Sunday April 30th, 2023
Books in April
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Death Under a Little Sky by Stig Abell
I enjoyed this book a great deal. It's a debut crime novel, but Stig Abell, as a journalist, is already an experienced and proven skilled writer. Thus it's no surprise that the story is well-plotted, and progresses at a good pace. I found the premise of the book a bit of a stretch - almost a dream scenario of inheriting a property with a small income attached - but the lifestyle is painted very realistically. The property is somewhat remote, and lacks 21st century home comforts, being essentially "off-grid". This in turn is a good plot device enabling the author to create a backdrop harking back to the Golden Age of detective fiction - a world where communication is not a trivial matter, and help cannot be summoned at the touch of a button. That said, looking to future novels in the series, I'm not sure how long Jake can realistically remain without any means of communication at all; despite embracing the back-to nature existence and the lack of network coverage, he did have the means to charge a mobile phone (though he never seemed to do so!).
One thing I did not enjoy quite so much was the descriptions of the relationship as it developed between Jake and Livia. In particular, I was not convinced by Livia's attitude to their sexual encounters, which seemed to be a direct translation of male attitudes and unconvincing words put into a female's mouth. This may be due to my age or gender, (or both) but I think more subtlety was required. At the same time, exploring men's attitudes and lust for attractive young women - especially including Jake's own reactions - added an excellent perspective on, and dimension to, the plot. However, (and this was surprising for me since I am a plot-driven reader rather than appreciating beautiful prose), it is the glorious descriptions of the environment that captivated me most in this book. Because of the situation into which Abell has put his protagonist, the wonderful descriptions of the very English woods and countryside took me straight back to the childhood experience of emerging from an ex-army canvas tent at 6am to the sound of a wood pigeon, and with the prospect of a wash in clean but cold water... (Girl Guides circa 1967....).
Apparently this is the first of a potential series, so I am looking forward to finding out how Jake progresses. - To Die but Once, The American Agent, The Consequences of Fear, and A Sunlit Weapon
by Jacqueline Winspear [read by Julie Teal]
I had a rather solid catch-up on Winspear's books this month, and managed to get her through 1940 towards the end of 1942. There's a lot going on in Maisie's life - she is finally finding herself with feelings of love towards her American friend, Mark, as well as setting out to adopt an orphan evacuee (which is complex since she would be a "single Mother" and this does not fit with the social mores of the time).
As usual, historical themes and politics are addressed in each book:
An apprentice lad working on a 'hush-hush' government contract turns up dead - but is the camouflage paint they have been working with altogether safe?.
An American correspondent reporting on the war in Europe, is found murdered in her London digs, but news of her death is concealed by British authorities. The importance of wartime propaganda aimed at drawing the Americans into the war cannot be compromised.
A message runner for a government office, witnesses an argument that ends in murder. Maisie thinks she spots the killer in a Special Operations training facility.... but he is engaged in vital war work, and the authorities seem unwilling to investgate.
A female ferry pilot, is delivering a Spitfire when she has the unnerving experience of someone shooting at her aircraft. A few days later, another ferry pilot is shot down and killed. Maisie wants to find out why someone appears to want to take down much needed pilots, but as her investigations progress she is drawn into an obvious case of prejudice against a black American serviceman, as well as facing similar issues at the school attended by her newly adopted daughter.
