A rattling of old bones

George Rogers #8

by Jonathan Ross

A mummified corpse is found in a cupboard by a burglar. British Detective Superintendent George Rogers, Jonathan Ross's series detective identifies it as that of Judith Quint, missing for five years, and wife of an old-adversary villain of Rogers and his second-in command Inspector Lingard.

Genres: Mystery, Procedural

187 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1982

About the author

A pseudonym used by John Rossiter

Reviews

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Rattling of Old Bones (1982) by Jonathan Ross is the eight book in this police procedural series starring Detective Superintendent George Rogers. Rogers is a solid and very human policeman who has a knack for brilliant and startling solutions to often baffling crimes. This time out he catches petty thief "Lying Willie" Blore in mid-burgle at a house in his neighborhood. He turns Willie in to the duty officers and heads home...but is called back later that night when Willie reveals that he had spotted something a bit odd on an earlier job.

Willie had broken into the abandoned rectory looking for any knick-knacks with which he could make a few easy bucks. He got more than he bargained for when he jimmied open an old linen closet and found the mummified remains of a woman. Everybody thought that the owner Judith Quint had left town five years ago. It looks like everybody was wrong. Rogers has a difficult case in front of him--he and one of his men had a run-in with Judith's estranged husband in an earlier case which will make it difficult to keep it professional. There were rumors that he had hit his wife. And digging up the past will dig up other painful memories--Judith was a woman who liked men and she had several lovers who might have had a reason to get rid of her as well. She even tried to add two of Britain's finest to her string...including George Rogers.

In addition to all the known men in her life, Judith had also managed to have a falling out with her sister. And there's the gardener who disappeared about the same time she did. And there's a woman who claims to have been Judith's friend, but Rogers thinks there's something a bit off there. There is something a bit off in the investigation...but it will take all of Rogers's brilliance to spot it this time. There's also a bit of disguise/misrepresentation going on that fits well with our Tuesday Night Bloggers theme for October...but I'm going to save that for my TNB post {plus...I don't want to spoil anything for anyone....}

This story shows Rogers at his best. He's struggling with his memories of Judith Quint and trying not to let the past interfere with his investigation. He shows as very human--nearly failing in his detective work because he's been too close to the victim. Jonathan Ross provides a very clever wrap-up. It's a plot twist that has been used before, but it's well done and everyone will spot the trick. Overall, a very satisfying read.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.

[Jazz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps it says more about me than this book, but my patience with it wore thin even though it's only 187 pages. I didn't particularly like any of the characters, including the main investigator, DS George Rogers. Nor could I keep them straight. I'm loathe to give any book one star, but this one pushed my limits. The case posed an interesting mystery but failed to keep my interest. Rogers' written case report at the end which went on for pages to explain his thought process struck me as duller than dirt and could have been written conversationally to give it more life. I hope I'm not being unfair, but I won't be seeking out any more in this series.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Goodness me. Weren't we misogynistic back in the day. Women who liked sex suffered from nymphomania, wife beating was ok.

[Ronald Wilcox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid British police procedural. Enjoyable but not outstanding. The main detective is likable and the way he sums things up at the end was well done. Ross does a good job of personalizing hissing character without creating stock characters in general. Good plot but not memorable overall.