22 May 2006.
ISBN: 978-0-34083856-3 (HB)
DI Marjory Fleming works in
Knockhaven, a small port in Galloway, Scotland; she appeared previously in Cold
in the Earth when she had to deal with all the problems attached to foot
and mouth disease. The hostile relations with her neighbours, friends and even
relatives are beginning to thaw in this second outing and Marjory is losing the
stresses that built up around a police officer enforcing a harsh law.
The new case for Marjory centres on the local lifeboat which is involved in a
horrific accident. The lifeboat crew is a mixed bag of inhabitants of the
village - a doctor, a teacher, a sailor and a publican. The effect of the loss
of the boat on a port is particularly painful when it seems that this is most
likely vandalism or even deliberate murder. Also mixed up with this case is the issue of
drugs.
Marjory is a very
human police officer with a farmer husband, two teenage children and elderly
parents; she is also an efficient detective respected by her subordinates and
colleagues - her nickname in the local force is ’Big Marge’. This story is very
much character driven and these figures really come to life with all their
irritating, unpleasant or charming characteristics. One of Marjory’s friends
has been a psychological profiler and is helpful in channeling the directions
in which the police can search. The term solipsistic is used by the expert to
describe a form of tunnel vision selfishness that can lead to crime and Marjory
follows this up in her investigation.
Despite its grim
theme this is an enjoyable story which reaches a believable conclusion.
------------
Reviewer: Jennifer
S. Palmer
Aline Templeton grew up in the fishing village of
Anstruther, on the east coast of Scotland not far from St Andrews. The
memories of beautiful scenery and a close community inspired her to set the
Marjory Fleming series in a place very like that – rural Galloway, in the
south-west of Scotland. After attending Cambridge
University to read English she taught for a few years. She now
writes full-time. Her most recent series
features DCI Kelso Strang, officer
in charge of Police Scotland’s Serious Rural Crime Squad. Old Sins is the
fourth book in the series.
No comments:
Post a Comment