A CAPTIVATING HISTORICAL MURDER MYSTERY SET IN VICTORIAN ENGLANDThis is a revised and updated edition of THE MALVERN MURDERS.Before Jack the Ripper terrorized London, Police Inspector Samuel Ravenscroft patrolled the grimy streets of Whitechapel – but he’s no Inspector Abberline.Malvern, 1887. Clever and hard-working, Ravenscroft nonetheless has the worst record in the force. He lets a murderer … record in the force. He lets a murderer escape during a chase and is banished to the spa town of Malvern for a water treatment to cure his asthma.
MURDER FOLLOWS THE INSPECTOR
Ravenscroft accepts a dinner invitation from a new acquaintance, Jabez Pitzer. Before the dinner gong can sound, the maid finds Pitzer slumped over his desk – dead. Ravenscroft sees two glasses on a small side table. One has a powdery residue at the bottom and the faint smell of bitter almonds.
A BODY IN THE LIBRARY
Ravenscroft immediately recognizes the signs – Pitzer has been poisoned. But the local authorities are reluctant to believe there is a murderer in Malvern.
He may be recovering his strength, but Ravenscroft has all his wits intact. He finds himself pulled into the investigation. Hungry to prove himself, Ravenscroft is determined to solve the case. But the bodies mount up. Someone is killing local luminaries.
WHO WILL BE NEXT?
A mysterious woman in black was witnessed speaking to each of the victims. Who is she and why does death seem to follow her? And does a local cartel of businessmen have anything to do with it?
RAVENSCROFT IS OUT OF THE SMOKE BUT MALVERN HAS ITS OWN DEADLY FIRES
THE MALVERN MURDERS is packed with delicious dialogue, sly humour and Victorian atmosphere. Perfect for fans of M.R.C. Kasasian, E.S. Thomson, Oscar De Muriel and Karen Charlton.
MEET THE DETECTIVE
Inspector Samuel Ravenscroft, unmarried and over forty, is a detective in the Whitechapel branch of the Metropolitan Police. Painfully asthmatic, he is often overlooked by his superiors in favour of his pushier colleagues. But Ravenscroft is keen to prove himself and strives to overcome his physical limitations. His tools are forthright questioning, close examination of the evidence and personal intuition. He often finds that the solution to many crimes is buried deep in the past.
With his trusty Bradshaw, Ravenscroft and his colleague Constable Tom Crabb, travel around the Three Counties, overlooked by the Malvern Hills, bringing criminals to justice.
KERRY TOMBS was born near Birmingham, but grew up in various locations in north Worcestershire. After a career teaching in both England and Australia, he moved to Malvern in 1982, where he became a local genealogist, lecturer and bookseller.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT KERRY TOMBS
“I found this story very absorbing and hard to put down.” Berys
“Kerry Tombs knows how to keep your interest until the very end.” Delin
“Another great book in the series. The author kept you guessing the entire time.” Jerry
INSPECTOR RAVENSCROFT DETECTIVE MYSTERIES SERIES
Book 1: The Malvern Murders
Book 2: The Worcester Whisperers
Book 3: The Ledbury Lamplighters
Book 4: The Tewkesbury Tomb
Book 5: The Droitwich Deceivers
Book 6: The Pershore Poisoners
Book 7: The Upton Undertakers
Book 8: The Herefordshire Hangman
Book 9: The Bromsgrove Bookseller
Coming soon
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This was not something that I could read and finish
Enjoyed the book from the very beginning, and immediately purchased the second book in the series when finished reading. I like a good mystery, and it did not disappoint. I definitely recommend the series.
Boring
3.5/5
While this was a good, solid murder(s) mystery, it was more between a pick and a so-so for me.
Taking place in London and Malvern in 1887, Inspector Ravenscroft , stationed in Whitechapel and asthma-prone is sent on a mandatory 2-week trip to Malvern to “take the waters” to improve his health/job performance. While there, he encounters a series of seemingly connected murders of prominent men. He is asked to assist local Constable Crabbe, and the two team up to find the culprit.
This is the beginning of a series, and while I would read further, I did have a couple of issues with this one. It was a bit too long, and imo could have been tightened up a bit. And the writing was a little too formulaic and simplistic. But overall still a decent read.
Looking forward to the next one in the series!
Good mystery, likeable protagonist, historic setting… if these are attributes you enjoy, this book is for you. A good read!
Kept me guessing till the end
Good read. A little slow at points but enjoyable.
Interesting main character in that he is not oh so perfect, but a real person. The mystery was not easy to solve, although I had several theories. I’ll want to read the rest of the series.
It was a decent mystery. Set about the time of the Ripper murders. It starts very similar to a Ripper murder.
I recently finished reading The Malvern Murders, by Terry Tombs. This is the first novel in Terry’s Inspector Ravenscroft Detective Mysteries series. Set during the Victorian period in England, Terry has created an excellent blend of scenery, descriptions, and characters to allow readers a glimpse of what the times were like.
In this novel, Inspector Ravenscroft, despite being a hard-working police officer, has the worst record on the force. He’s sent to the spa town of Malvern in the hopes a water treatment will cure his asthma. Before long, he’s embroiled in a new case when a new acquaintance from Malvern is found dead. Ravenscroft works with local constable Tom Crabb. Bodies begin to pile up with no definitive suspect. To find out how it ends, you’ll have to grab a copy as I don’t like to spoil anyone’s reading pleasure. Suffice to say, there is plenty of intrigue, twists and turns to this story and you’ll stay up late turning the pages. I enjoyed this one so much, I’ve already downloaded the second book in the series.
Wonderful book, looking forward to the next book in the series.
This was a great light read. I’ll be looking for more.
This series is very light reading. The mystery is easily solved and the detective is fairly ineffectual. In the last I read, he sets up a trap for a killer and sits in the dark with his constable. When the killer arrives, he rushes at him and trips over a chair that has been there for hours and his constable is shot. Not a good plot element. He also seems to be regularly unprepared for the confrontations he winds up in. I do recommend this book, but only to fill in between better ones.
Good story – no sex, Yea!
I loved the hero. an asthmatic who cant seem to run hard enough or long enough to catch killers. But he has the brains, logic, and common sense. Great depiction of spa bath treatments.
The Malvern Murders was a bit slow for my liking. The main character I could not really even like, so these books are not for me.
Fun book with good characters and plot. Not quite up to a 5 star rating but I’m glad I read it.
This book is truly in the historical mystery genre. You can learn a lot about the Malvern hills/mountain of the past. Not my cup of tea, but well written with fairly interesting characters.
Nice to read a period mystery in a new setting- not London or a stately home.