Exploring British mysteries outside of Agatha Christie

D7

By Sarah Kilfoil

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My mom first introduced me to British mysteries when I was in junior high and I've been a fan since then.

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Agatha Christie is, of course, the "grande dame" of British mysteries (well, mysteries in general, really), but there are many other authors who write really well in the genre. I'm going to feature a few of these authors over the next few weeks, since I've been reading some new authors in the genre recently.

Deborah Crombie is actually an American author, but writes a mystery series set in England. The first book in the series, A Share in Death, takes place in the Yorkshire Moors and introduces Scotland Yard superintendant Duncan Kincaid and his sergeant, Gemma Jones.

Kincaid has decided to take a much-needed holiday to relax in the country and he is able to stay at his cousin's time-share hotel for the week. He decides to really enjoy his time off and doesn't reveal to the other guests that he is, in fact, a police officer.

When the assistant manager is found dead in the pool on the second morning of Kincaid's visit, he has a hard time maintaining his anonymity. He also finds it difficult to keep his distance from the investigation, especially when the inspector in charge doubts the assistant manager was murdered – he assumes it is a suicide.

After another guest is murdered, Kincaid calls in Gemma James to help with the investigation, checking out the lives of the other guests. They must work quickly to apprehend the murderer before anyone else is killed. Kincaid and James work well together and there is a small possibility for romance between the two.

Crombie has written a well-plotted mystery that introduces Kincaid and James as characters that I'd like to get to know further. I look forward to reading the next books in the series – All Shall Be Well and Leave the Garden Green. Her most recent book, the 12th in the series, is Where Memories Lie.

Staying in the same relative geographic area, I recently finished Cecilia Ahern's book, A Place Called Here, set in Ireland. It has a really neat premise – a former police detective has opened her own missing persons agency and goes missing herself.

Sandy Shortt has had an obsession with finding missing things since her classmate went missing when they were young, which makes her very dedicated to her job, to the exclusion of almost everything else in her life.

Jack Ruttle calls Sandy, desperate for help to find his missing younger brother.

When Sandy doesn't show up for their meeting, Jack starts to worry and begins looking for her, although he barely knows the woman, and he finds out that Sandy regularly disappears for days at a time.

I don't want to give too much away about what happens, but Sandy has discovered the place where lost things and lost people end up and must figure out a way home.

I was slightly disappointed by the ending, but I thought it was a cool idea and it was an enjoyable read.

Sarah Kilfoil is the public services librarian for the Haut-Saint-Jean Library Region. She is a graduate of Woodstock High School.