull. It's England, 1940, and there's a war on, but you wouldn't know it in the quiet Shropshire town of Whitchurch. Things change when the body of a young Land Girl is found along side a road, shot through the head. Tom must find the culprit, while dealing with his crumbling marriage, a son left traumatized by Dunkirk and the return of a former love.

This is well written and researched with finely drawn characters and a satisfying mystery. I loved the BBC program Foyle's War and this strongly reminded me of it.

[Spuddie · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of a planned trilogy set in Shropshire, England in 1940. Inspector Tom Tyler is roused from his usual rather boring job in the small town of Whitchurch when one of the Land Army girls is found brutally murdered and posed. England is at war, and these girls are trucked in from the cities to help farmers with crops while most of the men are serving their country. The killing rouses suspicion that there may be a "Jerry" on the loose who possibly parachuted in, but Tyler believes the killer is much closer to home. When the post-mortem reveals that the girl was struck by a vehicle first and shot afterwards, he's almost certain of it. The question is whether it was a crime of chance or whether someone deliberately targeted the girl and why.

Suspicion naturally falls first to the people of German descent interred at a local camp, although he's been assured that they are mostly harmless Jews who were also enemies of Hitler, having fled Germany for safer environs. Security also seems tight there, so it's unlikely that any of the men could have escaped--especially with use of a vehicle to have hit the girl with. The second death of another of the girls complicates the investigation even more.

Tyler's investigation is further complicated by the return of his former lover, Clare, now married to a wealthy Swiss businessman. She is working as an interpreter and censor in the camp and seems interested in renewing their affair, even though Tyler is married too, albeit unhappily. Tyler is also worried about his son Jimmy, recently returned from the battle at Dunkirk with a bad case of shell shock, and with other family problems.

I wanted to like this book more than I did, and I can't actually pinpoint exactly what it was that made me want to just get it finished by the time I got to the middle part. It seemed a bit put on if that makes any sense...like the author was trying TOO hard to make you think it was 1940, but you could still see the modern-day interpretation of things on the surface of it all. It didn't have the atmosphere of immersing you in the time and place like any good historical fiction or mystery book does, and I'm not sure just what the magic ingredient is but it was missing here.

[Ben · Rating 2 out of 5]

Season of Darkness is not a well-put-together book. The story is decent (but not superb), the writing style is easy enough to read, but the editing and proof reading was surprisingly bad for an accomplished and well-known author. Maureen Jennings' previous work, which became the popular TV movie and program called Murdoch Mysteries, should mean this new trilogy would be well-written and well-edited. Unfortunately there are far too many grammatical errors and omitted words to make it enjoyable. It is amazing how such a few number can slow you down and make you not enjoy the book.

In terms of the mystery element, I found it less suspenseful and more of a "I wonder what happens next" plot. There were a lot of things which I didn't see coming, but once they happened it was less an element of intrigue as just surprise Jennings went that way. Some of the events also seemed forced, like the only way to make them make sense was to explain them after the fact. This wasn't all that big of a deal because I had longer breaks between reading, so having an easy storyline was what I needed.

The British countryside is a nice touch, there is definitely a feeling of being in a small town, but all the action happens at the police office, Alice Thorne's house, the Prees Heath camp, and Tyler's home. There is a vague description of two neighbourhood pubs and what seemed to be a surprisingly modern and stylish bachelor pad for Tyler's love interest.

And that brings me to one of the annoying parts of this book: the love story. It was completely useless! I know each good story needs a bit of romance, but it was like Jennings fell into a soft-core porno lit chapter (or five) of mushy, possibly emotional, possibly pointless sex. I couldn't tell if it would lead anywhere, I knew it didn't have too much to do with the story (at least nothing more important than just a mention of Clare and Tom's history), and I didn't like reading it. There was also pretty much no closure for that part of the story, and I felt for a few other plot lines as well.

Overall this book was a decent way to kill time and get into summer reading mode, but if you want a more engaging story, choose something else. I'll give this a 2.5-3 out of 5 simply because the story is good enough to keep you engaged while reading it, and not too much detail to bog you down. It is a good book to pick up and put down when you need but it won't fufill any deep need for suspense or complicated plots.

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the third book by Maureen Jennings that I have read in as many weeks. It is the first book in the Tom Tyler series, and the first for me to read in that series. I must say even thought it a dark tale it was a very enjoyable read. After being a fan of Murdoch for years, I have finally started reading the books by the women who came up with the character. And though this book is set many years after the Murdoch books, and is set in England, and not Canada, it is a wonderful read.

The story is set after the hasty retreat of Dunkirk in 1940. The story takes place in Shropshire, England. When a young woman, one of the Land Army Girls turns up dead and the results of the autopsy are very disturbing, and the scene where the body was found has inconsistencies. Tom Tyler is woken from tying one on and called to the scene. As the investigation progresses another young woman goes missing. Tom has also had a chance encounter with a former flame.

An intriguing mystery set in a hard time. A story revolving around an internment camp in England. Jewish and German detainees. Land Army girls. A married man who sparks things up with an old flame. And young men devastated by the events of Dunkirk.

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery. And I have already started a book in yet another of the series by Maureen Jennings. This was a great story, with an excellent pace, and some wonderful characters. I look forward to reading others in this series and other books by Jennings.

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Maureen Jennings.

[Trish · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sort of surprised that I read this all the way through. What a creepy bunch of folks: Tom Tyler, the main character and a policeman, may no longer love his wife, but without more information about her and their relationship, I can say he acts like a total cad, to put it nicely. His main squeeze is also a creep from beyond the pale...she was Tom's lover once, and took off to be married without a word to him. Now she shows up again, still married, and refuses to acknowledge Tom's wife and family and wants to start the relationship up again, but only temporarily. Who are these people and why are we reading about them?

Several other folks in the mix--townspeople, internees (this is WWI), black-marketeers, and spies--seem to have inappropriate responses to events. I hated this. I gave her two stars for finishing.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start of a wonderful series.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book/mystery.
It's set in 1940 England. The small town of Whitchurch in Shropshire.
Detective Inspector Tom Tyler is bored....
Until the body of a Land Army girl is found. She's been murdered.
I learned a lot about England during the war from this book. (I didn't know England had internment camps)
Good characters and a good story.

[Anne Patkau · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://www.cbc.ca/murdochmysteries/ep... author's consultant on favorite TV 1900 Toronto Detective Murdoch is preferred, for humor, costumes. Cannot "like" this brutal murder mystery, or read sequels. But terrifyingly accurate powerful depiction of reality deserves credit. Uncorrected proof (disclaimer) kept me and others up all night (also tried to prevent nightmares by staying awake). Gruesome war visuals may be true, but hard to swallow.

Title is from Charles Dickens 'A Tale of Two Cities'. First of trilogy is set in WW2 England, era of physical and morale blackouts. The sad serious style sends us back in time and place, immediately engages and provokes curiosity, continues with ebb and flow of brutal action and relaxed interview details about rural village and internment camp lives, not the flirting romance and joking banter of TV shows. Here, Jennings crushes bone, blood, brain, and soul.

Reality is even worse. One Torchwood TV episode fictionalized true events, when shell-shocked WW1 soldier ordered shot with 300 others by British superiors for desertion. Our modern doctors ineffectually diagnose PTSD post trauma stress disorder, prescribe drugs, and our Afghanistan veterans flounder back 'home'.

We need stomach for the evil Jennings exposes. Retold second and third-hand, we are distanced from the terror, feel immersed rather than lectured, with descriptions, not arguments. Nevertheless painfully affecting, too skillful, commend to stronger of stomach.

In the italicized prologue, a soldier burns off a tattoo with a cigarette, then repeats on the other underarm - shows his sadistic psychopathic amorality. In Chapter 1, light-fingered generous-hearted Elsie from impoverished East End London is one of the Farm Girls, who feed the country; their jobs replace men now in uniform. In the dark, she cycles, sings bawdy Hitler ditties, remembers last night's passionate snog and opportunistic blackmail. In Chapter 2, Tom Tyler is an unhappily married hungover Shropshire constable sent to the girl's body. She was paralyzed by a hit and run driver, shot in the head with a WW1 German Luger, and decorated with white poppies, a Peace movement symbol.

The narrative focuses on the investigation, with italics for brief anonymous villain's deeds. Tom re-unites with his first love, obviously MI5. Amorous interludes are discreet.

Disclaimer for first pre-release copy. Has "ed sp" inside angle brackets, between events, both contiguous but unrelated, and others smoothly continuous. Two typos caught: p. 37 wants 'in' for 'it', p.248 needs 'wringer' not 'ringer'. Acceptable 'carcase' is alternate for 'carcass'. The dialogue, slang, and expressions are fluent, easy, feel at-home, never over-researched.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's 1940 in Whitchurch a town in Shropshire England, shortly after Dunkirk. The land army girls have arrived to help the farmers and many German nationals and Jews who have escaped Germany are interned in camps. The setting and history is portrayed flawlessly and the mystery and the characters are fantastic. Very atmospheric read and I could not guess who the murderer was before the ending. Supposed to be the 1st in a new trilogy and I can't wait to read the next one.

[Anthony Piska · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a decent mystery novel set in World War II. There’s a little bit of emotional and relational drama to liven up the characters. Some of the relationship drama wasn’t exactly relevant to the plot, but at least it gave some flavor and personality to the characters. The wartime setting plays a significant role in the mystery, but it also doesn’t feel all that real or emphasized within the writing itself. The reference to British culture and language were laid on pretty thick at times. The book feels like it’s written by someone from the future writing about the past, which doesn’t feel authentic to the realities and culture of that historical time. It’s like I was reading a more modern novel that occasionally made references to the events of WWII. It breaks the immersion. Still, the mystery was simple enough to understand and enjoy, while still being surprising and exciting. Overall, ‘twas a pleasant read though it lacks some depth.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been a big fan of the TV series Murdoch which is based on Maureen Jennings other series, although I have to confess that I have not read any of those books. But when I discovered she had another series I decided to check it out. Another period piece, set in 1940 in the small village of Whitechurch, England at a time when the threat of German invasion is real. The cast of characters includes not only the locals, but internees at a local internment camp for "enemy aliens" and a group of "Land Girls", officially known as the Women's Land Army. These are young women recruited to work the land in place of the young men who have gone off to war. When one of these young women is found murdered it is up to Tom Tyler, the sole Inspector in town to investigate. The people are worried and of course suspicions immediately fall on the German internees. I would recommend this to anyone interested in this period of history. The plot line is engrossing and the characters and setting strike me as real to the timing and place. I learned a lot about the Land Girls and specifically about the situation surrounding the internment of "enemy aliens". It did take me some time to connect with main character, Tom. However, I feel this was because listening to the narration of Thomas Craig I kept picturing Inspector Brackenreid (the character he plays in Murdoch) in my head instead of Tom Tyler.

[Fraser Simons · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was completely fine. More self aware than most, especially considering the intersections with war (which are never my particular bait), and has more agency for the women of the story than normal. Otherwise, though, I think the meat and bones of the thing are a Is What It Says On the Tin category for me. The red herrings weren’t particularly obfuscated and the story was wrapped up a little too snug. Won’t be continuing but can see why some would be into it, especially if they’re into war/military, and the politics of that.

[Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this look at rural England after Dunkirk. The murder mystery provided a good backdrop to learning about the tensions in a small town during a major war.
It was also a relief not to be bombarded with the devastation that always takes prevalence in books during that time period.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last third of this story was well done; however, it was slow getting up to that point. Still a good police/historical mystery and look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Ed Mckeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good old-fashioned police procedural in a rural English town, that moves at the pace of a good old-fashioned police procedural. What makes it stand out is that England has just moved past Dunkirk, and is on the verge of real war with Germany. We have shell-shocked soldiers returned to their homes as damaged goods. We have Land Army volunteers, and a German national internment camp. We also have murder, cross-class lust and more murder. Jennings knows how to tell a story, and to keep the mystery working until the bitter, and it is bitter, end.

[Andrea Doherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this detective mystery set in WWII

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks again to Goodreads First Reads giveaways :)

This being the first uncorrected proof I've ever read I was at first highly distracted by typos (the curse of a teacher) but had to remind myself to move past them (they got fewer as I went along which also helped). Overall I enjoyed the story but found the use of "time specific" vocabulary and references a bit too much. I can see where someone like Tom Tyler and other characters might speak that way but would have appreciated a glossary of some sort to explain some of the terms (Google filled in my lacking vocabulary here for the most part though). Even having read Great Expectations years ago I got a bit confused with how the characters in this book were comparing themselves to "Miss Havisham's Estelle" and "Pip with the thick boots". The ones I did recognize (the more common ones I suppose) were all crammed into the first 50 pages or so...

One major difference I noticed reading this book compared to many of the other mystery books I've read is that is is highly personal. Instead of the detective being hired to solve a case involving complete strangers for merely a paycheck, some accolades, or to help make life easier for someone else, the detectives immediate family is closely involved in one way or another. This makes the detectives work and home lives intertwine which I like to see as then you see a more rounded view of the detectives personality and character. I also enjoyed seeing that the detective was in some ways flawed and wasn't afraid to admit when they were stumped rather than seeming to be perfect and having all the answers miraculously appear to them with little effort.

Although in some cases the book was a bit more lude and graphic than I'd prefer in my choice of reading material it did have several lines that had me laughing out loud. I look forward to the next installment in this trilogy to see where Maureen Jennings takes Tom Tyler next as I haven't a clue. So much seems to have been included in this first book that I wonder what is left. I certainly hope no more hardships come to the Tyler family as each was severely affected in this book alone. I felt sorry most for Vera (Tom's wife) who's feelings seemed to be pushed aside on many occasions.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-paced historical mystery set in the Shropshire countryside in the summer of 1940, as England was moving from the false calm of the phony war into the full horrors of the Nazi threat. A Land Army girl is found dead on a country road and the search for her killer gets more complicated when another girl disappears and the fear engendered by the violence so close to home connects to the fear of the perhaps-looming German invasion and the complicated emotions stirred by the frantic escape from the continent at Dunkirk. The traumas of war are already making themselves felt in the village and no one has figured out how to deal with them or what they mean. The public and the private, the personal and the political, the local and the global all come together in complicated ways, and the tension lurks behind everything. Tom Tyler is a good and interesting detective figure, a good man wrestling with the difficulty of goodness. A very appealing start to what has the potential to become a very good series.

I received this book, which I read in uncorrected proofs, through Goodreads' First Reads giveaways programme. I'm very grateful to have received it.

[Inspector Penny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe a 2.5. People drop like flies in this historical murder mystery. It seems as if someone is murdered every other page. Nine, I think? The last five seem gratuitous and almost overshadow the original two murders. The unveiling of the first murderer is almost an afterthought. It is not a balanced telling.
Also...Tom is a jerk. Protagonists shouldn't be perfect, but I really dislike this guy. I don't like Clare, either. There are some almost-sympathetic characters, but they don't really break the surface and emerge as real people. The head of the Land Girls (I forget her name), Janet, Alice, & Dr. Beck all have potential, but they remain one-dimensional.
Setting is good; plot has potential, but doesn't meet it; characters, uneven.

[Bob Lenning · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered the author when I watched the series Murdoch Mysteries on Netflix and found that she had been the writer who had inspired it. Perhaps for better or worse there's slightly less detail of the country and the times than in corresponding Ian Rutledge titles by Charles Todd. The ending might be less of a surprise solution than you might expect, but even when you knew it had to be, sympathy is the emotion anyone will feel as the last bit of answer is revealed. Tom Tyler (certainly well-suited to Thomas Craig) is a strong character that I think will last for a series.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the feel of the book, the sense of WWII era England. The main character, a policeman is married but cannot get over his first love who has come back into town. Neither of them seemed to have much of a sense of commitment, which bothered me a little. The ultimate mystery was a little thin, but okay. I do look forward to the next in the series. I think they will have to kill off the wife so he can "honorably" be with his true love.

[Graeme · Rating 5 out of 5]

A complex, exciting, and very credible mystery, set in rural England in 1940. I am so excited to discover Maureen Jennings. Her characters are entirely human, real and credible, down to the subtlest nuance. After the chaste high-mindedness of Jacqueline Winspear, my most recent mystery writer crush, Ms. Jennings characters are so refreshingly sexual and frank. I can't wait to read the remaining two books of the series, as well as her Murdoch Mysteries, which are set in Victorian Toronto.

[Deshay · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoy the English setting and the WWII time period, I didn't like this book as much as I thought I would. I couldn't seem to care for any of the characters so it was hard to keep an interest in what they thought or did. The mystery aspect was well done and kept me turning the pages. But I found parts to be a little coarse. Not sure if I will read the others if it is a planned trilogy.

[David Marshall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing. It can't make up its mind whether it wants to be a police procedural, a WWII historical novel or an adventure/thriller novel. Although it all fits together well as a plot, there's no sense of urgency or excitement until near the end vut, by then, it's all too little too late.

http://opionator.wordpress.com/2012/0...

[Literary Chanteuse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book on goodreads. Mystery is not my main genre but when I read one that is good I want to read more. This book is one of those. I enjoyed the characters and their story along with the setting of WWII England.

[Kate Donnelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this is not the first of the Tyler books, it seemed developed. I am unfamiliar with the setting of the book which enhanced the reading. I have read almost all of the other series and seen the tv and DVDs. Easy read, but not a waste of time.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally finished. The book got better as it progressed. You are gradually introduced to the main characters.
The end is a bit of a shock. will look to get hold of the second book in the series.

[D J Rout · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason, this book lacks the 'poetry' of Except the Dying and the other Murdoch mysteries, but that may be because I know more about wartime Britain than I do about Edwardian Toronto. This one would've made a good Foyle's War mystery, because it has a detailed enough plot to sustain two hours or so of TV.

so, it's less satisfying than a Murdoch mystery, but it is a good example of how to plot one of these things, which is what I really need myself, so it was an enjoyable book to study and not too bad to read. The culprit is introdued early and, for the most part, the mystery is put together logically with attention to people's movements and where everyone was at a given time. The author is very experienced at this, so would expect that.

What's good is that you can see the bones of the plot put in, and then how the author has added layers of complexity once she's got that initial mystery all plotted out. It turned out that I had guessed the murderer around a quarter of the way throguh the novel (and I suppose I should record my guesses as comments to see ecactly where I guessed the eifht one) but it was a guess that was only confirmed at the end, which is what a good mystery should be. The second, less important murder, is revealed by a confession, which is not as much fun for the reader, but if that confession weren't there, I would've gone crazy trying to work it out.

I shall now move on to the next ones in the series.

[Peggy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I was going to enjoy this book, but was sorely disappointed. Tom Tyler is a police detective in rural Shropshire England in 1940. England is getting more and more nervous about the Nazi invasion and what it might mean to England. Fit men are fighting. "Land Army" girls are young women recruited to help farmers with their harvest. They live together with a matron and go out each to day to work locally. Tom is a depressing main character. He has a wife he does not love, a daughter on the brink of womanhood, and a son who survived Dunkirk and is suffering PTSD. I found him loathsome and not even a particularly bright detective. If this is a beginning of series featuring him, then, no thanks; I had enough of him. He seemed to worry more about lusting after his former lover who has returned to town than about the murder of a young Land Army girl. German Jews and undocumented immigrants are rounded up and placed in an internment camp nearby and the town is full of suspicions. When a second girl is found murdered, the town becomes more alarmed about the camp and why these girls would be targeted. The story involves trying to find out who murdered the young women and the apparent spying by the Germans done from the camp. It is a slow moving book that had ambitions of painting a picture of the uncertain times at the beginning of England's involvement in the war as well as the lives of the people in the town. But it fails miserably. Only one victim was sympathetic and Tom Tyler was a cad.