Maura (maura853) - , reviewed on 9/3/2017 + 542 more book reviews

Very old fashioned murder mystery, which I enjoy more for a glimpse into British life in the 60s and (this one) early 70s than for the writing style or the challenge of the mystery. While we might think that the Swinging 60s wrought an instant transformation on the British Isles, Aird makes it clear from the setting and context of her murders, and the attitudes of her characters, that change took time to percolate through to places like the little market towns of the fictional "Calleshire" (her version of Midsomer, for cozy mystery fans).

This is the fourth Aird novel I've read, and the context of the mystery (skeleton remains discovered in the ruins of homes bombed, 30 years before, during WWII) is interesting, and probably reflects genuine attitudes to the war, as time passed and memories faded. However, the revelation of the murderer is pretty uninspired: like mystery sodduku, rather than anything emerging from character development, or sharp insights into the human condition ...

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