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The Felse Investigations #1
Fallen Into the Pit
Best known in America for her brilliantly imagined twelfth-century Benedictine monk/detective, Brother Cadfael, Ellis Peters has also enthralled fans on both sides of the Atlantic with her superbly constructed stories featuring British police detective George Felse. Inspector Felse first appeared in what has since been called a classic of the genre, Fallen Into the Pit. Never before available in the United States, this multilayered, most ingenious whodunit is long-awaited and, as mystery fans will soon discover, well worth waiting for. "Understand me once and for all, fighting is something not to be considered short of a life-and-death matter... It proves nothing. It solves nothing," Chad Wedderburn tells thirteen-year-old Dominic Felse. A classics master who fought with the Resistance, Wedderburn came home to Comerford to teach school. Ironically, when the peace of the little village is shattered by the murder of a former German prisoner of war, it is the peaceful Wedderburn who becomes the primary suspect. Police Sergeant George Felse is deeply disturbed that his son Dominic is the one who discovers the body, and that the boy has begun doggedly pursuing clues in Comerford's isolated countryside. Murder is a deadly business, and the closer young Felse comes to the truth, the more likely he is to become a victim himself. His father knows this all too well, and for the first time in his career his personal life is threatened by his policeman's duties. Now, as George Felse uncovers the skeletons in the closets of Comerford's best citizens, he begins to understand the forces that may drive men or women to desperate acts. But will he deduce enough to forestall another tragedy - or stop a killer with a twisted mind and bloody plans? Rich with the hues of the Shropshire countryside and its vividly drawn character portraits, this irresistibly suspenseful mystery is still further reason to place Ellis Peters alongside Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, and P. D. James as
324 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1951
447 people are currently reading
1610 people want to read
About the author
Ellis Peters
218 books1,124 followersA pseudonym used by Edith Pargeter.
Edith Mary Pargeter, OBE, BEM was a prolific author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her translations of Czech classics; she is probably best known for her murder mysteries, both historical and modern. Born in the village of Horsehay (Shropshire, England), she had Welsh ancestry, and many of her short stories and books (both fictional and non-fictional) were set in Wales and its borderlands.
During World War II, she worked in an administrative role in the Women's Royal Naval Service, and received the British Empire Medal - BEM.
Pargeter wrote under a number of pseudonyms; it was under the name Ellis Peters that she wrote the highly popular series of Brother Cadfael medieval mysteries, many of which were made into films for television.
Edith Mary Pargeter, OBE, BEM was a prolific author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her translations of Czech classics; she is probably best known for her murder mysteries, both historical and modern. Born in the village of Horsehay (Shropshire, England), she had Welsh ancestry, and many of her short stories and books (both fictional and non-fictional) were set in Wales and its borderlands.
During World War II, she worked in an administrative role in the Women's Royal Naval Service, and received the British Empire Medal - BEM.
Pargeter wrote under a number of pseudonyms; it was under the name Ellis Peters that she wrote the highly popular series of Brother Cadfael medieval mysteries, many of which were made into films for television.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
April 7, 2018
Rating: 3.25* of five
Not precisely as expected. The first murder, one which I'd been *panting* after happening since the instant I met the Kraut Eddie Haskell character who is, disappointingly, not boiled in oil after being flayed alive and rolled in finely ground salt, was but the first salvo in war.
The War. Mm, yeah, best to put this into its time and place. England in 1951 was still under rationing. The scars of German bombing were everywhere, and the shift from staunchly capitalist to resolutely socialist government had not yet taken hold. The veterans of the fighting were, then as now, seen off with a wave and a pusillanimous "good luck!" from their erstwhile "superiors."
One of those veterans figures in the book as suspect, as well as one point on a love triangle, and strangely enough the schoolmaster-cum-confidant to the peculiarly prominent son of the nominal sleuth. He's got PTSD, as we'd now call it, after half a decade of being a murder machine in order to survive in the wilds of Croatia. And the second murder, of his love-rival, cements his place in the town's mind as The Killer.
But the sleuths? Not so sure. Neither father nor son Felse is at all convinced of Doolally Veteran Dude's desire to murder either victim. Son goes on an extended...more on this anon...search for physical evidence while Father does...does...um. Yeah.
Anyway, the two Felse men end up on the same track in the end and they discover the real murderer's identity due to the same strangely silent clue. They arrive in the same place at the same time, luckily, and they jointly score one for the forces of Right and Justice. But they do so in very different ways, and we only see Son's PoV! What?!
So this is why I'm not giving the book four or more stars. Policeman Felse is largely Father Felse in this book. He's not absent, he's just in a secondary crime-solving position, and that's not quite as satisfying as one might have imagined it to be when plotting out the book, Mme Pargeter/Peters (deceased). Oh, and that third murder? Not quite so sure it was well handled plot and position-wise.
But it was your first mystery, so I shall be kind and not fling it against the wall with panther-screeches of outraged fury.
Not precisely as expected. The first murder, one which I'd been *panting* after happening since the instant I met the Kraut Eddie Haskell character who is, disappointingly, not boiled in oil after being flayed alive and rolled in finely ground salt, was but the first salvo in war.
The War. Mm, yeah, best to put this into its time and place. England in 1951 was still under rationing. The scars of German bombing were everywhere, and the shift from staunchly capitalist to resolutely socialist government had not yet taken hold. The veterans of the fighting were, then as now, seen off with a wave and a pusillanimous "good luck!" from their erstwhile "superiors."
One of those veterans figures in the book as suspect, as well as one point on a love triangle, and strangely enough the schoolmaster-cum-confidant to the peculiarly prominent son of the nominal sleuth. He's got PTSD, as we'd now call it, after half a decade of being a murder machine in order to survive in the wilds of Croatia. And the second murder, of his love-rival, cements his place in the town's mind as The Killer.
But the sleuths? Not so sure. Neither father nor son Felse is at all convinced of Doolally Veteran Dude's desire to murder either victim. Son goes on an extended...more on this anon...search for physical evidence while Father does...does...um. Yeah.
Anyway, the two Felse men end up on the same track in the end and they discover the real murderer's identity due to the same strangely silent clue. They arrive in the same place at the same time, luckily, and they jointly score one for the forces of Right and Justice. But they do so in very different ways, and we only see Son's PoV! What?!
So this is why I'm not giving the book four or more stars. Policeman Felse is largely Father Felse in this book. He's not absent, he's just in a secondary crime-solving position, and that's not quite as satisfying as one might have imagined it to be when plotting out the book, Mme Pargeter/Peters (deceased). Oh, and that third murder? Not quite so sure it was well handled plot and position-wise.
But it was your first mystery, so I shall be kind and not fling it against the wall with panther-screeches of outraged fury.
August 18, 2016
The surprise pick of the week for me! Why surprised? I am a well-established fan of Edith Pargeter. It's the music of her writing style and her delightful characterisation. If she were a visual artist I'd say she can draw a sketch of a person in a few lines that captures their essence.
Inspector Felse is a much better character than I had expected and though the first few pages seemed to be a bit impenetrable, I persevered. I was rewarded by a delightful little murder mystery that left me wanting more! I have immediately discovered that this is not an easy desire to gratify as the library doesn't have most of the series (a few more as e books) and they are out of print. Off went I to trusty eBay and Abe Books. If you ever can't find what you want I guarantee one of these will fecth you a good, clean, second-hand copy, usually from the US. Do look at all available copies, though, as the postal charges vary wildly and it's often better to pay a little more for the book and a lot less for the postage :P
Inspector Felse is a much better character than I had expected and though the first few pages seemed to be a bit impenetrable, I persevered. I was rewarded by a delightful little murder mystery that left me wanting more! I have immediately discovered that this is not an easy desire to gratify as the library doesn't have most of the series (a few more as e books) and they are out of print. Off went I to trusty eBay and Abe Books. If you ever can't find what you want I guarantee one of these will fecth you a good, clean, second-hand copy, usually from the US. Do look at all available copies, though, as the postal charges vary wildly and it's often better to pay a little more for the book and a lot less for the postage :P
July 18, 2017
Oh no! I have discovered a new (to me) mystery writer, as if I weren't already following enough of them. I blame it on My Big Fat Reading Project. It just keeps getting fatter, but better my project than me!
Ellis Peters is a pseudonym of Edith Pargeter, a British author who is best known for her Chronicles of Brother Cadfael historical mystery series. Both that series and her Inspector Felse series are set in Wales. I don't recall reading any mysteries set in Wales before.
In 1963, the author won the Edgar Award for the second book in the Felse series. Being incapable of starting a series anywhere but at the beginning, I had to read Fallen Into the Pit before I read the Edgar winning Death and the Joyful Woman.
In a Welsh mining town just after WWII, a German ex-POW and ex-Nazi, a cruel coward and anti-semite, was found murdered in an area of deserted mine shafts. No one in the village is particularly sad to be rid of the man, who had never fit in there, but it was after all a murder and had to be solved. Because he was universally disliked, anyone could have been the murderer.
Sergeant George Felse must detect the murderer but since his son, 13-year-old Dominic, found the body, the boy keeps butting in on his father's investigation where he is not welcome. And that is not the only unusual aspect of this book.
It took me a good while to get into the story. Ellis Peters had been writing novels under various names since 1936, so I could not blame my reading difficulty on it being a first novel. I think it was partly the setting, not a familiar one to me except for some King Arthur novels. I also found the quite literary style of Ms Ellis's prose a bit daunting.
Eventually I was hooked and it turned out to be a good mystery. It was hard to figure out who the culprit was, the story was filled with fascinating characters and situations, and except for a slight tendency to fall into the pit of lulls in the action, it provided plenty of increasing tension.
One last unusual thing: that the murder victim was allowed to stay in Great Britain instead of being sent back to Germany once the war was over. Though that oddity fit with the time period and added to the tension in the village, I wonder if such a circumstance is historically accurate. Does anyone know?
I now look forward to the next book in the series, Death and the Joyful Woman. What a title.
Ellis Peters is a pseudonym of Edith Pargeter, a British author who is best known for her Chronicles of Brother Cadfael historical mystery series. Both that series and her Inspector Felse series are set in Wales. I don't recall reading any mysteries set in Wales before.
In 1963, the author won the Edgar Award for the second book in the Felse series. Being incapable of starting a series anywhere but at the beginning, I had to read Fallen Into the Pit before I read the Edgar winning Death and the Joyful Woman.
In a Welsh mining town just after WWII, a German ex-POW and ex-Nazi, a cruel coward and anti-semite, was found murdered in an area of deserted mine shafts. No one in the village is particularly sad to be rid of the man, who had never fit in there, but it was after all a murder and had to be solved. Because he was universally disliked, anyone could have been the murderer.
Sergeant George Felse must detect the murderer but since his son, 13-year-old Dominic, found the body, the boy keeps butting in on his father's investigation where he is not welcome. And that is not the only unusual aspect of this book.
It took me a good while to get into the story. Ellis Peters had been writing novels under various names since 1936, so I could not blame my reading difficulty on it being a first novel. I think it was partly the setting, not a familiar one to me except for some King Arthur novels. I also found the quite literary style of Ms Ellis's prose a bit daunting.
Eventually I was hooked and it turned out to be a good mystery. It was hard to figure out who the culprit was, the story was filled with fascinating characters and situations, and except for a slight tendency to fall into the pit of lulls in the action, it provided plenty of increasing tension.
One last unusual thing: that the murder victim was allowed to stay in Great Britain instead of being sent back to Germany once the war was over. Though that oddity fit with the time period and added to the tension in the village, I wonder if such a circumstance is historically accurate. Does anyone know?
I now look forward to the next book in the series, Death and the Joyful Woman. What a title.
July 6, 2018
After growing up with Agatha Christie's take on the English detective novel, discovering Edith Pargeter's sublime The Heaven Tree as an adult, and finding Brother Cadfael intriguing but failing to make a mark, my book whisperer challenged me to read the Felse Investigations.
And so I arrived here, in the village of Comerford, and found it delightful!
From the get go, Peters writes of the post-WWII trauma. How it shaped England, the people who faught on the home front, the men who fought on the front lines, and the lives lost. She also delves into how this trauma changed the way people saw themselves, and others... and murder. The theme, although dealt with in a different way, different manner and different time, brought The Hunger Games to mind.
As Peters spins this insightful yarn about a mining town in the English midlands, she simultaneously weaves into her work a family. George Felse, inspector, his effervescent wife, Bunty and their precocious son, Dominic. Not only does she reveal who they are, but manages to explain and develop their struggles as Dominic moves from boy-child to man-son, even within the context of the crime. Perhaps because we've launched one son and have two tweening, Peters' development of the family relationships (in a very English way and English context) were particularly brilliant to me. She doesn't take the well trodden path of negating the parents, but rather presents them as fully mature and responsible persons, even as their son operates as a unique individual, and dramatizes the struggles all families face wandering through adolescence.
Everything is so well done: the characters, the plotting, the unraveling of the crime in a manner that drops clues but keeps everyone guessing, wrapping it up with a tip to everclear hindsight.
I'm thrilled to have discovered this series and look forward to reading more. I think it would be enjoyable to everyone, but I would like to say, I'm excited to share it with the young men in my life. In a world full of strong girl characters, Peters respect for the men of her world (both George and Domenic Felse, as well as the supporting cast) stands out, and Dominic, with all his imperfections, remains an enjoyable and inspiring companion.
The Heaven Tree, Edith Pargeter (psst! It's another name for Ellis Peters), 1960
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Hunger Games Trilogy, Collins, 2010
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
There’s more!
Death and the Joyful Woman (Felse #2), Peters, 1961
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And so I arrived here, in the village of Comerford, and found it delightful!
From the get go, Peters writes of the post-WWII trauma. How it shaped England, the people who faught on the home front, the men who fought on the front lines, and the lives lost. She also delves into how this trauma changed the way people saw themselves, and others... and murder. The theme, although dealt with in a different way, different manner and different time, brought The Hunger Games to mind.
As Peters spins this insightful yarn about a mining town in the English midlands, she simultaneously weaves into her work a family. George Felse, inspector, his effervescent wife, Bunty and their precocious son, Dominic. Not only does she reveal who they are, but manages to explain and develop their struggles as Dominic moves from boy-child to man-son, even within the context of the crime. Perhaps because we've launched one son and have two tweening, Peters' development of the family relationships (in a very English way and English context) were particularly brilliant to me. She doesn't take the well trodden path of negating the parents, but rather presents them as fully mature and responsible persons, even as their son operates as a unique individual, and dramatizes the struggles all families face wandering through adolescence.
Everything is so well done: the characters, the plotting, the unraveling of the crime in a manner that drops clues but keeps everyone guessing, wrapping it up with a tip to everclear hindsight.
I'm thrilled to have discovered this series and look forward to reading more. I think it would be enjoyable to everyone, but I would like to say, I'm excited to share it with the young men in my life. In a world full of strong girl characters, Peters respect for the men of her world (both George and Domenic Felse, as well as the supporting cast) stands out, and Dominic, with all his imperfections, remains an enjoyable and inspiring companion.
The Heaven Tree, Edith Pargeter (psst! It's another name for Ellis Peters), 1960
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Hunger Games Trilogy, Collins, 2010
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
There’s more!
Death and the Joyful Woman (Felse #2), Peters, 1961
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
October 10, 2015
Over all I prefer the Brother Cadfael series, just to get that said and put aside. But this series had plenty to offer. Deep themes, good characters, interesting setting, a smart kid who wasn't a smart aleck (American writers take note!). I forgot I was reading Peters sometimes and thought it was a Christie book, altho the lack of wry humor brought me back to reality. And with the kids so deeply involved in the story, the book also had a whiff of Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew.
In fact, it would appeal to kids who don't mind rather sensory-detailed death scenes. Those are in there, to some extent, so my mystery loving daughter decided to wait until she is a little older.
The book is the first in the series for me, and I have yet to decide when I'll pursue further. In the meantime, I'll pick up a Brother Cadfael.
Good beginning to a series, not a cozy read, well done book.
In fact, it would appeal to kids who don't mind rather sensory-detailed death scenes. Those are in there, to some extent, so my mystery loving daughter decided to wait until she is a little older.
The book is the first in the series for me, and I have yet to decide when I'll pursue further. In the meantime, I'll pick up a Brother Cadfael.
Good beginning to a series, not a cozy read, well done book.
September 10, 2012
I'm giving this a 5 (a 4.65) star, because it's so much more than just a mystery. The characters are so deftly written that I can see them clearly, especially the main villain of the piece, the victim himself. Peters draws him without a trace of pity; she shows no mawkish sentimentality about his childhood or empathy for his background. In these days when we've gone so full circle that it's scary to contemplate telling the truth as we see it because of the fear of being labelled as uncaring (or worse!), it's refreshing to see evil described as evil.
May 9, 2018
For my birthday this year, my family bought me a copy of each of the Felse Family Investigations, and I’m reading through them again in order. What a delight!
Reading this masterpiece for probably the fourth time, I’m amazed that Ellis Peters (nom de plume of Edith Pargeter) was seemingly able to create it out of whole cloth. It’s a stunning masterpiece–so hard to believe it was the first of this incredible series. I know that EP had written other good mysteries before this to perfect her craft, but you don’t expect the first in a series to have everything–fascinating characters, unsolvable twisty mystery plot (yet all the clues are there), thoughtful dialogue, hauntingly beautiful English setting–all sprung fully formed like Athena from Zeus’ head.
I wouldn’t want anything changed, and even though I already know what’s going to happen, I can’t wait to read what George, Bunty, and Dominic are going see, say, and do next.
Reading this masterpiece for probably the fourth time, I’m amazed that Ellis Peters (nom de plume of Edith Pargeter) was seemingly able to create it out of whole cloth. It’s a stunning masterpiece–so hard to believe it was the first of this incredible series. I know that EP had written other good mysteries before this to perfect her craft, but you don’t expect the first in a series to have everything–fascinating characters, unsolvable twisty mystery plot (yet all the clues are there), thoughtful dialogue, hauntingly beautiful English setting–all sprung fully formed like Athena from Zeus’ head.
I wouldn’t want anything changed, and even though I already know what’s going to happen, I can’t wait to read what George, Bunty, and Dominic are going see, say, and do next.
October 11, 2011
The first of the George Felse mysteries (my favorite Peters–I’ve never taken to Cadfael). A kind of sad and uneasy story. Beautifully written—I especially like Chad. And, of course, Dominic. Bunty and George don’t get quite as developed as in later books. [June 2010]
August 1, 2022
This mystery's victim is unappealing. Really. All of us would agree with that, so there is a temptation to turn our heads and ignore the murderer. That would be a bad idea; as Ellis Peters observes, murder does not only impact the victim/murderer duo, but all of us. The only way the fabric of society can be straightened out and its trust repaired is to find the murderer and impose some sort of justice, no matter how badly doing so might make us feel: "if only it weren’t for all the people whose lives are being bent out of shape now, I’d pray like anything that nobody’d ever solve it. But it’s the village that’s being murdered, not . (p. 124)
And, maybe this is because Comerford is a small, mid-20th century community, murders do reverberate throughout the community and make all uneasy. We know this in our own communities, but mystery novels often present a murder overlaid on a community, like a free-standing tumor, rather than one with blood vessels intimately woven throughout its body. Murders never reverberate in mysteries; instead, the author often simply presses the delete key. Peters reminds us that one act impacts all.
The people at the heart of the solution of this mystery are the Felse family and Dom's friend Pussy. Dom's parents are smart, competent, and compassionate, but limited by the rules and constraints of adulthood. Thirteen-year-old Dom is the heart of this story. It is his curiosity and empathy that keep him scratching at the problem and thinking about it, even when doing so clearly puts him at risk. Dom is what the best of us wanted to be at 13 – living in the present, intensely curious, and free of the rules that can hog-tie his policeman father.
As always, Ellis is a good observer of people, one who deftly sketches her characters in ways that help us understand something more about them and us.
Her name was Catherine, but it had been shortened to Cat early in her schooldays, and from that had swivelled round into Pussy, by which unexpected and in many ways unsuitable name everyone in Comerford knew her…. But the only kind of cat she recalled was some rangy tigerish tom, treading sleekly across the gardens in long strides with his soft, disdainful feet; not the kind of cat one would call Pussy. Because of its inappropriateness the name stuck; people are like that. (pp. 44-45)
This is the first Felse mystery but the third I've read. Kindle Unlimited has the mysteries bundled, so I will try to work through the remaining books in order. I need the cheerful, smart, and supportive community from these books in my life.
And, maybe this is because Comerford is a small, mid-20th century community, murders do reverberate throughout the community and make all uneasy. We know this in our own communities, but mystery novels often present a murder overlaid on a community, like a free-standing tumor, rather than one with blood vessels intimately woven throughout its body. Murders never reverberate in mysteries; instead, the author often simply presses the delete key. Peters reminds us that one act impacts all.
The people at the heart of the solution of this mystery are the Felse family and Dom's friend Pussy. Dom's parents are smart, competent, and compassionate, but limited by the rules and constraints of adulthood. Thirteen-year-old Dom is the heart of this story. It is his curiosity and empathy that keep him scratching at the problem and thinking about it, even when doing so clearly puts him at risk. Dom is what the best of us wanted to be at 13 – living in the present, intensely curious, and free of the rules that can hog-tie his policeman father.
As always, Ellis is a good observer of people, one who deftly sketches her characters in ways that help us understand something more about them and us.
Her name was Catherine, but it had been shortened to Cat early in her schooldays, and from that had swivelled round into Pussy, by which unexpected and in many ways unsuitable name everyone in Comerford knew her…. But the only kind of cat she recalled was some rangy tigerish tom, treading sleekly across the gardens in long strides with his soft, disdainful feet; not the kind of cat one would call Pussy. Because of its inappropriateness the name stuck; people are like that. (pp. 44-45)
This is the first Felse mystery but the third I've read. Kindle Unlimited has the mysteries bundled, so I will try to work through the remaining books in order. I need the cheerful, smart, and supportive community from these books in my life.
December 17, 2022
I was happy to find this book. Classification is difficult; it’s not exactly a cosy, nor a procedural. The mystery isn’t obscure. It’s more a character study, of a place as much as the inhabitants, a bit like Three Pines. The difference would be the affective strength of the careful restraint around the exquisite language. The characters are left to us the way the solution of the mystery might be in other books. Plus the 13-year-old Poirot denouement. All provided a peace I very much needed right now.
It occurs to me that describing this book is a bit like describing a wine – “overtones of Mockingbird, with grace notes of Magritte.” The restraint is very much encompassed by culture, so some of us may have to reach a bit.
I’ve never written a review about a book here. It’s so personal. I can only recommend the peace it has provided me during this extraordinarily trying period. A nicely flowing river for immersion, with never a false word or gratuitous sentiment.
It occurs to me that describing this book is a bit like describing a wine – “overtones of Mockingbird, with grace notes of Magritte.” The restraint is very much encompassed by culture, so some of us may have to reach a bit.
I’ve never written a review about a book here. It’s so personal. I can only recommend the peace it has provided me during this extraordinarily trying period. A nicely flowing river for immersion, with never a false word or gratuitous sentiment.
November 24, 2019
2.5*
I didn't care for this 1st book in the Felse series as much as the Cadfael books. The writing style is lush but not my kind of thing. Plus I thought the mystery was a bit too predictable. However, I liked Dominic and Pussy so I will try another one.
I didn't care for this 1st book in the Felse series as much as the Cadfael books. The writing style is lush but not my kind of thing. Plus I thought the mystery was a bit too predictable. However, I liked Dominic and Pussy so I will try another one.
May 30, 2016
Peters is an excellent writer and I am delighted to find a new series to read this summer. I am giving it 3 stars because this isn't great literature just a very well-written diversion.
June 8, 2017
Well done! Even better than Cadfael, in my opinion.
July 10, 2025
Sou fã da autora, da série do monge detective Irmão Cadfael e esta série chamou-me à atenção.
Este é o primeiro livro e começou muito descritivo, temi por momentos que fosse ser chato. Mas arrebitou, é mais um policial rural Britânico, passado no pós-segunda guerra mundial. Estou a prever que é uma localidade como Midsummer, há de morrer tanta gente assassinada, que no fim, ficaria despovoada.
Este é o primeiro livro e começou muito descritivo, temi por momentos que fosse ser chato. Mas arrebitou, é mais um policial rural Britânico, passado no pós-segunda guerra mundial. Estou a prever que é uma localidade como Midsummer, há de morrer tanta gente assassinada, que no fim, ficaria despovoada.
April 6, 2019
Before there was Brother Cadfael, there was Inspector Felse.
Ellis Peters is well known for her series of historical mysteries featuring the Welsh monk, Brother Cadfael. She began writing those in the late 1970s, but she honed her skills on an earlier series written between 1951 and 1978, featuring an English detective, George Felse. Anyone who likes Brother Cadfael and is not fixated on the Middle Ages might enjoy the thirteen books in this series, too. Set contemporaneously in the U.K., they were not wriiten as historical novels, but given the span of time since then, one can enjoy them as period pieces, appreciating the window they provide into post-war life in Shropshire along the Welsh border.
In Fallen Into the Pit, the first book in the series, the war is over, but the peace is still fragile, and the Comerford village’s inhabitants are still struggling to come to grips with the changes it wrought, both for those families whose sons/husbands/brothers/fathers never came back, and those whose returning sons are all but unrecognisable. Among those is one Chad Wedderburn, a teacher at the school Felse’s thirteen-year-old son, Dominic, attends. Wedderburn is a hero with an impressive war record, but he confounds the villagers’ expectations by spurning their praise, refusing to join the British Legion, and taking an uncompromising stand rejecting all violence.
Some former prisoners of war are also in Comerford. With their homes in ruins and no jobs to return to, they have stayed and been put to work in the coal mines or as hired hands on nearby farms. Among them is Helmet Schauffler, a young German with an attitude problem. He bullies anyone he can, in one case driving a coal miner to take the first swing, then knifing him. To the local authorities he presents a polite face and avoids harsh penalties by pleading self-defence, blaming problems on his inadequate English and prejudice against Germans. But he has antagonised too many people, and when Dominic stumbles across a body lying half in a stream, George Felse is disturbed but not overly surprised that Schauffler has been murdered.
Wedderburn is one of several suspects, and when another man—Wedderburn’s rival for the town beauty’s affections—is found dead, the villagers’ suspicions focus on him. Dominic refuses to believe his teacher is the murderer, and sets out to prove his own theory, which may only make him victim number three…
I don’t love the Inspector Felse books as much as I love the Brother Cadfael mysteries, but there is still a lot to like in them. By current standards for mystery novels, they tend to start off slow, but the in-depth characterisations and descriptions of life in a village where everyone knows each other—and the toll suspicion takes on their sense of community—are significant contributions to the pleasures of reading this author’s work. Chad Wedderburn is an interesting character, as is Dominic Felse.
In an unusual twist, although George Felse is ostensibly the detective, and he and Dominic come to the same conclusion, it’s Dominic’s reasoning we get to follow in the final act. In some of the other books, the inspector’s wife is the main point of view character.
Be warned, however, that there is racist and anti-Semitic language in this particular book. It fits the character, but could be upsetting to some unprepared readers. There is also one minor character with a really unfortunate name. (A tween girl nicknamed Pussy. Ugh.) Despite those and a few other minor quibbles, I enjoyed this very British mystery.
Audience: adults and late teens. Off-screen violence but no sex. Some offensive language.
This review was first published on This Need to Read.
Ellis Peters is well known for her series of historical mysteries featuring the Welsh monk, Brother Cadfael. She began writing those in the late 1970s, but she honed her skills on an earlier series written between 1951 and 1978, featuring an English detective, George Felse. Anyone who likes Brother Cadfael and is not fixated on the Middle Ages might enjoy the thirteen books in this series, too. Set contemporaneously in the U.K., they were not wriiten as historical novels, but given the span of time since then, one can enjoy them as period pieces, appreciating the window they provide into post-war life in Shropshire along the Welsh border.
In Fallen Into the Pit, the first book in the series, the war is over, but the peace is still fragile, and the Comerford village’s inhabitants are still struggling to come to grips with the changes it wrought, both for those families whose sons/husbands/brothers/fathers never came back, and those whose returning sons are all but unrecognisable. Among those is one Chad Wedderburn, a teacher at the school Felse’s thirteen-year-old son, Dominic, attends. Wedderburn is a hero with an impressive war record, but he confounds the villagers’ expectations by spurning their praise, refusing to join the British Legion, and taking an uncompromising stand rejecting all violence.
Some former prisoners of war are also in Comerford. With their homes in ruins and no jobs to return to, they have stayed and been put to work in the coal mines or as hired hands on nearby farms. Among them is Helmet Schauffler, a young German with an attitude problem. He bullies anyone he can, in one case driving a coal miner to take the first swing, then knifing him. To the local authorities he presents a polite face and avoids harsh penalties by pleading self-defence, blaming problems on his inadequate English and prejudice against Germans. But he has antagonised too many people, and when Dominic stumbles across a body lying half in a stream, George Felse is disturbed but not overly surprised that Schauffler has been murdered.
Wedderburn is one of several suspects, and when another man—Wedderburn’s rival for the town beauty’s affections—is found dead, the villagers’ suspicions focus on him. Dominic refuses to believe his teacher is the murderer, and sets out to prove his own theory, which may only make him victim number three…
I don’t love the Inspector Felse books as much as I love the Brother Cadfael mysteries, but there is still a lot to like in them. By current standards for mystery novels, they tend to start off slow, but the in-depth characterisations and descriptions of life in a village where everyone knows each other—and the toll suspicion takes on their sense of community—are significant contributions to the pleasures of reading this author’s work. Chad Wedderburn is an interesting character, as is Dominic Felse.
In an unusual twist, although George Felse is ostensibly the detective, and he and Dominic come to the same conclusion, it’s Dominic’s reasoning we get to follow in the final act. In some of the other books, the inspector’s wife is the main point of view character.
Be warned, however, that there is racist and anti-Semitic language in this particular book. It fits the character, but could be upsetting to some unprepared readers. There is also one minor character with a really unfortunate name. (A tween girl nicknamed Pussy. Ugh.) Despite those and a few other minor quibbles, I enjoyed this very British mystery.
Audience: adults and late teens. Off-screen violence but no sex. Some offensive language.
This review was first published on This Need to Read.
April 4, 2016
I’ve long admired Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael series. Many years ago I read a few of her modern day mysteries and I recall reading the first and perhaps 5th inspector Felse mysteries. Recently I began rereading the series. This review contains thoughts pertaining to the entire series.
The first book takes place in rural England in 1952 while Felse is still a sergeant. It deals with issues we are still facing today, and if only for the realization of how deep the human struggle runs, is still socially relevant. The aftermath of war, what to do with returning soldiers, how to integrate them into society when the only thing they know is what we’ve taught them - how to be a cog in the machinery of war. It deals with what is today recognized as PTSD although then, as now, it was a stigma to admit the effects of wartime actions on the soul. It deals with what to do with the losers of a war, how to accept and forgive individuals. What to do with the victims and the refugees of war. How to handle our own prejudices and hatreds in the face of such horrendous trauma.
The period after the war in Europe and in Britain was not like that of the United States in the bright boom and bustle of the American economy. Rationing was still in effect through the end of the 40s. Bombed out homes and buildings were yet to be rebuilt. Orphaned evacuees were just coming of age. People were asked to accept German and Italian POWs into the workforce and their homes. Much of England was transitioning from the bucolic rural lifestyle now idealized by film and television programs like Downton Abbey and Hercule Poirot. The reality of daily life at that time, in the aftermath of such a horrific war and in the midst of such vast change is something of which Americans know very little. I feel as though Peters is sorrowful as she records and documents these changes in English life.
This is a very cerebral series in many ways. There is lot of inner dialogue, introspection, and exploration of the thoughts of characters against a wider societal scope. But it is imminently readable. Some of my favorite passages concern George's reflections on the growth and maturation of Dominic against the prospect of his own aging.
The main characters are Police Sergeant George Felse, his wife Bunty, and his precocious son Dominic, who is 13 years old at the start of the first book. There are no red herrings in this, or indeed any, of the stories. Everything matters.
Last read October 15-18, 2011
The first book takes place in rural England in 1952 while Felse is still a sergeant. It deals with issues we are still facing today, and if only for the realization of how deep the human struggle runs, is still socially relevant. The aftermath of war, what to do with returning soldiers, how to integrate them into society when the only thing they know is what we’ve taught them - how to be a cog in the machinery of war. It deals with what is today recognized as PTSD although then, as now, it was a stigma to admit the effects of wartime actions on the soul. It deals with what to do with the losers of a war, how to accept and forgive individuals. What to do with the victims and the refugees of war. How to handle our own prejudices and hatreds in the face of such horrendous trauma.
The period after the war in Europe and in Britain was not like that of the United States in the bright boom and bustle of the American economy. Rationing was still in effect through the end of the 40s. Bombed out homes and buildings were yet to be rebuilt. Orphaned evacuees were just coming of age. People were asked to accept German and Italian POWs into the workforce and their homes. Much of England was transitioning from the bucolic rural lifestyle now idealized by film and television programs like Downton Abbey and Hercule Poirot. The reality of daily life at that time, in the aftermath of such a horrific war and in the midst of such vast change is something of which Americans know very little. I feel as though Peters is sorrowful as she records and documents these changes in English life.
This is a very cerebral series in many ways. There is lot of inner dialogue, introspection, and exploration of the thoughts of characters against a wider societal scope. But it is imminently readable. Some of my favorite passages concern George's reflections on the growth and maturation of Dominic against the prospect of his own aging.
The main characters are Police Sergeant George Felse, his wife Bunty, and his precocious son Dominic, who is 13 years old at the start of the first book. There are no red herrings in this, or indeed any, of the stories. Everything matters.
Last read October 15-18, 2011
November 26, 2016
In case someone doesn't know, the title is from Psalm 57:6: "they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves."
I have read several of Peters' Brother Cadfael mysteries, and this one is just as well plotted and written. She can handle the language without making glaring mistakes, too. However, I found this particular novel unpleasant and a bit overlong. I suppose she needed the length to accomodate all the twists and turns she wanted to throw in, but none of the characters were particularly sympathetic except Felse and Son--which I'm sure was intentional, as well. Dominic Felse as the 13 yr old sleuth smacked more than a little of Nancy Drew or one of the Famous Five, with "Pussy" as his Girl Friday. Yet there wasn't enough of a cosy feel to quite pull that one off; the contrast with the thoroughly unsympathetic cast of other characters was a bit too marked. The adult women, from "Io" and "Bunty" (geh) to Gerd the refugee (those names!) were just markers, a bit surprising in a woman author. The "surprise" ending took a bit too long in coming, and I have to say I had the baddy taped about halfway through the novel. There was also quite a bit of soapboxing interwoven into the tale of the nasty German POW who got his just deserts--and said soapboxing was a tad obvious for what it was.
I may try another of the Felse series, but it is a somewhat disappointing start. I hoped to enjoy it more.
I have read several of Peters' Brother Cadfael mysteries, and this one is just as well plotted and written. She can handle the language without making glaring mistakes, too. However, I found this particular novel unpleasant and a bit overlong. I suppose she needed the length to accomodate all the twists and turns she wanted to throw in, but none of the characters were particularly sympathetic except Felse and Son--which I'm sure was intentional, as well. Dominic Felse as the 13 yr old sleuth smacked more than a little of Nancy Drew or one of the Famous Five, with "Pussy" as his Girl Friday. Yet there wasn't enough of a cosy feel to quite pull that one off; the contrast with the thoroughly unsympathetic cast of other characters was a bit too marked. The adult women, from "Io" and "Bunty" (geh) to Gerd the refugee (those names!) were just markers, a bit surprising in a woman author. The "surprise" ending took a bit too long in coming, and I have to say I had the baddy taped about halfway through the novel. There was also quite a bit of soapboxing interwoven into the tale of the nasty German POW who got his just deserts--and said soapboxing was a tad obvious for what it was.
I may try another of the Felse series, but it is a somewhat disappointing start. I hoped to enjoy it more.
October 23, 2016
I knew about this other series written by Edith Pargeter and never seemed to find a Felse book. When I was in the Large Print section of the library this weekend [since it was the only copy they had of the last Cadfael book I had yet to read (Potter's Field)] there it was! Voila...but just not at all what I expected and not something I could cozy up to. I wonder how successful that series was, but I suppose it would have sold well in UK? I won't search further for any other of the books that feature Sergeant George Felse and his young son Dominic, Post War England, small village of Comerford. A German is murdered. Who but young Dominic finds the body? Perhaps a clip will show this must have been meant for young audience? No, I can't do it. The German was given truly offensive language aimed at a young Jewess. I don't imagine anyone could have liked this book. I recommend leaving it hard to find.
September 10, 2021
Embarking now on the George Felse series by Ellis Peters (and hoping I might also find some of her historical novels written under her real name, Edith Pargeter, on audio). I may have only read the 8th title, House of Green Turf, originally; I'll be able to judge better as I work through the series. This is the first time for me for this title, which features one of my favorite aspects of many mystery series: the detective's family. Here, George's son gets too close to the investigation of two deaths--a German prisoner of war and a well-thought-of community figure. It's a thoughtful mystery with fully realized characters, a strong sense of place (rural England) and time (post WWII), which moves at a leisurely pace and is written in straightforward, polished prose. To quote Emily Melton's review in Booklist, "Peters combines a jolly good mystery with unerring insight into the darker recesses of the human soul." I'll be reading the rest of the series.
August 29, 2017
I'm a longtime fan of Peters' Cadfael mysteries who had run out of Cadfaels, so I decided to try an earlier novel of hers. It took a few pages to get into the diction of the 1950s -- she occasionally employs a turn of phrase that has fallen out of use -- but in the end I thought the book was excellent. Now, the mystery itself ends up being a little bit predictable, especially if you are used to Ellis Peters. The social commentary, on the other hand, was incisive. It was distressing how apposite the book felt over sixty years later: a former Nazi soldier who's really an awful person is murdered in a small English town, and while everyone is glad to be rid of him, the breakdown in order that brought about his death begins to undermine social connections. Strongly recommend reading, if only for a dash of good sense from the 50s.
September 8, 2010
I read maybe five chapters and quit. The subject was too stressful and dark for me. It was about some Germans who were being expatriated to England after WWII. One particular man seemed to be still in sympathy with Hitler. He caused some trouble where he worked and was sent to work on a farm owned by an Englishman and his wife, who was Jewish and German. That's when I decided I really did not want to spend my time reading this book.
I thought that I would try it since I really did like the Brother Cadfael Series by Ms. Peters. I did not like this subject at all. However, it was the first of the series and I always like to start at the beginning. Maybe sometime in the future I will visit it again...maybe starting with No. 2.
I thought that I would try it since I really did like the Brother Cadfael Series by Ms. Peters. I did not like this subject at all. However, it was the first of the series and I always like to start at the beginning. Maybe sometime in the future I will visit it again...maybe starting with No. 2.
January 31, 2018
Somewhat disappointing. The book starts out fine because the author writes so well, however, then came the big mistake IMO. Instead of it being a Sergeant Felse mystery, it is dominated by his 13-year old son, Dominic and his friend, Pussy. (Don't ask me what I think of that nickname.) I really do not like books which rely on the precocious ingenuity of children. It devolves into, 'See the teenager do his stuff,' and has the prerequisite danger for the child. Meh!
The other problem is that I suspected the guilty party early on and the reason for the killing. Hopefully, the series improves in later books, since her Cadfael series is one of my all-time favorites.
The other problem is that I suspected the guilty party early on and the reason for the killing. Hopefully, the series improves in later books, since her Cadfael series is one of my all-time favorites.
July 7, 2016
I enjoyed very much this book set at the beginning of the 50s in rural England, and specifically I loved the writing style which elicited interesting pictures. I did not remember having the same pleasure with E Peters medieval whodunnits, even if I liked them too.
June 26, 2020
Peters likes to bring all her characters on stage, letting you really get to know them, before revealing the snake in her bucolic garden. This can make for slow going at first, but it gives you time to really fall in love with the villagers. This is a stellar example of an English cozy and I look forward to reading more about Inspector George Felse, wife Bunty, son Dominic, and all the people of Comerford.
January 31, 2022
Ellis Peters writes some amazingly crafted sentences that are a delight to listen to. I enjoyed this post WWII police procedural, mostly due to young Dom and his friend, Pussy. I’m sure that I’ve listened to this before, but couldn’t recall much of it so I am counting as a new read.
Extra: Covers some post WWII issues and tensions concerning ex.Nazi soldiers in Britain.
Extra: Covers some post WWII issues and tensions concerning ex.Nazi soldiers in Britain.
July 18, 2025
Glad to have read it; not sure if I will continue the series. Set in rural England after WWII with ex-prisoners of war mixed with other nationalities joining the natives, some returning from the war. Very pleasant detective with a stable family life. He gets help from his 13-year-old son.
Read
April 26, 2020I've read a few of the Inspector Felse books and enjoyed them, and this one was no exception. It features the usual (but not boring!) combination of unpleasant murder victim, a touch of romance, hordes of plausible suspects and entertaining (but not entirely amicable) relationships between the various characters. George Felse is sympathetic, and son Dominic teeters charmingly between childishness and maturity.
The viewpoint is omniscient, freely shifting between characters and their thoughts. I generally find that jarring (either being confused by lack of clarity or annoyed by the author obviously withholding knowledge), but in this case the read was very smooth.
Events appeared a touch contrived, with Dominic happening upon clue after clue, but that didn't dectract from my enjoyment. I did have a pretty good idea of the murder's identity (and a final twist) well in advance of the denoument, but I don't think the clues were belaboured.
If you like well-plotted gentle mysteries, this is well worth reading.
The viewpoint is omniscient, freely shifting between characters and their thoughts. I generally find that jarring (either being confused by lack of clarity or annoyed by the author obviously withholding knowledge), but in this case the read was very smooth.
Events appeared a touch contrived, with Dominic happening upon clue after clue, but that didn't dectract from my enjoyment. I did have a pretty good idea of the murder's identity (and a final twist) well in advance of the denoument, but I don't think the clues were belaboured.
If you like well-plotted gentle mysteries, this is well worth reading.
June 8, 2015
This is the first in the Inspector Felse mysteries by Ellis Peters AKA Edith Pargeter, and having read quite a few of her Brother Cadefal mysteries, I wasn't sure what to expect. And then it seemed to go very slowly at first and I wasn't sure I was going to like it. But its a great story about a small British community slowly healing after World War II. There's a couple of veterans, one of whom is trying to live down the reputation as a killer he got during the war, and a German refugee that soon stirs up trouble and guilt in equal measure. No one likes him and they all suspect that the trouble he gets himself into, he has brought about, but so far, he's been able to claim innocence -- until someone stops him in his tracks.
Inspector Felse has to deal with his first murder and one that no one really wants solved. But it has to be before it tears the town apart with neighbors believing the worst of each other. But there seems to be no clues ... that is until Felse's own son decides to take a hand in the investigation. That's when it gets really interesting and its surprise how father and son think alike and come to the same conclusion, only with different means of bringing the murderer to justice. A real treat!
Inspector Felse has to deal with his first murder and one that no one really wants solved. But it has to be before it tears the town apart with neighbors believing the worst of each other. But there seems to be no clues ... that is until Felse's own son decides to take a hand in the investigation. That's when it gets really interesting and its surprise how father and son think alike and come to the same conclusion, only with different means of bringing the murderer to justice. A real treat!
September 28, 2014
This was a very good book; I really enjoyed it. As this author is very interested in place and the setting here is post WWII, the feel of the book is very different from her Cadfael series, which I also enjoy. This town is a coal mining area and some of those details I didn't understand - but the description of the land that had already been mined and some that might be opened up again was vivid and the mood was clear enough. I did better than I usually do at guessing the ending but that didn't diminish my enjoyment.The larger question of the war's affect on people was fascinating. I look forward to more of the series.
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