Tellised ja surm

Campbell and Carter Mystery #3

by Ann Granger, Lauri Vahtre (Translator)

Kolmandas Jess Campbelli ja Ian Carteri romaanis saab sündmustik alguse põlengust – ühel ööl põleb maha kaua tühjalt seisnud vana maja ning selle riismetest leitakse surnukeha. Majaomanik Gervase Crown viibib välismaal ja peab seoses põlenguga tagasi tulema. Tema saabumine äratab mälestused ühest vanast tragöödiast ning ta võetakse ümbruskonnas vastu üsna vaenulikult. Gervase’i enda mälestused kodumajast pole samuti kuigi õnnelikud ning uurijatel tuleb leida vastus küsimusele, kas ta oli süütaja või hoopis kavandatud ohver. Kui teda oli püütud tappa, kas see tähendab siis, et mõrvar üritab uuesti? Ja kes oli mees, kelle põlenud surnukeha varemetest leiti?

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Audiobook, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Cozy, British Literature

285 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2014

About the author

Ann Granger attended the Northern Grammar School for Girls, and had thoughts about becoming a veterinarian, but discovered women were not accepted into vet schools because they were not believed to be strong enough. Instead she earned a Modern Languages degree at the University of London, where she first developed a desire to become a writer. worked in British embassies in various parts of the world. She met her husband, who was also working for the British Embassy, in Prague and together they received postings to places as far apart as Munich and Lusaka. They had two children.

Her first novels were historical romances published under the nom de plume Ann Hulme.

In 1991, Granger made the decision to switch to crime novels, saying, "Basically, there is only one plot in love stories: You can describe it in different ways, but you always come back to the subject of man and woman. Crime fiction opens up a world of possibilities for the writer. It lets you tackle deep and difficult issues." Her first crime novel, Say it with Poison, centred on the protagonists Meredith Mitchell, a consular clerk, and police officer Alan Markby. The book proved popular and Granger wrote 14 more Mitchell & Markby novels between 1991 and 2004.

Granger also wrote other crime novel series & in 2021, in recognition of thirty years of crime novels, Granger released a collection of eighteen short stories, Mystery in the Making.

On 24 September 2025, her publisher Headline announced that Granger had died at the age of 86

This autobiography was added to with information from Wikipedia & Encyclopedia.com.

Reviews

[Susan in Perthshire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't remember reading any of this author's books before but I liked the look of the cover and the premise! I enjoyed it - but by the time I got to the end, it was a bit ... " is that it?" I found several of the main characters interesting and was keen to find out what happened with them: - Gervase, Kit, Jess and Petra but Carter remained a mystery and I wondered what his role was. Many of the characters were such stereotypical caricatures as to be unbelievable! I mean Alfie and the Solicitor? Poorly developed characters. Also, the introduction of the child Millie was IMHO a mistake. She behaved like a toddler rather than a 10 year old! However I liked it enough to try others of this writer and I am going to look at what others have said - to help me make a choice!

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book, but not as much as Rack, Ruin and Murder. The relationship between the immature Gervase Crown and one of the characters (no spoilers!) just didn't seem believable; however, it remains a four-star read.

[Melanie Peak · Rating 5 out of 5]

first time reading this author and I really loved this book. great storyline and great characters will certainly be reading the other books in this series.

[Karen Keane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent read, a gentle murder mystery, not what I usually read, I like something a bit grittier. I didn't feel a huge amount of chemistry between the two main characters but liked them both well enough. I had second-guessed half way through who the murderer was so that came as no surprise. I would read another in this series if I felt the need for another gentle read.

[Rachael]

I love Ann Granger. My most ardent wish is to have a sherry with her at the pub.

[Chicky Poo · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'ai bien aimé ce tome, j'ai eu plaisir à retrouver Jess et Ian, même si on n'est pas sur un duo d'enquêteur à proprement parler à mon sens. L'enquête est prenante et je me suis laissée avoir par sa résolution. Petit bémol pour les nombreuses fautes (et l'emploi du terme "Inspecteur" pour parler de Jess...)

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the relationship dynamics may have made more sense in context of the series, but overall a decent read.

[Suzy Dominey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't enjoy it as much as others I read in this series. Seemed a bit contrived and hurried towards the end

[ingeburge · Rating 3 out of 5]

commencer une série par le troisième tome, en voilà une bonne idée !! 🤭

une lecture rapide avec une écriture fluide et un mystère intéressant, mais avec un peu trop de longueurs à mon goût (ou peut être que c'est mon manque de patience qui parle...). j'ai trouvé que l'enquête avançait peu et les interrogatoires sont très répétitifs. le duo d'enquêteurs n'est pas souvent ensemble, et partagent au final juste leurs informations. c'est dommage, puisqu'au final j'ai eu l'impression que jess campbell était la seule qui cherchait activement le coupable.
par contre, la psychologie des personnages est très bien développée et je me suis beaucoup attachée à petra🥰

[Rog Harrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have enjoyed many of Ann Granger's books and I enjoyed an earlier book in this series but somehow I found this one a bit unsatisfying. After the murderer had been identified and some loose ends tied this book carried on for a few more chapters exploring the relationships between some of the characters and I could not help feeling that this did not add anything to the story. Still it is an entertaining read up to the capture of the murderer.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this third installment in the Carter and Campbell series. I like how the relationships among the different characters are developing. In this book, when an empty manor house burns down, a body is discovered in the ruins. The long absent owner of the home returns to many questions, and the locals are none too happy he's home. While the ending wasn't too surprising, it made sense.

[Nrr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compelling enough but fizzles out by the end.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mlle Alice, pouvez-vous nous raconter votre rencontre avec Brasier, Héritage et Coup du Sort ?
"J'ai trouvé les deux premières enquêtes interessantes et je ne demande qu'à mieux connaître le duo d'enquêteurs, j'étais donc ravie de pouvoir me plonger à nouveau dans cette série grâce aux éditions 10 18."

Dites-nous en un peu plus sur son histoire...
"Gervase Crown n'est pas le bienvenue dans la région, et il le sait. Depuis l'accident qu'il a causé, il s'est exilé au Portugal. Alors quand sa maison des Cotswolds brûle, on ne peut pas dire que beaucoup la regrette mais un corps est découvert à l'intérieur et les vieilles plaies du passé vont devoir être rouvertes..."

Mais que s'est-il exactement passé entre vous ?
"Il aura fallu attendre sept tomes des enquêtes de Lizzy et Ben Ross, et trois de celles de Campbell et Carter, mais ça y est, Alléluia, enfin ! Ann Granger utilise des personnages secondaires de ses enquêtes précédentes pour lier son histoire. C'est pas trop tôt ! Et ça fait tout la différence. Il ne lui manquait que ça, ce n'est pas faute de l'avoir répété. Cerise sur le gâteau, on rentre un peu plus dans l'intimité de ses deux policiers vedettes. Franchement, c'est comme si elle m'avait entendue ! La seule chose un peu déroutante dans cette lecture, c'est que dans les premières pages j'avais l'impression que beaucoup d'éléments étaient similaires à ceux du tome précédent mais ça a finit par s'estomper. J'aurais également aimé que la police enquête un minimum sur une piste essentielle avant de décider arbitrairement que ce n'était pas la bonne, mais je ne peux pas vous en dire plus sans vous spoiler."

Et comment cela s'est-il fini ?
"Je suis vraiment contente d'avoir tenté la lecture de cette saga, malgré quelques doutes et quelques chroniques mitigées. Je le répète, ce n'est pas un cosy mystery, malgré la couverture et le titre, il s'agit bien d'une série policière, mais d'une série policière réussie."


http://booksaremywonderland.hautetfor...

[Jenn (Jenn’s Bookshelf) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh, this one’s just okay. It was a fairly standard little English mystery that involves the entire town after a rich guy’s inherited house gets burned down and a body is found - and by the end, I was bored at how long drawn out the ending was.
I didn’t really care about the mystery, because it wasn’t attached to anyone important to the plot. There was no emotional connection to the person who was murdered, and… really no one cared.
The cops also were garbage. They were just sat around speculating? When they weren’t trying to find actual evidence? And the one smart one who is supposed to be the MC was bland lol sure she was a professional thinker/snooper, she just gave nothing. No personal attachments, no relationships, I don’t even remember her name and I literally just closed the book. Forgettable.
Also? The one kid featured in here (for no reason other than to give the male detective guy a layer) was supposed to be ten but idk if the author has ever met a ten year old cause homegirl read 4 or 5 years old the entire time. Most ten year olds I’ve met have enough sass to fill a swimming pool and none of the teenage angst to back it up; and also are SMART. They know things, not like this little kid. And aren’t tied up with a teddy all the time, making others talk to him instead of her.

Eh. Boring. Won’t be reading any other books in this series.

[Daniel Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bricks and Mortality by Ann Granger is a crime novel which follows a detective who investigates a murder and subsequent arson in a small Cotswolds village. I had never read a novel by Ann Granger before but when I went to Waterstones and looked for a cheaper book to read I saw the cover art and it caught my eye, the blurb furthered my interest and I decided to purchase the book. I have read the entire book in a few days and I have to admit that there were a few moments when I had to look back as I had gotten confused and I had difficulties following the text.

Upon reaching the end of the novel I just asked myself, 'huh is that it?'. The ending seemed to fall flat and the tension never really was felt by me. I would not re-read this novel but still consider it a decent read and would recommend it to someone if it was on offer but I would not recommend people to buy it when it is full price.

[Mathilde Lbh · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'aime toujours autant retrouver nos policiers pour une nouvelle enquête. Ici une belle propriété à l'abandon qui est incendiée et dans laquelle un corps calciné va être retrouvé.

Jessica Campbell et Ian Carter, accompagné de Phil Morton vont mener l'enquête pour retrouver les criminels.

Le jeune propriétaire, Gervase Crown va revenir du Portugal, pays où il mène maintenant sa vie, il a laissé derrière lui une vie anglaise assez mouvementée. Il va rentrer au pays sans forcément y être bien accueilli.

J'ai bien aimé le fait qu'on retrouve des personnes secondaires des précédents tomes. Par contre on en apprend plus sur eux que sur nos enquêteurs. On a vraiment des informations au compte-gouttes au final sur leurs vies personnelles, c'est assez perturbant.

Pour autant je passe toujours un bon moment, la plume d'Ann Granger est très agréable et j'apprécie toujours la région des Cotswolds où se passe l'histoire.

[Rodica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ehh. 3 stars seems like a fair number for a book that is neither bad, nor exceedingly good. Just a tad boring, that’s all.

We get Jessica Campbell back with another family drama and an old house full of secrets, a village full of gossip, and old skeletons coming out from the closet to haunt us. Seems like a theme at this point. And while the first book had some appropriate darker undertones to nuance it all, the following installments were duller on that aspect. Truth be told, the subject of this review redeemed itself with its ending and character development and atonement, so kudos for that.

Should I continue with the series? There are currently three more books published, and they are readable and easy to go through, but I feel like I’m missing out on better reads out there.

[C.G.Koens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better Than The First Two

When this book started out, I thought, "you've got to be kidding me... ANOTHER broken down, empty house and dysfunctional family?!" But it went uphill from there, and Granger kept me guessing about who did it, right up to the end (I suspected someone else entirely), and there was even a hint of a happy ending. Bringing a little romance into it also make it a little different from the first two books in the series, so even though it ties in with characters we've met previously, I'd still recommend this one before the other two. We've moved from 2 stars to 3. We'll see what book #4 holds...

[Fiona Brodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, took a while to work out who dunnit with the twists and turns

An old house, long left empty, burns to the ground one night and a body is discovered in the ashes.

The owner, Gervase Crown, must return from abroad but he is not made welcome. Memories are long in the countryside and his return sparks recall of an old tragedy. But Gervase's own memories of his family home are not happy ones. Unhappy enough to make him want to destroy it? So, is he the arsonist or was he, perhaps, the intended to be the victim?

If he was meant to be the victim, will the killer try again? If not, who is the dead man in the burnt out ruins?

[Diane Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have not read anything by this author previously, although there seems to be a lot to choose from!!
It was a "nice" read and I even chuckled out loud a couple of times, but it certainly isn't a gripping read, by any means. The big discrepancy is Muriel's dog. It behaves more like a Jack Russell terrier than a Pug. I have NEVER seen a Pug with that much energy, ferocity and all-out exertion as Hamlet seems to possess. [as a dog show/dog sport enthusiast I have seen quite a few of these dogs in my day]

[Emilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ce troisième tome est tout bonnement excellent !

J'ai tout aimé : l'intrigue palpitante, les enquêteurs qu'on apprend à mieux connaître, et surtout les personnages secondaires très soignés. Leur histoire et leur passé sont très intéressants, détaillés et fouillés de telle façon qu'on se sent vraiment concerné par leur histoire. Coup de coeur pour le personnage de Gervase (malgré son prénom atroce) qui est un personnage très riche et nuancé.

Ann Granger signe un excellent roman policier. Cette série devient vraiment meilleure de tome en tome.

Ma chronique détaillée est sur mon blog pour celles et ceux que ça intéresse (sans spoiler !) : https://alivreouvert.net/2021/11/02/b...

[Reggie Billingsworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am well aware that some reviewers felt this just a bit too full of stock characters and a plot that had a peculiar almost incomplete finale etc etc. But for my part...the characters were fine, the concept a decent one with a pace that slowed a bit too obviously until the classic 2/3rds mark but Granger excels in the dialogue which always makes me laugh.
For some: Not gritty enough? Nah. I don't read these at bedtime to get wound up. The world is too much with us anyway, late OR soon.
So Granger helps out.
And Alfie (poor losing sod) and his redoubtable Mum was a hit with me.

[Knit Spirit · Rating 4 out of 5]

L'inspectrice Jess Campbell est appelée sur une nouvelle affaire : une riche demeure a brûlé pendant la nuit et tout semble indiqué que l'incendie est d'origine criminelle. Lorsqu'un corps est retrouvé dans les décombres, cela ne fait plus aucun doute.
Ce fut un plaisir de retrouver l'inspectrice Campbell et son équipe pour de nouvelles aventures. Toujours du suspens mais aussi une trame de fond qui permet de mieux comprendre les différents protagonistes.
En bref : toujours aussi agréable à lire !

[Alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading book 2, (which was amazeballs by the way) I couldn't wait for the next installment of my now favorite CID officers Campbell and Carter. But alas... this one was just okay. Although this one had more interaction between the MC's, the mystery was weak. Even I guessed "whodunit" by 50%. Now that's not to say it was all bad. I've come to expect first class secondary character writing and in that I was not disappointed.

3 stars

[Linda Amos · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a house fire a body is found. The house had been empty for some years but is now destroyed. Who is the dead person? Is there a connection with the owner of the house? A variety of characters from the village are involved but who is the murderer? Carter also has his daughter staying and she has opinions who the murderer is from watching the TV.
I'm not reading these in order but I'm enjoying them just the same.

[Tinker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ann Granger on kirjoittanut useita dekkareita. Bricks and Mortality on kolmas kirja hänen Campell and Carter Mystery -sarjassaan. Se on tyypillinen murha maaseudulla -dekkari. Autiona ollut talo palaa ja sen raunioista löytyy ruumis.

Alkuun kirja näytti todella mielenkiintoiselta, mutta osottautui pettymykseksi. Ikävä kyllä kirja oli jokseenkin hengetön, henkilöt onttoja ja dialogi paikoin kömpelöä.

[Cynthia Grove · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairly light-hearted and enjoyable book. The mystery was okay, not hard to suspect the guilty party. The relationships between characters, and not just regular characters, were delightful. Granger wisely did not tie off all the ends about the characters specific to this story; we shall see if we get glimpses of these characters in later stories.
Read it if you enjoy the gradual working out of relationships.

[annika · Rating 3 out of 5]

ein sehr gemütliches cozy mystery, aber beeindruckt hat es mich nicht. es war insgesamt ein wenig zu lang, in der mitte und vor allem am ende hätte man einiges kürzen können. außerdem waren es so wenige personen/verdächtige, dass ich irgendwie recht bald wusste, wer der mörder ist. aber ich mochte das setting und die ermittler, und der stil war angenehm (auch wenn die deutsche übersetzung teilweise eher... holprig war lol). werde ann grangers bücher für die zukunft definitiv im blick behalten

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of character(s)!

It was a good book. I liked the characters, and the story line. It held my interest throughout even if at times it dragged on a bit. The author did a good enough job that I intend to read another of this series.

I recommend thui for an easy read in a cold dreary day. Be sure to have a nice fire, blanket, Ann's cup of tea (or maybe hot chocolate).

[Kelly Callaghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A body is found in the burnt out remains of a long abandoned house. It is thought that the owner has returned from overseas, the unpopular Gervais Crown. However it turns out to be someone in the wrong place at the wrong time, will the murderer try again? And why is he so unpopular?

Despite the gruesome death, Ann Granger introduces us to a cast of villagers, who would be at home on the BBC.