Death by Election

Ackroyd and Thackeray #1

by Patricia Hall

Patricia Hall's much-praised first mystery novel, The Poison Pool (SMP, 1993), prompted Library Journal to say, "This first novel promises good things to come." And now Hall fulfills that promise with the introduction of a winning new character, reporter Laura Ackroyd. A hotly contested parliamentary by-election is raging in Bradfield, Yorkshire, much to the professional delight of newspaper reporter Laura Ackroyd, who knows the town and its politics much better than the self-styled experts hot off the London train. Balancing the job is Laura's relationship with her wry, politically active granny and the return of an old boyfriend from the bright lights of London. Laura's workload gets heavier, though, as she is assigned other news stories to follow, like the police investigation of an unidentified body on the moors, the student campaign to "out" various public figures, and the hints of some dirty dealings in the back rooms of town hall. As Laura diligently peels away the veneer of each story, she discovers a tangle of old and new indiscretions, emotional blackmail, and a disturbing amount of violence. Eventually, her inquiries reveal a common thread tying all these events together, bringing her to the attention of attractive, reserved Inspector Michael Thackeray - and to the attention of the murderer as well.

Genres: Mystery

249 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Patricia Hall is the pen-name of journalist Maureen O'Connor. She was born and brought up in West Yorkshire, which is where she has chosen to set her acclaimed series of novels featuring reporter Laura Ackroyd and DCI Michael Thackeray. She is married, with two grown-up sons, and now lives in Oxford.

Reviews

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good solid mystery, well-drawn characters

[Linda Underwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enlgish mystery. Inspector Thackery and Journalist Ackroyd solve the murders of gay young men during an elections. Enjoy the series.

[Gary Van Cott · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Better than I expected. This first book in this series is similar in many ways to the Ann Granger, Mitchell & Markby mysteries, although the subject matter is more realistic.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: reporter Laura Ackroyd is working a hot by-election in Yorkshire but she also picks up the story of an unidentified body on the moors.