Bring Forth Your Dead [Large Print] by J. M. Gregson

Lambert and Hook #4

by J.M. Gregson

It was apparent that elderly Edmund Craven had been killed by one of those closest to him in his last months. The conduct of the investigation represents a new challenge for Superintendent Lambert and his never before has he had to investigate a murder perpetrated over a year earlier. Gradually he unearths a network of malice and deceit. Craven's son and daughter, his housekeeper and the American who was his friend all had reason to wish Craven dead.

Genres: Mystery

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

James Michael Gregson taught for twenty-seven years in schools, colleges and universities before concentrating on full-time writing. He has written books on subjects as diverse as golf and Shakespeare.

Reviews

[John Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that this is the fourth of this series that I have read. I have enjoyed the olden days feel of the earlier stories that are certainly in the 'cozy' genre.

This one is a well constructed story and, as I prefer, a small cast of characters that were clearly defined. The murderer had to be one of them.

The Detective Superintendant is called upon to look into a death from over a year ago that had originally been attributed to natural causes.

Was it clever misdirection or just my suspicious mind that had me looking at the wrong party? I don't know but I have to confess that the clues were there.

If you like a book that doesn't take much thinking about then you will enjoy this one - as I have enjoyed previous books in the series.

However, I felt that it was dragging and that I needed a bit more just as there was a dramatic turn of events.

Unfortunately that wasn't enough for me to want to continue further with the series which seemed to have lost much of the earlier verbal sparing of quotations and the pro/anti golf rhetoric between Messrs Lambert and Hook from earlier stories.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first J.M. Gregson I have read but I do not expect it to be the last!

It is an excellent police procedural, with the main characters well drawn (although it was not necessary to remind us quite so often that DS Hook was a Barnardo's boy). At least both coppers are happily married, which seems a rarity in more modern police series. Having read it, I was surprised to find that it was first published in the early 90s; have mobile phones been with us for such s ahort time? I liked the Cotswold setting but was quite glad that so little was said about the town of Oldford that it was not worthwhile trying to identify it.

The book starts by describing an exhumation and our heroes, Lambert and Hook, have the difficult job of solving a crime that took place over a year ago. It is narrowed down to a small circle of suspects quite soon and the murderer, thrown by the police investigation after a year of getting away with it, starts to make mistakes, not the least of which is attacking Superintendent Lambert!

I was a bit disconcerted by the occasional short chapter from the killer's point of view but, in the end, I felt they did add to the story.

[Susan Cantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Author

I just found this author. I am so glad I did. His mysteries are so wonderfully constructed. I also like these books because he gets right down to the problem and his characters are so well developed.
If you love mysteries you will enjoy these books.
.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thirteen months ago Edmund Craven was buried now he is being exhumed. The findings shiw that he was killed by arsenic poisoning over several months. The trail may be cold but Superintendent John Lambert and DS Bert Hook investigate.
An entertaining modern mystery
Originally published in 1991

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edmund Craven's body is exhumed one year after he died. Lambert and Hook and the team try to find the best suspect.

Well-written mystery. Enjoyed it.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not too bad. A bit flat in places and the denouement was a bit of an anticlimax.

[Suellen Cantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of twists and turns....

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now I have read the first four of a series and I may revisit in the future. My memory is so poor these days I cannot give a capsule view of the plot.

Kindle Unlimited

[Damaskcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edmund Craven died apparently of natural causes and he has been dead just over a year before a nurse who looked after him in his last illness is struck with the similarities between his last illness and a known poisoning case she has recently attended. Craven's body is exhumed and it is discovered that he had been poisoned. Now Lambert and Hook must try and piece together what happened to him in the weeks before he died and which of his nearest and dearest were responsible for hastening his death.

This is a well plotted and well written story of family tensions and rivalries. The characters are all well drawn and as suspicion switches from one to the other, the reader soon realises that everyone involved had the motive and the opportunity to administer poison to the dead man. I found this an extremely good read and found myself turning the pages faster as Lambert and Hook tried to work out who was responsible.

This is an excellent series of police procedural novels set in the Gloucester and Hereford area. The police characters are believable and it's good to see them mainly getting on with one another. The series can be read in any order.

[Julia Ibbotson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An fairly enjoyable read although slow going; I was not as engaged with the story as the previous one by J M Gregson, Missing, Presumed Dead. The police characters were not particularly interesting or well defined and the plot was somewhat laboured. Oddly dated in places although it was first published in 1991; it seemed older than that. I had a similar feeling about Missing.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought this particular entry in the series was rather slow going. I didn't care much for the characters, perhaps that's why I skimmed a great portion of the book. Had a lot going on with twists and turns, and a good entry in the series, just not as going as the earlier books.