Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
Since I am a long-time fan of M.J. Lee's Jayne Sinclair genealogical mysteries, I thought I'd give this new series a try. After all, I don't remember reading a mystery set in Chester, England before. I'm glad I picked up The Coffin in the Wall. It's a promising start to a new series that I will be keeping an eye on.
The City of Chester could be considered a character in the book, but the focus is on DI Emma Christie, the daughter of a legendary police officer who had a 100% success rate. Unfortunately, her father now has dementia and doesn't want to go into a nursing home. As a result, Emma has to deal with an elaborate caregiving schedule that leaves her precious little sleep at the best of times-- and this isn't one of those times.
Emma doesn't feel like she measures up to her father, and her boss's behavior doesn't help. (I wish there would be a few more caring superior officers in police procedurals. It would make a nice change.) She goes everywhere with a ledger in which she writes detailed notes of everything she sees and hears. Emma likes "bureaucratic work... It also meant she was across every inch of the investigation in case anyone asked." This detailed as-you-go narrative aids in her investigation several times, and it also saves her from some of the shark bites from the Powers That Be.
There are flashes of much-needed humor throughout The Coffin in the Wall, and I liked the characters surrounding Emma: John Simpson the civilian researcher, DC Harry Fairweather, and the pesky journalist who always seems to be underfoot. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, and here's hoping Emma will be able to get a bit more sleep.
The City of Chester could be considered a character in the book, but the focus is on DI Emma Christie, the daughter of a legendary police officer who had a 100% success rate. Unfortunately, her father now has dementia and doesn't want to go into a nursing home. As a result, Emma has to deal with an elaborate caregiving schedule that leaves her precious little sleep at the best of times-- and this isn't one of those times.
Emma doesn't feel like she measures up to her father, and her boss's behavior doesn't help. (I wish there would be a few more caring superior officers in police procedurals. It would make a nice change.) She goes everywhere with a ledger in which she writes detailed notes of everything she sees and hears. Emma likes "bureaucratic work... It also meant she was across every inch of the investigation in case anyone asked." This detailed as-you-go narrative aids in her investigation several times, and it also saves her from some of the shark bites from the Powers That Be.
There are flashes of much-needed humor throughout The Coffin in the Wall, and I liked the characters surrounding Emma: John Simpson the civilian researcher, DC Harry Fairweather, and the pesky journalist who always seems to be underfoot. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, and here's hoping Emma will be able to get a bit more sleep.
