Carole Seddon and her bohemian neighbor Jude find that even the cultured can be crass when it comes to murder.
The life of noted man of letters Esmond Chadleigh—poet, children’s author, essayist, fantasist—is celebrated in the halls of Bracketts House. However, despite the efforts of the house’s trustees, most of Chadleigh’s work remains out of print, leaving the once famous literary figure out of sight and out of mind and Bracketts out of funds.
An American literature professor with a big interest in Chadleigh—and an even bigger bankroll from the university where she’s tenured—can keep Bracketts running, in exchange for assistance on her Chadleigh biography. But the mistrustful trustees are afraid the biographer is only interested in rooting out the skeletons in Chadleigh’s closet—especially after uncovering one in his garden.
Now, Carole and Jude must risk tarnishing the sterling reputation of a beloved author to learn whether his sword was mightier than his pen.
The latest in Brett's Fethering mysteries involves the discovery of a skeleton buried ninety years ago and a murder that occurs during the course of the novel. This quiet mystery features Carole Seddon and her neighbor, Jude, who have combined on other occasions to solve crimes. Geoffrey Howard's rendering is satisfactory, with small, almost undetectable, distinctions among the English characters' voices. The voice of the female American academic does not come across as authentic--at first sounding like that of a New York taxi driver and subsequently wavering between a more subtle New York accent and one that is indistinguishable from those of the English characters. Overall however, Howard narrates with clarity and pacing that suits the gentle nature of the writing. S.S.R. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
--Booklist...
“Brett delivers a deft mixture of history-mystery and contemporary thriller in this latest installment in his Fethering series starring the prickly, fiftysomething amateur sleuth, Carole Seddon, who is on site for the discovery of both bodies.”
About the Author
Simon Brett worked as a producer with BBC radio before turning to writing full-time. A former president of Britain’s Crime Writers Association, he is the creator of the Mrs. Pargeter mysteries and the Charles Paris series as well as the Fethering mysteries. He lives in the South of England with his family.
