Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder“Never make trouble in the village” is an unspoken law, but it’s a binding law. You may know about your neighbor’s sins and shortcomings, but you must never name them aloud. It’d make trouble, and small societies want to avoid trouble.”When Dr Raymond Ferens moves to a practice at Milham in the Moor in North Devon, he and his wife are … North Devon, he and his wife are enchanted with the beautiful hilltop village lying so close to moor and sky. At first, they see only its charm, but soon they begin to uncover its secrets—envy, hatred, and malice.
Everyone says that Sister Monica, warden of a children’s home, is a saint—but is she? A few months after the Ferens’ arrival her body is found drowned in the mill-race. Chief Inspector Macdonald faces one of his most difficult cases in a village determined not to betray its dark secrets to a stranger.
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MURDER IN THE MILL-RACE by E.C.R. Lorac is part of the British Library Classic Crime fiction and as such represents an excellent example of books written during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. In this novel, Lorac introduces the reader to an English Village by having Dr. Raymond Ferens accept a position there. Dr. Ferens and his wife move to the village, he being glad of a post that allows for a less stressful caseload.
As the Ferens settle in, the reader learns through them that the village, while idyllic when viewed from the outside, has grown somewhat insular. There is a sense that all is not as it should be, although the villagers seem blind to the fact that there is something or perhaps someone rotten among them.
Enter Sister Monica, an honorary title as she is neither particularly religious nor even kind. She does rule the local children’s home with an iron fist, and everyone in the village seems focused on proclaiming what a wonderful person she is. When asked about anything negative, the village answer seems to be that no one “knows anything”. It’s no surprise when Sister Monica is discovered dead, drowned in the mill-race. The villagers are focused on making her death appear an accident, however, the police constable is unsure and reports it to his superiors.
Enter DCI MacDonald and his Sergeant Reeves, to investigate. Detective MacDonald is Lorac’s recurring detective, however this books has no relation to any other book she has written. The entire cast of characters as well as the location are new to MacDonald and Reeves in this book. The result is that the book stands alone and there is no need to have read any other novels by Lorac to become fully acquainted with the pair of detectives.
Through diligent investigation, MacDonald and Reeves unmask the murderer. They explain the case and their investigations to the Ferens and learn that it is much as the doctor had surmised. He, however, told them throughout their investigation that he would gladly tell them the facts as he knew them, however he would not engage in speculation.
Once the murderer is unmasked, the reader is left to imagine how the village will change now that the inhabitants have been forced to see things without the convenience of claiming ignorance. It also remains to be seen if the fresh eyes and attitude of the Ferens will change the village for the better, which are all questions left to the reader to answer.
My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this Advanced Reader Digital Copy of the book which they provided in exchange for an unbiased review.
cosy-mystery, England, small-town, law-enforcement, murder-investigation
Classic is right! Due diligence beats lack of legal evidence and unavailability of forensic technology. I mean, it was written in 1952! The local constabulary know that the clannishness of the villagers will be a real hindrance if they continue to try to work the case, so they call for help from The Yard. Enter MacDonald and Reeves, an exceptionally well matched team of investigators. Follow along as MacDonald leads and Reeves follows unobtrusively to ferret out the truth. Excellent!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you!