Published by Bookouture,
24 June 2019.
ISBN: 978-1-83888044-6 (PB)
24 June 2019.
ISBN: 978-1-83888044-6 (PB)
The body of a young
woman is discovered at the earthworks at Wandlebury and the local police team,
led by Detective Inspector Blake, identify her as Julie Cooper, a student at
St. Oswald’s College, which is part of the University of Cambridge.
Julie was a clever
girl who planned to become a journalist after she finished her degree.
She was a very vibrant and determined personality and active in campaigning
against firms she regarded as corrupt, making herself some powerful enemies
who turn out to be frighteningly close at hand. However, the team have
other suspects to investigate too, including Julie’s arrogant ex-boyfriend, and
a fellow student who is so obsessed with Julie that she mimics her clothes,
hairstyle and makeup. Equally urgently, they need to identify a mystery man in
Julie’s life, who they have heard of only as John.
The story is told in
multiple viewpoints and also chronicles the personal lives of several of the
detectives on Blake’s team. While two of his sergeants take the first tentative
steps towards a relationship, Blake himself is trapped in a marriage with a
deceitful, unfaithful woman whom he feels unable to leave because he loves his
two young daughters. Ex-journalist Tara also has a lot of trouble in her past
and, since she was sixteen, has been the target of a stalker, who strikes
intermittently and has never been identified. Tara’s recklessness has
endangered her before and, as the investigation progresses, even though she
follows the rules, she finds herself in a situation that threatens her life.
Murder in the Fens is
the fourth book featuring Tara Thorpe, and the regular characters have a lot of
backstory, which is skilfully told, without slowing the pace of the plot. It is
a cosy crime novel, with a lot of emphasis on the central characters’ personal
lives, but it is also an excellent police procedural, with a complex and
cleverly plotted investigation. The regular characters are likeable, with an
intrinsic decency, despite their superficial flaws and differences of opinion,
and the plot is interesting and coherent. A very enjoyable read.
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Reviewer: Carol Westron
Clare
Chase writes fast-paced romantic
mysteries, using London and Cambridge as settings. Her influences include JD
Robb, Janet Evanovich, Mary Stewart and Sue Grafton. Brought up in the
Midlands, she went on to read English at London University, then worked in book
and author promotion in venues as diverse as schools, pubs and prisons. More
recently she’s exercised her creative writing muscles in the world of PR, and worked
for the University of Cambridge. Her current day job is at the Royal Society of
Chemistry.
Her
writing is inspired by what makes people tick, and how strong emotions can
occasionally turn everyday incidents into the stuff of crime novels. It would
be impossible not to mix these topics with romance and relationships; they’re
central to life and drive all forms of drama.
When
she’s not reading or writing, Clare enjoys drawing, cooking and trips to the
Lake District. Closer to home she loves wandering round the pubs, restaurants
and galleries of Cambridge where she lives with her husband and two teenage
daughters.
Carol Westron is a successful short story writer and a Creative
Writing teacher. She is the moderator
for the cosy/historical crime panel, The Deadly Dames. Her crime novels are set both in contemporary
and Victorian times. The Terminal Velocity of Cats the first in her Scene of Crimes novels,
was published July 2013. Carol recently gave an interview to Mystery People. To
read the interview click on the link below.
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