Crook o' Lune

May 1, 2023
Murder eventually strikes a quiet Lancashire farm village in this slow-burning whodunit originally published in 1953. Everyone in Lunesdale, it seems, covets Aikengill, the home Yorkshire accountant Gilbert Woolfall inherited from his uncle Thomas but has scant time to visit. On one of those infrequent visits, neighboring farmer Christopher Fell's daughter, Betty, is cheeky enough to come out and ask if she and her suitor Jock Shearling might occupy two of its rooms in Gilbert's absence after they're wed. Lambsrigg Hall owner Daniel Herdwick, Jock's employer and Thomas Woolfall's longtime grazing tenant, wants to buy the acreage for his herd. The Rev. Simon Tupper, rector of the local church, thinks Gilbert should donate a substantial part of his inheritance to the Ewedale-with-High Gimmerdale church. Thomas' housekeeper, Mrs. Ramsden, can't quite bring herself to leave the house even though there's no one in residence to take care of anymore. Her ambivalence turns out to be a serious misfortune, since Mrs. Ramsden is on the premises when someone sets Aikengill ablaze one night, destroying half the lovingly restored house and suffocating its faithful servant. The local police waste no time in roping Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald, a CID investigator on vacation from Scotland Yard, into the case. It's Macdonald who'll uncover the surprisingly complicated links between the fatal fire and a series of thefts of sheep and other valuables and identify a killer likely to take most readers by surprise since most of the villagers seem absolutely incapable of even the mildest criminal infractions. An effortlessly atmospheric idyll that has a lot to teach contemporary cozies.

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June 1, 2023
A well-appointed country home in rural Lancashire dating from the 1600s, complete with stone gables, mullioned windows, and beamed ceilings, is the focus of this cozy mystery, originally published in 1953 and the latest addition to the British Library Crime Classics series. A disputed will pits the owner against a number of villagers, including a very spiteful rector, who want the house for themselves. Lorac spends a great deal of time painting an idyllic picture of the house and of village life to the point that some readers may grow impatient with the leisurely plotting. But mystery does arrive, with arson destroying part of the house and the death of the housekeeper within it. Prolific Golden Age writer Lorac's series detective, Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald, visiting friends nearby, is on hand to sort through the very tricky business of solving a death-by-arson. This offers more atmosphere than plot, but fans of cozies and viewers who enjoy shows like Britbox's Escape to the Country, should revel in this.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 1, 2023

Back in print for the first time since 1953, this bucolic novel from Lorac (a.k.a. Edith Caroline Rivett, 1894-1958) is an atmospheric mystery. Gilbert Woolfall inherits Aikengill, a remote farmhouse in northwest England, from his uncle. He finds the area so peaceful, he's contemplating an early retirement there. But his stay is interrupted by several people: the creepy rector, who is upset that Gilbert's uncle didn't leave anything to the church; Daniel Herdwick, the owner of a nearby farm, who would like first chance at buying Aikengill; and a young couple who would like to move in and tend to the house. There is only one thing disturbing the tranquil atmosphere: local farmers are complaining of the theft of sheep. When Robert Macdonald, chief inspector with Scotland Yard's C.I.D., arrives on vacation, he's only mildly interested in the thefts, until there's a fire at Aikengill, and someone dies. Suspecting that the thefts and fire are connected, Macdonald works with the local police and sets a trap to catch a killer. VERDICT Martin Edwards's introduction to the novel and its context adds to the pleasure for those who want a slow-paced, old-fashioned mystery.--Lesa Holstine

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