A brand new Ryder & Loveday mystery from global bestseller Faith Martin Summer 1960, Oxford In the glorious sunshine of Oxford, on a day when everyone should be celebrating, tragedy strikes when a university student is found floating in the river, dead. Probationary WPC Trudy Loveday finds herself paired with coroner Clement Ryder to investigate and it soon becomes clear that this case is not … becomes clear that this case is not going to be easy.
The witnesses all refuse to give a straight answer, each new lead sends them in a new direction and tales of other missing youngsters add further mystery to the investigation.
One thing is certain though, something doesn’t seem quite right about the university’s most popular student….
The Ryder and Loveday Series
Book 1: A FATAL OBSESSION
Book 2: A FATAL MISTAKE
Book 3: A FATAL FLAW
Book 4: A FATAL SECRET
Book 5: A FATAL TRUTH
Readers LOVE Faith Martin’s books:
‘Have become an addict of Faith Martin – love her novels.’
‘Excellent writing by Faith Martin.’
‘If you haven’t yet read Miss Martin you have a treat in store.’
‘Love Faith Martin’s books. Keeps you guessing from start to finish.’
‘I can’t get enough of Faith Martin’s books. Great mystery writer.’
‘Love all Faith Martin books.’
‘I love Faith Martin’s characters. Her plots just keep the reader thinking.’
2: A FATAL MISTAKE
Book 3: A FATAL FLAW
Book 4: A FATAL SECRET
Book 5: A FATAL TRUTH
Readers LOVE Faith Martin’s books:
‘Have become an addict of Faith Martin – love her novels.’
‘Excellent writing by Faith Martin.’
‘If you haven’t yet read Miss Martin you have a treat in store.’
‘Love Faith Martin’s books. Keeps you guessing from start to finish.’
‘I can’t get enough of Faith Martin’s books. Great mystery writer.’
‘Love all Faith Martin books.’
‘I love Faith Martin’s characters. Her plots just keep the reader thinking.’
2: A FATAL MISTAKE
Book 3: A FATAL FLAW
Book 4: A FATAL SECRET
Book 5: A FATAL TRUTH
Readers LOVE Faith Martin’s books:
‘Have become an addict of Faith Martin – love her novels.’
‘Excellent writing by Faith Martin.’
‘If you haven’t yet read Miss Martin you have a treat in store.’
‘Love Faith Martin’s books. Keeps you guessing from start to finish.’
‘I can’t get enough of Faith Martin’s books. Great mystery writer.’
‘Love all Faith Martin books.’
‘I love Faith Martin’s characters. Her plots just keep the reader thinking.’
2: A FATAL MISTAKE
Book 3: A FATAL FLAW
Book 4: A FATAL SECRET
Book 5: A FATAL TRUTH
Readers LOVE Faith Martin’s books:
‘Have become an addict of Faith Martin – love her novels.’
‘Excellent writing by Faith Martin.’
‘If you haven’t yet read Miss Martin you have a treat in store.’
‘Love Faith Martin’s books. Keeps you guessing from start to finish.’
‘I can’t get enough of Faith Martin’s books. Great mystery writer.’
‘Love all Faith Martin books.’
‘I love Faith Martin’s characters. Her plots just keep the reader thinking.’
ong>an addict of Faith Martin – love her novels.’
‘Excellent writing by Faith Martin.’
‘If you haven’t yet read Miss Martin you have a treat in store.’
‘Love Faith Martin’s books. Keeps you guessing from start to finish.’
‘I can’t get enough of Faith Martin’s books. Great mystery writer.’
‘Love all Faith Martin books.’
‘I love Faith Martin’s characters. Her plots just keep the reader thinking.’
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Once I started reading this book I could not put it down. It is a mystery, yet at the same time, it is about once of the first woman police constables in London. A very you lady. It shows the growth she experienced assisted in her growth by a mentor. Truly a good mystery, an easy book to read and all-in-all a book I could not put down. Fortunately my husband is a good cook – I bring that to the table because a couple of evenings he was kind enough to make dinner so I could continue reading.
I love anything she writes !!!!!!!
I prefer mysteries with a police or private detective main. In A Fatal Mistake, I not only get a policewoman, but I also get a coroner who is a former cardiac surgeon and a lawyer.
The setting is Oxford, England, and it’s 1960. Not only are women just breaking into the police force, but they face an uphill battle. The men believe they are only good for clerical work and it’s not until Dr. Ryder, the coroner, requests police assistance in an investigation, that Trudy is allowed to do actual police work.
The older coroner and the young eager policewoman make a good team and they follow what started out being classed as an accidental drowning, to finding the murderer and preventing a second murder.
Good clues throughout, but not so obvious that the murderer and motive stared me in the face, but good enough that I could follow the investigation to its logical conclusion.
This is the second book in the series and now I’m reading the first.
Well written; interesting characters.
A good read, enjoyable. I like this team and look forward to reading more.
I really like this authour. He plots are always good one the characters are interesting. She keeps things moving.
Very much enjoyed all the books by this author!
i like this author
Once again, Coroner Clement Ryder ‘borrows” Probationary WPC Trudy Loveday to help him investigate the drowning of a young man.
There was a collision of sorts among 3 boats full of University students … was he one of the passengers that didn’t make it? Questioning the other young people involved, no one can remember seeing the victim at any time .. but Ryder senses that most of them are lying throw their teeth. The question is .. Why?
Once again, Trudy is at loggerheads with her superior officer. He doesn’t like the idea of a woman wearing a uniform so he keeps her pretty much tied to a desk …. unless the coroner needs her. One of the men that they need to question is the son of a very prominent and wealthy man. Her instructions are to leave him alone … don’t bother him ….
So what does Trudy do?
She may be young, but she’s also fearless and right is right no matter who is involved. She doesn’t believe in double standards where justice is concerned.
This is the third of a most interesting series, but can easily be read as a stand alone. It’s the 60s .. a time before DNA, no smart phones, no data bases to speak of. The detective work consists of a lot of knocking on doors and asking questions …. and then trying to solve the puzzle.
Trudy and Ryder have a unique relationship. He’s old enough to be her father and she looks at him as a mentor. There is so much she can learn from him. He loves to see the sparkle in her eyes when she’s on the hunt .. and hates when he shoots her ideas down. There is much respect, even humor, between them.
Many thanks to the author / HQ Digital / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
So-so book. The characters are only okay, especially the female. Am not likely to read more in the series.