A young house-sitter is found dead, by the side of the road, not far from the house he was overseeing. When Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope arrives to investigate, her team finds a second body inside the house. This is the body of a middle-aged man. Neither man lived in the area, making identification and possible motive difficult. The one thing that appears to connect the two is that they both studied moths.
The house is owned by a wealthy couple who are away on holiday. The estate's land includes several newer homes, now owned by retirees. The little village, so newly constructed and sold, has attracted couples of similar age and wealth, and they have gotten to know each other.
Vera invades their privacy again and again in her quest for the murderer, for she believes the two deaths are related. The differences in the occupants become more obvious and their secrets are exposed. The unlovely large detective has a way with an interview.
Vera is no saint. Her thoughts are not always charitable. But she does take her job seriously, and is actually quite obsessive about it. Her subordinates notice that she seems to thrive on the misfortunes of others. She does, however, provide the means for her subordinates to become very good at their jobs, which means they accept her verbal abuse and move on.
Vera is one of my favorite fictional characters. In the book series she is larger and more rude and abusive than in the television series, which often gives me a laugh. It is a pleasure to take in all of the characters, whether primary or not, and the plot is, as usual, complicated and well designed.
The house is owned by a wealthy couple who are away on holiday. The estate's land includes several newer homes, now owned by retirees. The little village, so newly constructed and sold, has attracted couples of similar age and wealth, and they have gotten to know each other.
Vera invades their privacy again and again in her quest for the murderer, for she believes the two deaths are related. The differences in the occupants become more obvious and their secrets are exposed. The unlovely large detective has a way with an interview.
Vera is no saint. Her thoughts are not always charitable. But she does take her job seriously, and is actually quite obsessive about it. Her subordinates notice that she seems to thrive on the misfortunes of others. She does, however, provide the means for her subordinates to become very good at their jobs, which means they accept her verbal abuse and move on.
Vera is one of my favorite fictional characters. In the book series she is larger and more rude and abusive than in the television series, which often gives me a laugh. It is a pleasure to take in all of the characters, whether primary or not, and the plot is, as usual, complicated and well designed.
