Book review: Murder in the Mansion by Faith Martin
I have a problem; reading. I love to read, preferably fiction, but anything that catches my attention is fair game. I like reading more than nearly anything else including writing. There. I’ve said it. It’s off my chest and I feel better. Now I’m off back to the book I’m part way throwing the… just kidding. I’ve just finished reading a novel, which is why I felt the need for this confession. I was meant to be writing this afternoon, not reading, and I can’t use my well worn excuse of, “but it’s research”. It wasn’t.
Last weekend, I was reading (re-reading) the Thomas Covenant series for research (yes, really). The first two books only. After that, would be gratuitous reading and as there are nine books in the series, that’s way too much time away from writing. It wasn’t easy though.
I can’t not read though so in the short breaks between writing, work and everything else, I opened Murder in the Mansion by Faith Martin. Big mistake! The characters are well rounded, the twists are well thought out, good plot and good writing. But this is book eight in a series of nine (so far). I’ve already gone back to the start and downloaded book one. I’ll have to read all of them. Thanks, Faith.
If you like crime fiction; set in Oxford England and with strong characters, then go ahead and try Faith Martin’s, DI Greene series.
Here’s a look at Murder in the Mansion.
Mattie Jones is found brutally stabbed to death in her palatial home. Hillary Greene is called in to investigate the murder of this wealthy woman. Who wanted her dead and why?
Hillary discovers that Mattie’s snobby attitude had made her many enemies. Mattie was also going through a messy divorce and had a secret lover.
Meanwhile, in a terrifying turn of events, police officers are being gunned down outside their stations. A sniper is on the loose. Who will come under attack next?
Can Hillary cope with the enemies within, a complex case, and the whole force under attack?
This is a crime mystery full of well-observed characters, which will have you gripped from start to the absolutely stunning finish.
I enjoy reading glimpses into the lives of the main characters and seeing how they interact with each other. Faith Martin does this well. She obviously knows her characters inside and out, and is adept at showing them to us while avoiding overwhelming with back story. No doubt this is also down to the length of the series (nine books so far and another eight to come) that gives the author time to develop and grow characters.
The crime plots and twists are clever as well so it’s an enjoyable read from start to finish. I’m quite looking forward to getting to know DI Greene and her team, but I’m not going to start book one until I’ve complete a fair slab of my own writing.
Mind you, it’s a bit late at night to start writing now. Perhaps I can squeeze a little more reading in before bed….
