Debut
This charming cozy is set in Devon, but features a group of Americans who have gathered there for a walking tour of England. Our hero, Rick Chasen, or “Chase”, is a recently retired, recently widowed police detective. The loss of his husband, Doug, has caused him to rethink his life and search for things that will keep him active and engaged. He’s meeting up with his friend Billie for the trip, who is an optimistic soul and knits with enthusiasm.
The rest of their tour group – or shall we call them the suspect pool? – is nicely varied and interesting. There’s a wealthy man and his trophy wife; there’s a couple who create environments for the elderly (who are dissatisfied with their room décor); there’s a sister and brother who are fulfilling the sister’s life long dream of a trip to England; and there’s the required curmudgeon, rounded off by the tour guide and driver. While I really enjoyed this novel my enjoyment would have been heightened by the traditional cast of characters at the beginning of the book. This book seemed well suited for that kind of thing.
From the start, it’s obvious that the wealthy man is going to be the bane of their trip – he’s unpleasant and complains about everything. Once he susses out that Chase is a retired cop he confides in him that he’s sure someone is looking to kill him and begs Chase to take on the job of protection. Chase begs off, saying he’s on vacation, but soon various things begin to happen, coupled with threatening notes that the man has shared with Chase. He does keep his eyes open but of course, he cannot prevent the man’s death on a foggy day as the group skirts the edge of a cliff.
Chase is – or was – apparently a good cop, and it’s not long before he’s invited to sit in with the Inspector who’s taken on the case. He refuses to make assumptions and gently guides the Inspector’s thinking without being overbearing (in short, he’s the perfect co-worker or boss). As the pasts of the various members of the group are revealed, providing possible motives for the murder of a man none of them had met before, the past and emotional life of Chase is also gently uncovered.
I’m not sure what the “secret sauce” is for books. In every way this is a standard traditional detective story, with an amateur/not quite amateur at the center of things. Even the fact that Chase is a widower is not unexpected. But there’s some kind of magical algorithm that a good book simply possesses. This novel, while traditional and even expected, unfolds beautifully, is paced well, and is full of interesting characters who, in the best Agatha Christie fashion, seem familiar. They could be people you’ve met or encountered yourself.
Chase himself is appealing but not too plain vanilla to be dull. He’s simply a nice guy, trying to do what’s right, and he obviously is a careful thinker and intelligent discerner of secrets and lies. There’s nothing not to like, and the whole book is enhanced by the Devon setting – I felt I was on the walk with the group. The trip, though sadly truncated for the book’s characters, sounded wonderful, and the Devon countryside, as brought to life by the author, is beautiful. All in all a nice debut. — Robin Agnew