Murder of the Bride

DI Hillary Greene and her team return in the third book of the series. The only change is that Superintendent Jerome Raleigh has taken over over Marcus Donleavys position (Donleavy was promoted)…

Hillary and her team are called out to Three Oaks Farm where a fancy dress party was going on. There are music, lights and partygoers in the main house where an anniversary is being celebrated. One guest, dressed as a bride, was strangled in the farm’s cowshed. The list of potential suspects is long and secrets are not easily given up…

This was a decently paced mystery with an intriguing plot and interesting subplots. It feels like I know the characters now and I have pictures of them in my head due to the author’s descriptions. I am also getting a feel for northwest Oxfordshire from the details written. I like the way Hillary and her team work together even the poisoned cherub has his (rare) uses, with his system of narks. MURDER OF THE BRIDE had the twists and turns that I have come to expect from a good mystery and the big reveal was a huge surprise.

I am enjoying this series so much that (instead of borrowing the books with my kindle unlimited) I bought all the books to have in my permanent digital library.

AfterThoughts: I am only on the third book in the series and already getting a little weary of reading about PC Tommy Lynch (who has a girlfriend he wants to marry) fantasising about Hillary…
Although I understand British police procedurals as well as American ones, I still look up unfamiliar words in my kindle dictionary and I sometimes laugh out loud at some of the definitions…

Wonderful series! So glad I discovered Faith Martins Hillary Greene series. Ive read 8 so far, and can’t wait to read the rest.

Rather than commenting on each book individually, Ill just say that its a great collection of police procedurals, set in Oxfordshire. They’re not at all cosy, but theres no superfluous gore, either.

We meet intriguing people, glimpse gleaming spires, picturesque landscapes and down-at-heel housing estates, and find ourselves bouncing along with Hillary in her Tragic Wagon in search of villains and the answers to more personal mysteries.

D.I. Hillary Greene seems to be coming into her own as a series character in this third of the series of cases. In fact the whole “bullpen” of those characters close to Hillary (Mel, Janine, Tommy, and the inimitable Frank Ross) are becoming more fully rounded also. This book itself was very readable and although set in England, the locals connected to the crime could have been found in the U.S. also. I did not know whodunit until I believe I was meant to know. I found this case and story to be well plotted and enjoyable as well as being appropriately sad for several of the characters and not just the victim. The only slightly jarring note was the introduction of the new D.C.S. Jerome Raleigh with his deliberately hidden back story waiting to be revealed! An unnecessary distraction, in my opinion.

This book is strong in all aspects. The plot is terrific and will keep you guessing until the very end of the book. The story is interesting and moves along very quickly with a nice mix of action and thoughtful reflection. The characters are nice people who take the job of being a police detective seriously and strive to be excellent in their job. When a young woman turns up dead the local police are given the task of solving the case despite many of the suspects being well connected powerful people.This book is a true mystery story and doesn’t spend half the story dealing with vivid descriptions of violence and medical emergencies. This book is definitely worth your time and money.

Tight story. Characters are average everyday people (some richer than others) caught up in a nasty murder. The author nicely plays the police by showing their other, human side, their reactions to different situations and how it effects the outcome of the case. The interaction between the police and the suspects is at times comical and is reflected in the writing. This was an enjoyable read because it was somewhat predictable.

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