An Air That Kills

First Sentence: November is the month of the dead.

Both journalist Jill Francis and Inspector Richard Thornhill are new to Lydmouth and both have issues in their lives. Richard is trying to become accustomed to the ways of the small town and Jill is staying with her friend, Phillip, and his wealthy, and rather imperious wife, Charlotte.

During the clearing of an old property, an old wooden box is found containing a tarnished silver brooch and a baby's bones. They go to the town historian, who points them back to a Victorian-era murder. However, the investigators find that things are not what they seem.

I've only recently discovered Andrew Taylor's books, and what a delightful discovery it is. I'd previously read the second book in the Lydmouth series, but decided to go back and start the series at the beginning.

The setting is different from the norm: early post WWII, small-town England. Being a village, albeit fictional, allows the reader to become familiar with the residents and geography of this community located on the Anglo-Welsh border.

Next the characters: The two primary characters are outsiders to the community and to each other. In this first book, we meet the two characters and, through the story, learn their history and see their association begin. These are not sweetness and light characters, but are very human, as are all the characters in Taylor's story. It reminds one that behind the façade of the idyllic village are people.

Taylor's writing is evocative with a strong sense of time and place. The plot is wonderfully done. It seems quite straightforward, in the beginning, but goes somewhere I certainly never expected.

I so enjoyed this book, I am on a quest to find the rest of the Lydmouth series books.

First Sentence: November is the month of the dead.

Both journalist Jill Francis and Inspector Richard Thornhill are new to Lydmouth and both have issues in their lives. Richard is trying to become accustomed to the ways of the small town and Jill is staying with her friend, Phillip, and his wealthy, and rather imperious wife, Charlotte.

During the clearing of an old property, an old wooden box is found containing a tarnished silver brooch and a baby's bones. They go to the town historian, who points them back to a Victorian-era murder. However, the investigators find that things are not what they seem.

I've only recently discovered Andrew Taylor's books, and what a delightful discovery it is. I'd previously read the second book in the Lydmouth series, but decided to go back and start the series at the beginning.

The setting is different from the norm: early post WWII, small-town England. Being a village, albeit fictional, allows the reader to become familiar with the residents and geography of this community located on the Anglo-Welsh border.

Next the characters: The two primary characters are outsiders to the community and to each other. In this first book, we meet the two characters and, through the story, learn their history and see their association begin. These are not sweetness and light characters, but are very human, as are all the characters in Taylor's story. It reminds one that behind the façade of the idyllic village are people.

Taylor's writing is evocative with a strong sense of time and place. The plot is wonderfully done. It seems quite straightforward, in the beginning, but goes somewhere I certainly never expected.

I so enjoyed this book, I am on a quest to find the rest of the Lydmouth series books.

I enjoyed the opening of the book. There is no doubt that the story is well written. I just found that the main characters were carrrying around a bit too much baggage for me ... I prefer to concentrate on the mystery rather than the internal sufferings of the protagnists. Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for this book. Will pick it up again in a few months and see whether it strikes a more positive note.