Lucky me, and you (!!), I've got another Detective Marjory Fleming mystery for you!
Synopsis:
On a beautiful, eerily quiet May morning, a girl is found brutally bludgeoned to death. When Detective Marjory Fleming arrives, the silence of the scene is broken only by the ringing of the girl's cell phone. The nearby community is small and close-knit, but the veneer of contented prosperity conceals nasty secrets and deep betrayals. When another corpse is discovered, Fleming quickly realizes she must watch her own back while she searches for the link between the murders. As she uncovers layer upon layer of intrigue and deceit, it becomes apparent that, while the dead can't tell lies, the living most certainly can.
Excerpt:
"The wind had dropped with the sunrise. It was a beautiful May morning, with the soft, pearly light so typical of the south-west corner of Scotland, but it was cool still; vapour clung to the tops of the trees and there was a sweet, damp, earthy smell after a heavy dew. He got up to have a chilly shower – he must see if something couldn’t be done about the hot-water supply – then dressed in his working jeans and checked shirt and went down the rickety staircase and across the living room to open the door.
The wooden shack, his home since he was freed on licence six months ago, had walls weathered by time and the elements to a soft silvery grey. It stood in a clearing surrounded by rough grass studded with the stumps of felled trees, crumbling and mossy now. Beyond that, a tangle of undergrowth formed a natural enclosure: at this time of year the grass had feathery seed heads and thecreamy flowers of hawthorn and cow parsley gleamed against the lush dark green of nettles and docks. From a snarl of brambles, a robin was shouting a melodious challenge to all comers. Sitting down on the dilapidated bench outside the back door, he drank in the peace and freedom which remained a novelty still."
Review:
I love this series! Detective Marjory Fleming is such a 'real' character- she's a wife, a mother, a daughter, a boss. For those of us in that age group, it's refreshing to read a mystery with her as the lead character, to read situations we can all relate to (teenager daughter acting out, check, elderly parents with Alzheimer's, check). And then just when you think you know the characters of the her investigative team (this is the third book in the series), they do something that seems out of character, yet shows how human they are! Then add the rugged Scotland scenery (just read the excerpt above and you'll see what I mean), and local activities, like the dog herding show and add in a twisty turvy mystery that keeps you guessing, and you can see why I keep coming back to this series!
I do recommend reading in order of the series, as there are character changes and events that occur, that are helpful to know all the nuances about, as they can sometimes have an affect on the current book at hand. This book is one of the highlights in the series to me, as there are many nuances that are either subtle clues or red herrings, and it is not til the end that you can figure out which!
About the Author:
Aline Templeton grew up in the fishing village of Anstruther, in the East Neuk of Fife. She has worked in education and broadcasting and was a Justice of the Peace for ten years. Married, with two grown-up children and three grandchildren, she now lives in a house with a view of Edinburgh Castle. When not writing, she enjoys cooking, choral singing, and traveling the back roads of France.
http://www.alinetempleton.co.uk/
Giveaway:
TEN lucky readers will get an ebook (Blue-Fire version) of this great book!
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Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts about this mystery with us, and the suggestion to read them in order. Some series work better when read that way.
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