A group of children play. Not far away, in the ditch on the other side of the farmyard, the body of a young woman. The nearby village hides as many secrets as the community at the farm, a disparate group of people looking for an alternative to their previous torturous lives. Their leader, idealistic and benevolent, espouses love and kindness, and somebody’s not following his dictate. The second … following his dictate.
The second death, an old woman, seems unrelated to the first, but is it? Is it part of the tangled web that connects the farm to the village?
The village, Detective Inspector Tremayne and Sergeant Clare Yarwood find out soon enough, is anything but charming and picturesque. It’s a hotbed of intrigue and wrongdoing, and what of the farm and those who live there. None of them can be ruled out, not yet.
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Phillip Strang – DI Tremayne Thriller Bk 8 – The Body in the Ditch – Reviewed 12/23/19 – Read 12/21-22/19
Death, Fraud, Drugs, Sex and Hiding from the world, find Tremayne & Clare searching for a killer or two?
DI Tremayne and Sgt Yarwood are called to a local farm when a body wrapped in plastic was discovered in a nearby ditch. While the pair are trying to secure the area, and begin their investigation, the children continue to play their games nearby, with no apparent concern for the death. This action certainly is not normal, and it bothers both Tremayne and Yarwood. The farm is the retreat that a group is using to go back to nature and trying to avoid their pasts. It is run by a professor that was terminated from teaching, due to inappropriate behavior with a student, which later committed suicide. As the investigation continues, so does the body count. Beginning with the woman that reported the body, she’s found hanging from the rear of the building on the farm, and the publican at his pub. Secrets abound, with the resident town gossip spreading lots of them. The past is catching up with many of the locals and keeping Tremayne and Yarwood hopping from one group to the next.
What did I like? I have read all the DI Tremayne thrillers, and everyone has been such a pleasure. Each one continues to out best the previous with more complicated investigations and unbelievable mixes of trouble for the police. The duo will not let anyone get away with murder and they keep working at it till they find them. I love the special touch with Tremayne’s age and the wonderful relationship that he has with Yarwood. His ongoing battle to continue working and get ahold of his health problems. Plus, his love and devotion to his mate and their mix in the storylines. Also, the protective wings that he has spread over Yarwood, and helping set her up to take his place when the day arrives, and he can no longer continue.
What will you like? Exciting, complicated, and intriguing mystery of so many secrets. Because of all the details that Phillip uses to form his characters, they are absolutely amazing and add so much to the mysteries. He is so adept with his descriptions, that he will have you walking along with the pair as they walk through the small community and fall into the secrets of the townspeople. Every book gets better and better with each one just filled with these amazing backstories. The plot grows with every page and keeps your eyes glued to the pages. I love the feel of the local pubs and the way that they fit into the storylines, but then again, we are talking about the UK, and this is a specialty of the country. Don’t miss adding this eighth book to your library, it is another awesome read.
• Release Date: 12/23/19
• Print Length: 323 pages
• File Size: 1385 KB
• Genre: British Fiction, Noir Crime, British Contemporary Literature
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