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Robert Macdonald #27
Fire in the Thatch
The Second World War is drawing to a close. Nicholas Vaughan, released from the army after an accident, takes refuge in Devon renting a thatched cottage in the beautiful countryside at Mallory Fitzjohn. Vaughan sets to work farming the land, rearing geese and renovating the cottage. Hard work and rural peace seem to make this a happy bachelor life. On a nearby farm lives the bored, flirtatious June St Cyres, an exile from London while her husband is a Japanese POW. June s presence attracts fashionable visitors of dubious character, and threatens to spoil Vaughan's prized seclusion. When Little Thatch is destroyed in a blaze, all Vaughan s work goes up in smoke and Inspector Macdonald is drafted in to uncover a motive for murder.
254 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1946
80 people are currently reading
610 people want to read
About the author
E.C.R. Lorac
74 books177 followersEdith Caroline Rivett (who wrote under the pseudonyms E.C.R. Lorac, Carol Carnac, Carol Rivett, and Mary le Bourne) was a British crime writer. She was born in Hendon, Middlesex (now London). She attended the South Hampstead High School, and the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London.
She was a member of the Detection Club. She was a very prolific writer, having written forty-eight mysteries under her first pen name, and twenty-three under her second. She was an important author of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.
She was a member of the Detection Club. She was a very prolific writer, having written forty-eight mysteries under her first pen name, and twenty-three under her second. She was an important author of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
March 31, 2025
When a blaze destroys Little Thatch and its tenant, Nicholas Vaughn, perishes in the blaze, it is ruled that the cause of death is an accident. But his friend, who recommended the property to Nicholas Vaughn for a lease, is not quite satisfied. Did Vaughn die due to an accidental fire, or was there some foul play? In comes Chief Inspector Robert MacDonald of Scotland Yard to make further inquiries into the matter and to find the real truth behind his death.
Like most of the mysteries in the series, Fire in the Thatch is also a good mystery. The plot, although it looks simple in the beginning, slowly becomes intricate with the appearance of more clues and characters. There is a considerable amount of ambiguity in the clues set out and a deliberate forcing of some red herrings to send the readers off track. The real criminal, as it turned out to be, was given so little prominence throughout the story that apart from few appearances, he was almost made oblique. Only towards the end, when the entangled threads were loosened, could we see the light of him and understand the true nature of his character. I felt this was to be a bit of unfair play. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the mystery and generally thought it to be one of the clever plots in the series. Since the ending was satisfactory, I could somewhat overlook my disappointment with an easy conscience.
As I've always observed, the enjoyment of Lorac's mysteries is not confined to the murder-mystery alone. The setting and the atmosphere also equally contribute to the overall enjoyment of the story. Here, too, Lorac doesn't miss her rhythm and aptly takes us into the beautiful countryside and a farming community in Devonshire. With her vivid description, she craftily transports the readers to the surrounding setting of the mystery. I also liked her neutral descriptions of the characters with whom we are called to be acquainted. It helped to form our own opinion of them without being prejudiced by the author's account.
The Chief Inspector, Robert MacDonald, shines again with his analytical power and his meticulous attention to detail. I've always liked him and his methods of work, and it was unaltered here. Except for a few repetitive inquiries, which my impatient self thought to be unnecessary, I had no complaint against him and was much impressed by his efforts and methods at apprehending the criminal.
Overall, I enjoyed this murder-mystery. It is difficult not to, for Lorac's writing is, as always, so good.
More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/
Like most of the mysteries in the series, Fire in the Thatch is also a good mystery. The plot, although it looks simple in the beginning, slowly becomes intricate with the appearance of more clues and characters. There is a considerable amount of ambiguity in the clues set out and a deliberate forcing of some red herrings to send the readers off track. The real criminal, as it turned out to be, was given so little prominence throughout the story that apart from few appearances, he was almost made oblique. Only towards the end, when the entangled threads were loosened, could we see the light of him and understand the true nature of his character. I felt this was to be a bit of unfair play. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the mystery and generally thought it to be one of the clever plots in the series. Since the ending was satisfactory, I could somewhat overlook my disappointment with an easy conscience.
As I've always observed, the enjoyment of Lorac's mysteries is not confined to the murder-mystery alone. The setting and the atmosphere also equally contribute to the overall enjoyment of the story. Here, too, Lorac doesn't miss her rhythm and aptly takes us into the beautiful countryside and a farming community in Devonshire. With her vivid description, she craftily transports the readers to the surrounding setting of the mystery. I also liked her neutral descriptions of the characters with whom we are called to be acquainted. It helped to form our own opinion of them without being prejudiced by the author's account.
The Chief Inspector, Robert MacDonald, shines again with his analytical power and his meticulous attention to detail. I've always liked him and his methods of work, and it was unaltered here. Except for a few repetitive inquiries, which my impatient self thought to be unnecessary, I had no complaint against him and was much impressed by his efforts and methods at apprehending the criminal.
Overall, I enjoyed this murder-mystery. It is difficult not to, for Lorac's writing is, as always, so good.
More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/
September 7, 2024
I really liked this Golden Age mystery for many reasons- Inspector Macdonald, the Devonshire setting at the end of WWII, the intricate but fair puzzle. Very satisfying.
At the beginning, we meet Nicholas Vaughan invalided out of the Royal Navy, come down to Devon to look at Little Thatch to farm. Although raised in the north of England and educated as an engineer, he wants to buy some land, build a small farm and get married; that’s what he tells Colonel St. Cyres, the landowner leasing Little Thatch. The colonel loves and respects the land and desires a tenant who will do the same - his own son is a POW in Burma, and the colonel has invited his spoiled daughter-in-law and her small son to stay as refugees from London. June is bored in Devon after the excitement and social life of London, and invites some of her friends down - one of whom would like to acquire Little Thatch for development. By the fourth chapter, Vaughan is dead in a house fire, the coroner has spoken, and Macdonald is being called in to make sure there was no foul play.
The conflict between city and rural life is done subtly and well, and the reader has to rethink who might be the obvious bad actors; the war has changed many things, and will continue to do so. Inspector Macdonald is a very likable detective, and I enjoyed working alongside him in Devon. The mystery itself is satisfying and complex - but as in so many cases, rooted in the past life of the victim. When Macdonald wraps up his case in the end for the sympathetic landlord, Col. St. Cyres and his daughter, they are deeply distressed because they’ve lost a friend and neighbor who sincerely loved and nurtured the land they care for, and I was left with the feeling of sadness that someone had died unnecessarily and would be missed. That is a feeling often overlooked in mysteries, and I liked this author all the more for it.
I will definitely read more by this overlooked GA author, and am grateful for the beautiful reissues of her books and others from the era by British Library Crime Classics.
At the beginning, we meet Nicholas Vaughan invalided out of the Royal Navy, come down to Devon to look at Little Thatch to farm. Although raised in the north of England and educated as an engineer, he wants to buy some land, build a small farm and get married; that’s what he tells Colonel St. Cyres, the landowner leasing Little Thatch. The colonel loves and respects the land and desires a tenant who will do the same - his own son is a POW in Burma, and the colonel has invited his spoiled daughter-in-law and her small son to stay as refugees from London. June is bored in Devon after the excitement and social life of London, and invites some of her friends down - one of whom would like to acquire Little Thatch for development. By the fourth chapter, Vaughan is dead in a house fire, the coroner has spoken, and Macdonald is being called in to make sure there was no foul play.
The conflict between city and rural life is done subtly and well, and the reader has to rethink who might be the obvious bad actors; the war has changed many things, and will continue to do so. Inspector Macdonald is a very likable detective, and I enjoyed working alongside him in Devon. The mystery itself is satisfying and complex - but as in so many cases, rooted in the past life of the victim. When Macdonald wraps up his case in the end for the sympathetic landlord, Col. St. Cyres and his daughter, they are deeply distressed because they’ve lost a friend and neighbor who sincerely loved and nurtured the land they care for, and I was left with the feeling of sadness that someone had died unnecessarily and would be missed. That is a feeling often overlooked in mysteries, and I liked this author all the more for it.
I will definitely read more by this overlooked GA author, and am grateful for the beautiful reissues of her books and others from the era by British Library Crime Classics.
September 9, 2024
Such a great buddy read with Jess! We both raced to the finish because we couldn’t wait to find out what happened. I have a soft spot in my heart for Crook o’Lune since it was my first Macdonald mystery but this is a contender for my favorite. The mystery is rather ingenious and Macdonald’s approach to solving it is very clever and satisfying. There are some very likable characters and one character I disliked at first and came to surprisingly like. There was one plot thread that was slightly underdeveloped but this is a minor gripe because it’s very much in the background.
The tough thing about this one is that the murder victim is truly mourned by the other characters and by the reader. A genuine tragedy. I wonder if Lorac made this choice to echo the great loss of life in WWII (this novel is set in 1944) and to be in sympathy with the toll the war was taking even as it was speedily nearing its end. Though that part is sad, the ending is redemptive.
This book in the series has officially made Macdonald my favorite male detective. He is so caring and he sees his job as a way to look out for the vulnerable. There is an intimation early on that Macdonald hasn’t had a full night’s sleep in months because he has been out with the relief efforts for the London Blitz. There is a wonderful 10yo boy named Alf in this story. Alf was evacuated from London in 1940 and he now lives permanently with the couple he was billeted with in Devon. Macdonald treats Alf’s testimony about the fire and murder with just as much dignity as he would if Alf were grownup. You’ve got to love a ‘tec (as Alf calls him!) with such a heart.
The tough thing about this one is that the murder victim is truly mourned by the other characters and by the reader. A genuine tragedy. I wonder if Lorac made this choice to echo the great loss of life in WWII (this novel is set in 1944) and to be in sympathy with the toll the war was taking even as it was speedily nearing its end. Though that part is sad, the ending is redemptive.
This book in the series has officially made Macdonald my favorite male detective. He is so caring and he sees his job as a way to look out for the vulnerable. There is an intimation early on that Macdonald hasn’t had a full night’s sleep in months because he has been out with the relief efforts for the London Blitz. There is a wonderful 10yo boy named Alf in this story. Alf was evacuated from London in 1940 and he now lives permanently with the couple he was billeted with in Devon. Macdonald treats Alf’s testimony about the fire and murder with just as much dignity as he would if Alf were grownup. You’ve got to love a ‘tec (as Alf calls him!) with such a heart.
September 7, 2019
Unfortunately, I had confused E.C.R. Lorac with Freeman Wills Crofts, whose Mystery in the Channel and its two-dimensional Inspector French put me off reading any other novels by him. How I regret that! But I have set things right with Fire in the Thatch.
In this 26th novel in this series, set in 1944, a new, well-liked tenant dies in an unexplained fire in his thatched cottage. Thanks to a high-level pal of the victim, Inspector Robert MacDonald of Scotland Yard’s CID comes to investigate whether the fire was an accidental tragedy or murder. To give away any more would spoil this five-star wonder. I can’t wait to read some more!
For those new to the series, I began two decades into the series, and I was able to do just fine.
In this 26th novel in this series, set in 1944, a new, well-liked tenant dies in an unexplained fire in his thatched cottage. Thanks to a high-level pal of the victim, Inspector Robert MacDonald of Scotland Yard’s CID comes to investigate whether the fire was an accidental tragedy or murder. To give away any more would spoil this five-star wonder. I can’t wait to read some more!
For those new to the series, I began two decades into the series, and I was able to do just fine.
April 25, 2020
Very enjoyable WWII era mystery from a very prolific Golden Age author. I must track down more of her books.
The book had a bit of a rough start for me--clunky prose. But the author soon smoothed out all the kinks and the story moved right along. I must say I was upset with the author over the identity of the murder victim. In my mind I had already pegged someone else as the probable victim; someone a lot less admirable than the person the author chose to kill off!
I liked our Scotland Yard man, Inspector MacDonald. Very thorough, logical, tenacious and a pro at hiding what he was thinking. I also appreciated that the local police were presented as competent, even if local Inspector Bolton lacked MacDonald's analytic flair.
The author clearly loved the Devonshire countryside; the descriptions were lyrical.
A note of warning--Martin Edwards intro includes all sorts of spoilers. It really should have been an Afterword instead.
The book had a bit of a rough start for me--clunky prose. But the author soon smoothed out all the kinks and the story moved right along. I must say I was upset with the author over the identity of the murder victim. In my mind I had already pegged someone else as the probable victim; someone a lot less admirable than the person the author chose to kill off!
I liked our Scotland Yard man, Inspector MacDonald. Very thorough, logical, tenacious and a pro at hiding what he was thinking. I also appreciated that the local police were presented as competent, even if local Inspector Bolton lacked MacDonald's analytic flair.
The author clearly loved the Devonshire countryside; the descriptions were lyrical.
A note of warning--Martin Edwards intro includes all sorts of spoilers. It really should have been an Afterword instead.
July 28, 2018
When the war is over...
The Second World War is drawing to a close when the tenancy of a piece of land complete with thatched cottage falls vacant on the estate of Colonel St Cyres, in Devon. The Colonel is determined the lease shall go to someone who shares his love of the land and who wants to work it productively. However, his daughter-in-law June has different ideas. A Londoner by birth and a party-girl by nature, June is staying with her father-in-law because her husband, the Colonel’s son, is a prisoner of war in Burma. She wants the Colonel to give the cottage to a “friend” of hers, a Mr Gressingham, who would use it as a place to entertain his (and June’s) rather decadent London friends. Fast forward a few months, and Inspector MacDonald of the Yard is on his way to investigate what might have been a case of accidental death, or possibly one of arson and murder...
Lorac wrote many Inspector MacDonald books and apparently this is the 26th in the series. I’ve only read one other of them, Bats in the Belfry, which I loved. It was published in 1937 while this one came out in 1946. What a world of difference in those two years, reflected in the tone of these two books! This one has none of the light humour and romance of the earlier book; the delightful upper-class slang is all gone. Inspector MacDonald is the same painstakingly professional detective, but with a rather more sober attitude to life, befitting a man who has spent the last several years in a bomb-ravaged London with all its attendant horrors.
What has not changed, however, is the excellent quality of the writing and plotting. Transplanting her setting from London to Devon, Lorac gives an entirely convincing picture of rural life with a real understanding of the deep connection the local farmers have with their land. While there is plenty of description of the loveliness of the landscape, she avoids romanticising country life. These are men and women who work hard to produce a livelihood from the soil and from their animals, all the more important over the last few years during war shortages. Although farming was a reserved occupation (i.e., the men were exempted from compulsory military service), Lorac shows that, as in the rest of the country, there was an absence of younger men and few families remained unscarred by the war. Lorac also touches on the subject of the refugees from London who were sent out to the country for safety, welcomed by some and resented by others.
I’m not entirely sure that the plot is fairplay – certainly I got nowhere near the solution and found the actual details of how it all happened rather convoluted. But the story is excellent and, as with all the best crime fiction, is firmly rooted in human nature. I love Inspector MacDonald as a detective – he is a thoughtful and rather kindly man, strictly moral on his own account but with the capacity to make some allowance for moral weakness in others. Here, he is an outsider sent in to the local force as an expert, but he never sets out to prove his own superiority by finding fault with them. Instead he works closely with the locals, in a spirit of comradeship and mutual trust.
The other characters are all equally well drawn. Colonel St Cyres and his daughter are the kind of gentry that make one long for an earlier age, while Gressingham and his buddies make one want to slap the nouveau riche with a wet kipper (if nothing weightier is available). The young man whom St Cyres chooses as the tenant, Nicholas Vaughan, is an ex-military man, invalided out after receiving serious injuries. June, the daughter-in-law, is nicely unlikeable. But the skill of Lorac’s writing is that these characterisations change over time, so that I found my sympathies shifting as I got to know each of them better, some improving on acquaintance, others revealing a darker side than I first suspected.
When reading these rediscovered vintage crime books, I often find myself trying to work out why some authors stay in print while others are forgotten. Sometimes it’s obvious – badly outdated attitudes and levels of snobbery that take away the pleasure for a modern reader, or plots that are firmly fixed on gadgetry or other features that relate solely to a certain time, long gone. But other times, as with Lorac, it beats me. The two books of hers that I’ve read outdo anything by Ngaio Marsh or Margery Allingham in plotting and quality of writing for me, and are far less snobbish and class-ridden than I find Dorothy L Sayers or even PD James. Her concentration on human nature as the foundation of her plotting makes them timeless in the way Agatha Christie’s are. Her observational skills give a real feel for what life was like in a given time and place, and she makes her “common” people as believable and sympathetic as her landowners and professional people. Her books aren’t easy to get hold of at reasonable prices, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed the British Library re-publishes more of them. I’ll be first in the queue if they do!
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
The Second World War is drawing to a close when the tenancy of a piece of land complete with thatched cottage falls vacant on the estate of Colonel St Cyres, in Devon. The Colonel is determined the lease shall go to someone who shares his love of the land and who wants to work it productively. However, his daughter-in-law June has different ideas. A Londoner by birth and a party-girl by nature, June is staying with her father-in-law because her husband, the Colonel’s son, is a prisoner of war in Burma. She wants the Colonel to give the cottage to a “friend” of hers, a Mr Gressingham, who would use it as a place to entertain his (and June’s) rather decadent London friends. Fast forward a few months, and Inspector MacDonald of the Yard is on his way to investigate what might have been a case of accidental death, or possibly one of arson and murder...
Lorac wrote many Inspector MacDonald books and apparently this is the 26th in the series. I’ve only read one other of them, Bats in the Belfry, which I loved. It was published in 1937 while this one came out in 1946. What a world of difference in those two years, reflected in the tone of these two books! This one has none of the light humour and romance of the earlier book; the delightful upper-class slang is all gone. Inspector MacDonald is the same painstakingly professional detective, but with a rather more sober attitude to life, befitting a man who has spent the last several years in a bomb-ravaged London with all its attendant horrors.
What has not changed, however, is the excellent quality of the writing and plotting. Transplanting her setting from London to Devon, Lorac gives an entirely convincing picture of rural life with a real understanding of the deep connection the local farmers have with their land. While there is plenty of description of the loveliness of the landscape, she avoids romanticising country life. These are men and women who work hard to produce a livelihood from the soil and from their animals, all the more important over the last few years during war shortages. Although farming was a reserved occupation (i.e., the men were exempted from compulsory military service), Lorac shows that, as in the rest of the country, there was an absence of younger men and few families remained unscarred by the war. Lorac also touches on the subject of the refugees from London who were sent out to the country for safety, welcomed by some and resented by others.
I’m not entirely sure that the plot is fairplay – certainly I got nowhere near the solution and found the actual details of how it all happened rather convoluted. But the story is excellent and, as with all the best crime fiction, is firmly rooted in human nature. I love Inspector MacDonald as a detective – he is a thoughtful and rather kindly man, strictly moral on his own account but with the capacity to make some allowance for moral weakness in others. Here, he is an outsider sent in to the local force as an expert, but he never sets out to prove his own superiority by finding fault with them. Instead he works closely with the locals, in a spirit of comradeship and mutual trust.
The other characters are all equally well drawn. Colonel St Cyres and his daughter are the kind of gentry that make one long for an earlier age, while Gressingham and his buddies make one want to slap the nouveau riche with a wet kipper (if nothing weightier is available). The young man whom St Cyres chooses as the tenant, Nicholas Vaughan, is an ex-military man, invalided out after receiving serious injuries. June, the daughter-in-law, is nicely unlikeable. But the skill of Lorac’s writing is that these characterisations change over time, so that I found my sympathies shifting as I got to know each of them better, some improving on acquaintance, others revealing a darker side than I first suspected.
When reading these rediscovered vintage crime books, I often find myself trying to work out why some authors stay in print while others are forgotten. Sometimes it’s obvious – badly outdated attitudes and levels of snobbery that take away the pleasure for a modern reader, or plots that are firmly fixed on gadgetry or other features that relate solely to a certain time, long gone. But other times, as with Lorac, it beats me. The two books of hers that I’ve read outdo anything by Ngaio Marsh or Margery Allingham in plotting and quality of writing for me, and are far less snobbish and class-ridden than I find Dorothy L Sayers or even PD James. Her concentration on human nature as the foundation of her plotting makes them timeless in the way Agatha Christie’s are. Her observational skills give a real feel for what life was like in a given time and place, and she makes her “common” people as believable and sympathetic as her landowners and professional people. Her books aren’t easy to get hold of at reasonable prices, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed the British Library re-publishes more of them. I’ll be first in the queue if they do!
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
March 18, 2018
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital galley of this novel.
What a thoroughly enjoyable police procedural this book was with just enough interesting characters to make it difficult to tease out the clues that would help me solve the mystery. Set in 1944 (first published in 1946) there is still enough war activity going on to set the background in historical perspective but having the investigation take place in Devon gave some relief from the true hardships and depravities of major cities. This is a small farming community made up of several small villages and hamlets within walking, or bicycling, distance from each other. Mainly concentrating on the upper classes of the area's society, the farmers and laborers play their part in the story by vouching for the newcomer to the region who is settled in among them. Having a victim who is accepted by all levels of inhabitants gives Nicholas Vaughn a very sympathetic presence in the story and made me even more anxious that the question of accident or murder concerning his death be solved.
The Introduction portion of this novel contains information by Martin Edwards specific to the writing career of the author and a synopsis of this mystery and many of the characters. All of this was information I enjoyed as I settled down to read what turned out to be an absolutely cracking British historical police procedural novel.
What a thoroughly enjoyable police procedural this book was with just enough interesting characters to make it difficult to tease out the clues that would help me solve the mystery. Set in 1944 (first published in 1946) there is still enough war activity going on to set the background in historical perspective but having the investigation take place in Devon gave some relief from the true hardships and depravities of major cities. This is a small farming community made up of several small villages and hamlets within walking, or bicycling, distance from each other. Mainly concentrating on the upper classes of the area's society, the farmers and laborers play their part in the story by vouching for the newcomer to the region who is settled in among them. Having a victim who is accepted by all levels of inhabitants gives Nicholas Vaughn a very sympathetic presence in the story and made me even more anxious that the question of accident or murder concerning his death be solved.
The Introduction portion of this novel contains information by Martin Edwards specific to the writing career of the author and a synopsis of this mystery and many of the characters. All of this was information I enjoyed as I settled down to read what turned out to be an absolutely cracking British historical police procedural novel.
June 30, 2019
In short, Fire in the Thatch is a very entertaining entrant in the British Library Crime Classics series, a traditional Golden-Age novel to brighten a dull weekend. When Little Thatch cottage is destroyed in a fire, killing its new tenant, the reclusive army veteran Nicholas Vaughan, the dogged Chief Inspector Macdonald is drafted in to investigate.
Set in the beautiful countryside of Devon, this is a thoroughly intriguing mystery with interesting, distinctive characters (many of whom are shadowy), and a deep-rooted sense of place. Lorac demonstrates a real appreciation of the farming community’s passion for the landscape and traditional customs. These aspects of the novel are beautifully portrayed. The writing is excellent too, very engaging and precise.
I’ll be keeping an eye out for more books by Lorac, particularly those featuring Macdonald, the rather engaging detective at the heart of Thatch – Lorac’s compelling portrayal of this determined character is one of the book’s many delights.
Set in the beautiful countryside of Devon, this is a thoroughly intriguing mystery with interesting, distinctive characters (many of whom are shadowy), and a deep-rooted sense of place. Lorac demonstrates a real appreciation of the farming community’s passion for the landscape and traditional customs. These aspects of the novel are beautifully portrayed. The writing is excellent too, very engaging and precise.
I’ll be keeping an eye out for more books by Lorac, particularly those featuring Macdonald, the rather engaging detective at the heart of Thatch – Lorac’s compelling portrayal of this determined character is one of the book’s many delights.
December 9, 2025
What a rollar coaster of emotions this book took me on. I had to read it slowly. Five stars all around.
December 3, 2019
The first few chapters build characterisations, mostly through dialogue, giving a good indication of people’s personalities and viewpoints. This approach means the main point of the story is reached with fairly well fleshed out characters, which worked well.
Colonel St Cyres is determined that the tenancy of Little Thatch and its adjoining land should go to someone who loves the country and working the land as much as he does. Little Thatch, part of St Cyres’ estate, has been vacant for a good while and needs renovating, just as the land needs care to bring it back to full productiveness.
St Cyres’ son has been taken prisoner of war and, feeling obligated for his son’s sake, St Cyres has persuaded his daughter-in-law to stay at Manor Thatch with himself and his daughter, Anne. June is a Londoner through and through and finds the country extremely boring. After six months both she and St Cyres have come to dislike the arrangement. June wants her father-in-law to let the cottage to Mr Gressingham, a friend from London, so she could invite people down to liven things up. St Cyres refuses and instead lets the cottage to Nicholas Vaughan, who has been invalided out of the Navy and is looking to work on a smallholding.
A few months after he takes up the tenancy, Nicholas Vaughan’s body is found in the burned out shell of Little Thatch. His death is ruled as an accident but Vaughan’s friend, Commander Wilton, isn’t satisfied with the verdict. Chief Inspector Macdonald from Scotland Yard is tasked with an investigation to try and determine what actually happened. The more he learns about Vaughan the more doubts are raised.
I enjoyed Fire In The Thatch very much. Rural Devon is brought to life as the landscape, the farming community and the country way of life are described in atmospheric and vivid detail. Lorac shows the marked contrast between town and country people in their attitudes and values. The characters are realistic and well formed, developing as the well constructed story progresses, with surprises and disclosures along the way. Chief Inspector Macdonald is diligent in his investigation, gets on well with the locals, and with several potential suspects he has his work cut out. I enjoyed the way he formed his opinions of Vaughan, they are both likeable characters and I was quite sorry Vaughan’s part was so small.
Although there are a good number of books featuring Chief Inspector Macdonald, I don’t get the feeling they need to be read in order. This is the first I’ve read but I still had a good sense of Macdonald’s character—considerate of others, principled and good natured. I’ll be reading more.
Colonel St Cyres is determined that the tenancy of Little Thatch and its adjoining land should go to someone who loves the country and working the land as much as he does. Little Thatch, part of St Cyres’ estate, has been vacant for a good while and needs renovating, just as the land needs care to bring it back to full productiveness.
St Cyres’ son has been taken prisoner of war and, feeling obligated for his son’s sake, St Cyres has persuaded his daughter-in-law to stay at Manor Thatch with himself and his daughter, Anne. June is a Londoner through and through and finds the country extremely boring. After six months both she and St Cyres have come to dislike the arrangement. June wants her father-in-law to let the cottage to Mr Gressingham, a friend from London, so she could invite people down to liven things up. St Cyres refuses and instead lets the cottage to Nicholas Vaughan, who has been invalided out of the Navy and is looking to work on a smallholding.
A few months after he takes up the tenancy, Nicholas Vaughan’s body is found in the burned out shell of Little Thatch. His death is ruled as an accident but Vaughan’s friend, Commander Wilton, isn’t satisfied with the verdict. Chief Inspector Macdonald from Scotland Yard is tasked with an investigation to try and determine what actually happened. The more he learns about Vaughan the more doubts are raised.
I enjoyed Fire In The Thatch very much. Rural Devon is brought to life as the landscape, the farming community and the country way of life are described in atmospheric and vivid detail. Lorac shows the marked contrast between town and country people in their attitudes and values. The characters are realistic and well formed, developing as the well constructed story progresses, with surprises and disclosures along the way. Chief Inspector Macdonald is diligent in his investigation, gets on well with the locals, and with several potential suspects he has his work cut out. I enjoyed the way he formed his opinions of Vaughan, they are both likeable characters and I was quite sorry Vaughan’s part was so small.
Although there are a good number of books featuring Chief Inspector Macdonald, I don’t get the feeling they need to be read in order. This is the first I’ve read but I still had a good sense of Macdonald’s character—considerate of others, principled and good natured. I’ll be reading more.
May 3, 2021
Nicholas Vaughan has been invalided out just as World War II is drawing to a close. The explosion of a jammed naval gun scarred him and ruined his eyesight. Once he has recuperated, he comes to Mallory Fitzjohn in Devon. He's looking to rent a place where he can do a bit of farming, raise some geese, and perhaps do a bit of renovating--if the owner is agreeable.
Colonel St. Cyres is definitely agreeable. His Little Thatch cottage has just come open and he's been looking for a tenant who loves the land as much as he does. His disagreeable daughter-in-law (staying with him and his daughter at Thatch Manor while his son is being held as a prisoner of war) wants him to lease it to a "dear friend" of hers "with pots of money" and the colonel doesn't much want the cottage to go as a rich man's plaything. Luckily Vaughan's request to look the the place over with a view to rental arrived just before June's plea. Once he meets the ex-navy man, he's certain he's found his tenant. Vaughan, in turn, loves the place and decides to take it on a ten-year lease. He wants a free hand to make it into a home and a paying proposition as he has plans to marry "before long."
After several months of tenancy and a lot of hard work, Little Thatch is shaping up to be all that Vaughan would like it to be. Then tragedy strikes one night when the cottage goes up in flames and Vaughn's body is found in the ruins. The coroner's court finds it to be an accidental death, but Vaughan former commander won't have it. He goes straight to Scotland Yard and demands further investigation because he knows that Vaughan would never have been as careless with wiring or with paraffin as the coroner's verdict makes out. His argument carries enough weight that the Yard sends Inspector MacDonald to discover if there's any truth to Wilton's claims.
It doesn't take MacDonald long to discover that Wilton is right. There's every indication that Vaughan was as careful and methodical in his wiring of the cottage and his handling of flammables as his former commander said. And there are other little details in the witnesses' statements that draw MacDonald's attention. The difficulty is to find a motive--there was a great deal of interest in Little Thatch prior to Vaughan's taking up residency. But would someone really kill the tenant and burn the cottage to ground in revenge for being done out of it? The Scotland Yard man decides he needs to answer three questions before he'll find the motive and the killer. Where did Vaughan go the night he died? Why did a man born and bred in the north of England decide to settle down to farm in Devon? And, Why does no one know who the woman is he plans to marry (not even his sister)?
Once again Lorac has grabbed my interest with her characters. Colonel St. Cyres and his daughter Anne are delightful. I wouldn't mind renting a cottage from the Colonel myself--though I don't know that I love the land enough for him to want me as tenant. All of the suspects are well-drawn and given ample space on the page to reveal themselves to us. She also paints a compelling picture of the Devon countryside. I've never been there, but I almost feel as though I have. Within the story, she gives a good look at England as the war comes to an end and town folk begin trying to make inroads into the countryside...looking for places to put up hotels and to be able to get away from London with their friends. The mores and morals of the city folk and their country counter parts are worlds apart and Lorac underlines this with her narrative.
At the beginning, the plot seems fairly straightforward but as MacDonald interviews the witnesses and gathers the evidence, we find a more intricate story developing. There's a matter of timing, coded messages, the three questions to answer, and an alibi or two to break. And a second "accidental" death thrown in as a bonus. MacDonald with his painstaking attention to detail and investigative skills is more than up to the task. Very enjoyable.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
Colonel St. Cyres is definitely agreeable. His Little Thatch cottage has just come open and he's been looking for a tenant who loves the land as much as he does. His disagreeable daughter-in-law (staying with him and his daughter at Thatch Manor while his son is being held as a prisoner of war) wants him to lease it to a "dear friend" of hers "with pots of money" and the colonel doesn't much want the cottage to go as a rich man's plaything. Luckily Vaughan's request to look the the place over with a view to rental arrived just before June's plea. Once he meets the ex-navy man, he's certain he's found his tenant. Vaughan, in turn, loves the place and decides to take it on a ten-year lease. He wants a free hand to make it into a home and a paying proposition as he has plans to marry "before long."
After several months of tenancy and a lot of hard work, Little Thatch is shaping up to be all that Vaughan would like it to be. Then tragedy strikes one night when the cottage goes up in flames and Vaughn's body is found in the ruins. The coroner's court finds it to be an accidental death, but Vaughan former commander won't have it. He goes straight to Scotland Yard and demands further investigation because he knows that Vaughan would never have been as careless with wiring or with paraffin as the coroner's verdict makes out. His argument carries enough weight that the Yard sends Inspector MacDonald to discover if there's any truth to Wilton's claims.
It doesn't take MacDonald long to discover that Wilton is right. There's every indication that Vaughan was as careful and methodical in his wiring of the cottage and his handling of flammables as his former commander said. And there are other little details in the witnesses' statements that draw MacDonald's attention. The difficulty is to find a motive--there was a great deal of interest in Little Thatch prior to Vaughan's taking up residency. But would someone really kill the tenant and burn the cottage to ground in revenge for being done out of it? The Scotland Yard man decides he needs to answer three questions before he'll find the motive and the killer. Where did Vaughan go the night he died? Why did a man born and bred in the north of England decide to settle down to farm in Devon? And, Why does no one know who the woman is he plans to marry (not even his sister)?
Once again Lorac has grabbed my interest with her characters. Colonel St. Cyres and his daughter Anne are delightful. I wouldn't mind renting a cottage from the Colonel myself--though I don't know that I love the land enough for him to want me as tenant. All of the suspects are well-drawn and given ample space on the page to reveal themselves to us. She also paints a compelling picture of the Devon countryside. I've never been there, but I almost feel as though I have. Within the story, she gives a good look at England as the war comes to an end and town folk begin trying to make inroads into the countryside...looking for places to put up hotels and to be able to get away from London with their friends. The mores and morals of the city folk and their country counter parts are worlds apart and Lorac underlines this with her narrative.
At the beginning, the plot seems fairly straightforward but as MacDonald interviews the witnesses and gathers the evidence, we find a more intricate story developing. There's a matter of timing, coded messages, the three questions to answer, and an alibi or two to break. And a second "accidental" death thrown in as a bonus. MacDonald with his painstaking attention to detail and investigative skills is more than up to the task. Very enjoyable.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
July 31, 2019
Murder she wrote. And she wrote well. This was a delight to read. A classic crime procedural with an engaging cast of characters set in the English countryside during the later war years. The victim, a quiet and reserved naval officer recently released from service after suffering some serious wounds in battle, was trying to establish a small farm and restore a thatched cottage. Much of the book is written from the perspective of the CID investigator assigned to the case. He is brilliantly portrayed and his interactions with the various characters under suspicion are a joy to read. The reveal was interesting and satisfying. A thoroughly enjoyable summer time read.
December 2, 2014
This is a cracking good detective story. Very nearly five star.
Nick Vaughan is invalided out of the Navy through injury. He takes the tenancy of a run down Devonshire cottage with a bit of neglected but fertile land and spends months renovating the place and cultivating the land. Although reticent and reserved, he is well liked and respected by his landlord and the neighbouring farming community. When the house is burned down and his body found amongst the wreckage, the inquest returned a verdict of accidental death. His former commanding officer was so convinced that this was not the case that he made noises at Scotland Yard and managed to persuade them to look into the matter further.
Vaughan was from the far north of England. Why was he settling in Devon when he had no connections there? Why did he once say he was going to marry but never reveal to anyone who or when?
The author plays fair and gives plenty of clues and some red herrings. She creates very believable characters and makes Chief Inspector Macdonald a very likeable sleuth. I also especially liked the landlord; Colonel St. Cyres.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended.
Nick Vaughan is invalided out of the Navy through injury. He takes the tenancy of a run down Devonshire cottage with a bit of neglected but fertile land and spends months renovating the place and cultivating the land. Although reticent and reserved, he is well liked and respected by his landlord and the neighbouring farming community. When the house is burned down and his body found amongst the wreckage, the inquest returned a verdict of accidental death. His former commanding officer was so convinced that this was not the case that he made noises at Scotland Yard and managed to persuade them to look into the matter further.
Vaughan was from the far north of England. Why was he settling in Devon when he had no connections there? Why did he once say he was going to marry but never reveal to anyone who or when?
The author plays fair and gives plenty of clues and some red herrings. She creates very believable characters and makes Chief Inspector Macdonald a very likeable sleuth. I also especially liked the landlord; Colonel St. Cyres.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended.
April 17, 2018
Things I liked about this book:
1. The scenery. This is a top drawing point for me, and the rural Devon scenery, thatched cottage, and WWII timeline were perfect for a relaxing read.
2. The characters. They were interesting, varied, and true to life. We weren't allowed to get to know any of them too well as this was a mystery, and I was glad of that—after all, someone's got to die and someone must have done the deed.
3. The mystery. Why yes, the pieces did all fit together in the end!
1. The scenery. This is a top drawing point for me, and the rural Devon scenery, thatched cottage, and WWII timeline were perfect for a relaxing read.
2. The characters. They were interesting, varied, and true to life. We weren't allowed to get to know any of them too well as this was a mystery, and I was glad of that—after all, someone's got to die and someone must have done the deed.
3. The mystery. Why yes, the pieces did all fit together in the end!
June 29, 2018
Fire in the Thatch is set in rural Devon in 1944 and the atmosphere of life in the Devon countryside is highlighted by Lorac’s rich description of the landscape, the traditional ways of farming and the characters. It shows the clear distinctions between the social classes and the tensions between them and the conflicting moral values of the town and country folk. She conveys the sense that change is on the way as the war moves towards its conclusion. The war forms the background to the book – June’s husband is a prisoner of war in Burma, evacuees have been billeted in the countryside and rationing, in particular petrol rationing (which plays an important role in this book) is making life difficult.
The book begins in a leisurely way describing the isolated community of Mallory Fitzjohn and introducing the characters, Colonel St Cyres, his daughter Anne and daughter-in-law June living at Manor Thatch, and Norman Vaughan, a new tenant at Little Thatch, invalided out of the navy with damaged eyesight. Other main characters are Thomas Gressingham, a wealthy stockbroker and a friend of June’s, staying at Hinton Mallory, in the valley below Mallory Fitzjohn, and his friends Howard Brendon, a lawyer interested in buying property and Raymond (Rummy) Radcliffe, a ‘rotund’ speculator.
And then in chapter 5 we learn that Vaughan’s body was found in the burnt-out debris of Little Thatch and Chief Inspector Macdonald of New Scotland Yard has been asked to investigate the case. From that point on the book follows his comprehensive and detailed methods of trying to establish whether his death was accidental and if not what could be the motive for his murder, and if indeed the dead man was Vaughan or someone else. Why had Vaughan, a north country man decided to settle in Devon and who was the woman he had indicated to the St Cyres that he intended to marry?
All of Macdonald’s skills are needed to get to the bottom of this complex mystery which confused me right up until the end of the book. I preferred Bats in the Belfry, but Fire in the Thatch is still an enjoyable book. It’s just that Macdonald’s investigations seemed to drag on a bit too long, and I found it confusing as he described the details of how and when Vaughan had died. But I loved the setting and the characters.
I do hope the British Library will publish more of E C R Lorac’s books – there are plenty to choose from as she wrote forty-eight mysteries under her first pen name, and twenty-three under her second, producing two books a year from 1931 until her death in 1958.
Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for a review copy via NetGalley.
The book begins in a leisurely way describing the isolated community of Mallory Fitzjohn and introducing the characters, Colonel St Cyres, his daughter Anne and daughter-in-law June living at Manor Thatch, and Norman Vaughan, a new tenant at Little Thatch, invalided out of the navy with damaged eyesight. Other main characters are Thomas Gressingham, a wealthy stockbroker and a friend of June’s, staying at Hinton Mallory, in the valley below Mallory Fitzjohn, and his friends Howard Brendon, a lawyer interested in buying property and Raymond (Rummy) Radcliffe, a ‘rotund’ speculator.
And then in chapter 5 we learn that Vaughan’s body was found in the burnt-out debris of Little Thatch and Chief Inspector Macdonald of New Scotland Yard has been asked to investigate the case. From that point on the book follows his comprehensive and detailed methods of trying to establish whether his death was accidental and if not what could be the motive for his murder, and if indeed the dead man was Vaughan or someone else. Why had Vaughan, a north country man decided to settle in Devon and who was the woman he had indicated to the St Cyres that he intended to marry?
All of Macdonald’s skills are needed to get to the bottom of this complex mystery which confused me right up until the end of the book. I preferred Bats in the Belfry, but Fire in the Thatch is still an enjoyable book. It’s just that Macdonald’s investigations seemed to drag on a bit too long, and I found it confusing as he described the details of how and when Vaughan had died. But I loved the setting and the characters.
I do hope the British Library will publish more of E C R Lorac’s books – there are plenty to choose from as she wrote forty-eight mysteries under her first pen name, and twenty-three under her second, producing two books a year from 1931 until her death in 1958.
Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for a review copy via NetGalley.
February 7, 2025
I'm becoming a real fan of this author's works. I especially liked the fact that the detective shows a strong personality early on in this story - he's been more of a blank in other books I've read. And the MC Nicholas Vaughan was very interesting and likable. I did find the story got a bit repetitious in the middle, but some new information comes to light that moved it on well.
My other complaint is the ending. It seems the culprit was singled out by MacDonald because of his appearance, this is a very slight . sigh Still, it was a fun and intriguing mystery that kept me guessing, so with that and the pacing problem I give it 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
My other complaint is the ending. It seems the culprit was singled out by MacDonald because of his appearance, this is a very slight . sigh Still, it was a fun and intriguing mystery that kept me guessing, so with that and the pacing problem I give it 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
July 1, 2024
Those thatched roof cottages may be picturesque, but apparently they're fire traps. Strong beginning to the story with just a so-so ending. Not sure why Lorac, among other Golden Age mystery writers, was forgotten till she was resurrected by the British Library.
June 2, 2022
Classic Lorac whodunnit set in Devon. Great characters and plot, cleverly done.
February 26, 2023
In which the murderer actually does get away with murder, only to overplay his hand the second time.
This reminded me very much of a Midsomer Murders episode, that sort of twisty, meandering plot that only comes together at the last, with a meticulous murderer planning out his crimes in cold, hard detail. There's that sense of implausibility as well, that he could've gotten away with it .
While the motive made sense, I didn't feel like the murderer was completely fleshed out. We didn't really see his motive in action; it was more after the fact, when dots had been connected and other characters eliminated. That was a bit disappointing; at least in the other Lorac novels I've read, the murderer played a more direct part and the reasons behind his actions were obvious.
This book was certainly different, though, in that, at its heart, it was a love story - a second chance romance, one of my favorite tropes ♥ I wonder if this author ever tried her hand at romantic plots?
I've exhausted my library system's physical copies of this series, but hope springs eternal I might find an electronic resource. I could very easily glom this series, especially as a contrast to the turgid, depressing, and seemingly interminable Shardlake series.
This reminded me very much of a Midsomer Murders episode, that sort of twisty, meandering plot that only comes together at the last, with a meticulous murderer planning out his crimes in cold, hard detail. There's that sense of implausibility as well, that he could've gotten away with it .
While the motive made sense, I didn't feel like the murderer was completely fleshed out. We didn't really see his motive in action; it was more after the fact, when dots had been connected and other characters eliminated. That was a bit disappointing; at least in the other Lorac novels I've read, the murderer played a more direct part and the reasons behind his actions were obvious.
This book was certainly different, though, in that, at its heart, it was a love story - a second chance romance, one of my favorite tropes ♥ I wonder if this author ever tried her hand at romantic plots?
I've exhausted my library system's physical copies of this series, but hope springs eternal I might find an electronic resource. I could very easily glom this series, especially as a contrast to the turgid, depressing, and seemingly interminable Shardlake series.
February 21, 2018
Fire in the Thatch, set in during WW2 and first published in 1946, could have been two novels. The descriptive passages about the Devon countryside, architecture and people seemed curiously separate from the investigation of a suspicious death in a house fire.
I wanted to know more about the characters and their environment, rural problems in wartime and the clashes caused by evacuation from the big cities than was given in the opening chapters and I also wanted a better mystery for Chief Inspector Macdonald.
There were plenty of potentially interesting characters none of whom we got to know particularly well.The culprit was relatively easy to spot , the puzzle was fairly simple, and the solution somewhat abrupt as well as overly “timetabled”.There were some chapters which seemed wholly unnecessary to the forwarding of the plot.
All the same, this was very readable but I enjoyed ‘Bats in the Belfry” much more.
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advance digital review copy.
I wanted to know more about the characters and their environment, rural problems in wartime and the clashes caused by evacuation from the big cities than was given in the opening chapters and I also wanted a better mystery for Chief Inspector Macdonald.
There were plenty of potentially interesting characters none of whom we got to know particularly well.The culprit was relatively easy to spot , the puzzle was fairly simple, and the solution somewhat abrupt as well as overly “timetabled”.There were some chapters which seemed wholly unnecessary to the forwarding of the plot.
All the same, this was very readable but I enjoyed ‘Bats in the Belfry” much more.
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advance digital review copy.
April 7, 2018
This clever mystery featuring Detective Inspector MacDonald sends him to a rural Devon community where Nicholas Vaughan, a very private man, burned in the home he leased. At first glance, it appears to be an accidental fire, but things don't add up in the death of the meticulous and well-liked man. A man who tried to lease or purchase the same property, known as "Little Thatch," questions the man's identity. MacDonald finds the missing pieces, leading to the murderer's motive and identity. This installment is one of the better reads in the British Library Crime Classics series. I received an electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.
November 7, 2019
Inspector MacDonald is sent to Devon just as World War II is winding down to find if a young farmer, new to the area, died accidentally or was murdered. This is on the jacket, so it's not a spoiler. Unfortunately, although there are other relatable characters, Nicholas Vaughn was the most sympathetic one, and of course, he's dead. But there seems to be no motive for killing Vaughn. While I saw the climax coming, I was disappointed with how some apparently major characters disappeared from the last half of the book. (I also would have liked a map of the area.)
March 28, 2019
Oh nooo. I generally don't mind when someone is murdered (or murdering) in a book, but not only is this about the death of a thoroughly decent man, it also leads to the arson of the cottage he's rebuilding with his own hands where he painted the rooms honey and cream and scraped the wooden beams clean and has a big marmalade cat and who could hurt a cottage like that?!
January 25, 2023
Discounted | Good mystery, but made me sad | All the good people trying to do good things are hurt, from the victim to the people he cared about. The selfish, arrogant, and murderous people either have no repercussions or a quick end. Lots of interesting War details, as a bonus to the read.
March 21, 2018
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December 23, 2021
I love reading mysteries written in the style of the Golden era but somehow, not all books written during/around that period have interested me equally. I enjoy Christie and also a few by Tey and Heyer but i was never so delighted as i was to discover ECR Lorac's books.
Admittedly, this is the first book by her that i read and it comes closest to the kind of writing i enjoy. Fire in the Thatch is a novel featuring Lorac's detective MacDonald of the Scotland Yard. The book is set in the countryside where a reticent man named Nicholas Vaughan takes tenancy of Little Thatch. He developes the place well and seems to be getting on well with the locals. But within a few months, the cottage is burnt and so is the man. Initially it is treated as an accident but when a stink is raised about the verdict by Vaughan's friend, Macdonald revisits the case.
The novel has charming yet realistic descriptions of the countryside as well as the country life. It is set in the period after the war and the impact of the war is seen reflected throughout the book. The tussle between the people of the country and the cities is also reflected in the form of city bred people who are trying to settle in the country. I liked her writing style and i am definitely going to read more books by her.
Admittedly, this is the first book by her that i read and it comes closest to the kind of writing i enjoy. Fire in the Thatch is a novel featuring Lorac's detective MacDonald of the Scotland Yard. The book is set in the countryside where a reticent man named Nicholas Vaughan takes tenancy of Little Thatch. He developes the place well and seems to be getting on well with the locals. But within a few months, the cottage is burnt and so is the man. Initially it is treated as an accident but when a stink is raised about the verdict by Vaughan's friend, Macdonald revisits the case.
The novel has charming yet realistic descriptions of the countryside as well as the country life. It is set in the period after the war and the impact of the war is seen reflected throughout the book. The tussle between the people of the country and the cities is also reflected in the form of city bred people who are trying to settle in the country. I liked her writing style and i am definitely going to read more books by her.
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December 19, 2023When I'm reading a series like this, I often don't read the blurbs beforehand, and so didn't know who was going to die in this story.
Probably the best of the Loracs so far, and also interesting for a lot of understatement, particularly around Anne's reactions.
Probably the best of the Loracs so far, and also interesting for a lot of understatement, particularly around Anne's reactions.
February 5, 2025
Another enjoyable Macdonald mystery from Lorac, set in Devon but with sneaky references to the north country that Lorac really seems to have loved. The story took a sharp turn a couple chapters in, and that caught me by surprise: I was building up a match in my head that turned out to be wildly misguided. I was annoyed by this, but got over it (mostly). I liked that part of Macdonald's investigation was just proving there even WAS a murder. As usual with Lorac, the detection element is very meticulous and would perhaps be dull if it weren't for the fact that somehow her characters and settings are so enjoyable. I guess they aren't all that complex, and I did figure out a major element of this one's solution. But that doesn't keep me from enjoying them a lot.
May 27, 2018
Nicholas Vaughan on being injured takes refuge in Devon by leasing a property called Little Thatch. But in this quite corner of Devon death comes along bringing with it Detective Inspector MacDonald of Scotland Yard.
An enjoyable police procedural story with enough interesting characters to keep the story flowing
A NetGalley Book
An enjoyable police procedural story with enough interesting characters to keep the story flowing
A NetGalley Book
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