The Death Chamber

The Detective's Daughter #6

by Lesley Thomson

Queen's Jubilee, 1977: Cassie Baker sees her boyfriend kissing another girl at the village disco. Upset, she heads home alone and is never seen again. Millennium Eve, 1999: DCI Paul Mercer finds Cassie's remains in a field. Now he must prove the man who led him there is guilty. When Mercer's daughter asks Stella Darnell for help solving the murder, Stella see echoes of herself. Another detective's daughter. With her sidekick sleuth, Jack, Stella moves to Winchcombe, where DCI Mercer and his prime suspect have been playing cat and mouse for the past 18 years.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Audiobook

448 pages, Paperback

First published April 5, 2018

About the author

Lesley Thomson was born in 1958 and grew up in London. She went to Holland Park Comprehensive and the Universities of Brighton and Sussex. Her novel A Kind of Vanishing won The People's Book Prize in 2010. Lesley combines writing with teaching creative writing. She lives in Lewes with her partner.

Reviews

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sixth in this series featuring reticent Stella Darnell, running a cleaning company, Clean Slate, who has established a part time career as a private detective since she solved the mystery of her father's, a policeman, death. Underground train driver Jack Harmon, offbeat and intuitive, the complete opposite of Stella, is her partner in this side of her business. The pair find themselves moving to Winchcombe in Gloucestershire to look into the death of 2 young women who disappeared in two different time periods. In 1977, Cassie Baker heads home after a village disco only to never be seen again, assumed to have escaped to London. In 1999, DCI Paul Mercer is led to Cassie's remains by Charlie Brice, a suspect behind the disappearance of Bryony Motson, a banker's daughter. Mercer has always been convinced that Charlie murdered both women, despite the conviction of another man for Cassie's murder. For the last 18 years, despite being forced out of the police force for not following procedures, Mercer has relentlessly pursued Brice, but without success, he is now dying.

Lisa Mercer is Paul Mercer's daughter, and whilst she is less than happy with her father, she persuades Stella to take the case. Jack is over the moon, he has the opportunity to spend time with Stella who he loves unconditionally, and he waxes lyrical about the romance behind having a client who is a detective's daughter, just like Stella. Jack's past relationship with illustrator Bella has repercussions in the present as Bella informs he is about to become a father to twins, but she is unwilling to let him get involved in their lives. Lonely journalist, Lucie May, is on the hunt for her exclusive and sees the advantages of working with Stella and Jack to achieve her aims. Stella and Jack are staying at The Crow's Nest, a ruin of a house, with no facilities such as electricity or wifi. Sinister events suggest that there are forces who want them to leave, such as the odd constant movements of a weird scarecrow, dead crows left in the house and drones observing their activities. Lucie joins them camping out in the house with her talkative bird, Endora. The case turns out to be a complex sprawling affair, with a brazen and confident Brice residing openly under the shadow of suspicions cast on his character. Is he guilty or is someone else behind the heinous acts? And what exactly is Jackie and Barry's involvement, if any?

This is a great addition to the series, streaked throughout with plenty of humour and comic touches, particularly with Endora repeating anything she hears. Stella's approach to her murder cases follows the lore of her cleaning manuel, to tackle them stain by stain. It is hardly a surprise that her expertise in her cleaning profession infuses the descriptions of places and the odours of cleaning products. Stella and Jack are an odd couple who happen to complement each other's characters and abilities, both covertly drawn to each other, but hesitant about breaking cover over their feelings for each other. What I like is how the author has built a host of characters that feel so familiar but who still have the capacity to surprise such as Jackie and Barry. An absorbing and entertaining crime series. Many thanks to Head of Zeus for an ARC.

[Shirley Revill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I probably chose the wrong medium with an audiobook for this story. I found it very difficult to follow with so much going on in the story especially in the final chapters. The book does have some really good ratings so I will probably try to read the book in the future. Just wasn't for me this time.

[Ceecee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating 2.5 stars.

I really enjoyed first 4 in the detective’s daughter series but was very disappointed with the last one and I’m sorry to say felt the same about number 6. I still like the main characters of Stella and Jack and even Stanley the dog has a likeable personality ! The premise of the story was good - they take on a cold case of one murder in 1977 and a disappearance/murder in 1999 in Winchcombe in the Cotswolds. Sadly, the telling of the story was stilted, long winded and somewhat repetitive. There should have been a sense of menace in the events and enquiry but it just felt rather silly. Some of the dialogue was rather ridiculous and the plotting felt convoluted, over worked, complicated and a bit of a stretch. I think the series has sadly lost its fizz and I’m not sure I’ll read any more which makes me a bit sad as I feel like I’m saying goodbye to old friends!

[Bruce Hatton · Rating 5 out of 5]

For this, the sixth novel in the series, the action shifts from the usual environs of west London to the picturesque Cotswold village of Winchcombe, just east of Cheltenham. Stella Darnell and her partner in crime solving, Tube driver Jack Harmon are requested by care home proprietor Lisa Mercer to solve the murder of Cassie Baker in 1977 and possible murder of Bryony Motson in 1999. Like Stella, Lisa is a detective’s daughter and her father Paul has, for a long while, been obsessed with both cases. Although estate agent Matthew Craven was convicted of Cassie’s murder, Paul Mercer is convinced that local taxi driver Charlie Brice murdered both Cassie and Bryony.
Although it soon becomes obvious there is little love lost between, Lisa and her father, as he is dying she agrees to let Stella and Jack take on the case. As in the previous novels in the series, there soon emerge many complexities and the list of suspects grows ever longer. It would appear that virtually everyone involved in this case has a secret to hide. Not least, Stella’s trusty office manager Jackie Makepeace, her husband Graham and brother-in-law Barry.
Much of the mystery revolves around a neolithic burial barrow called Belas Knap just south of Winchcombe and, fittingly, this is where the thrilling finale occurs. Despite the intense action and plotting, in some ways this is a novel which doesn’t take itself too seriously, as there are plenty of light-hearted episodes featuring Stella’s poodle Stanley, as well as journalist Lucie May and her budgerigar Endora.

[Helle Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried and tried but I am now halfway through and I just can’t get into this book. It might be because this is not the first in a series but when you have Jack, Jackie, Bella and Stella it all just runs together. I could force myself to finish but I just don’t care. Thanks to #NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

[Ungupta McGuanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found this book very confusing.
Over 35 characters to remember before chapter 7, including a dog. Perhaps it was because it was part of a series (which wasn't mentioned on the jacket or I wouldn't have bought it!).
Was supposed to be bedtime reading but I just spent my evenings scribbling down a who's who of the characters.
Tiresome.

[Prof Thomas D Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring

Probably the most boring detective story I've ever struggled through. Far too complicated, with characters that are so improbable as to be non-existent in reality. Quite the worst ever.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sixth book in the series featuring Stella Darnell, who is part cleaner and part private detective. I admit that although I have read a couple of books in the series, I haven’t read them all. Big oops. Going by how much I enjoyed reading ‘The Death Chamber’, reading the rest of the series has to be one of my top priorities. I really enjoyed reading ‘The Death Chamber’ but more about that in a bit.
Stella Darnell really is one of those characters that I instantly warmed to. She has a cleaning company and she sees her main role as that of cleaner. However, Stella also has a part time business as a private detective. Stella successfully solved the murder of her father and since then she has taken on the occasional case. Stella has had help from her colleagues and in particular from Jack, who works as a train driver but also works for Stella’s cleaning company part time. Stella has a brilliant analytical mind and she manages to tease information out of people, who don’t realise what she is up to. Stella doesn’t jump to conclusions and instead follows the path that the clues take her on. I think that Stella would be a great person to work with and for. She doesn’t lose her temper, she is a great listener and she gives you an honest opinion without being nasty or cruel. Stella takes this latest case on after a former police officer, who is terminally ill, insists that she takes on an investigation into a case that has bothered him for a long time. Stella ums and ahs about taking on the case as she doesn’t want to stay away from home or the cleaning company for that long. Her colleagues convince her that they can cope so off to investigate she and Jack do go- not forgetting Stella’s little dog too. Will Stella get to the bottom of the case? Who is the murderer? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
The author’s writing style is such that you can’t fail to be drawn into the story from the moment you open the front cover and begin to read. It’s true that this book is a bit of a slow starter but I didn’t mind that as it meant that I could get to know the characters better without being left behind so to speak. It wasn’t long until I became addicted to reading ‘The Death Chamber’ and I just had to read on to see how the book developed and to see who the murderer was. For me ‘The Death Chamber’ is a page turner and I certainly didn’t realise how quickly I was turning the pages until I looked up to see that I had cleared 35% of the book. The writing style and quality of writing are such that I became totally wrapped up in the case and I felt did feel as though I was a part of the story. This book certainly had me thinking and it also kept me guessing. I was rooting for Stella and Jack and I was silently cheering them on. There were definitely some twists and turns to the story and moments that I didn’t see coming.
In short, I really did enjoy reading ‘The Death Chamber’ and I would certainly recommend it to other readers. ‘The Death Chamber’ can be read as a standalone but because I am a bit OCD, I fully intend to read the series in order and from the beginning. There are certain references to past events in ‘The Death Chamber’ that make sense if you have read the other books. I can’t wait to read what comes next from Lesley Thomson. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 4* out of 5*.

[Maddy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure where to start with this one, I almost didn't finish it, but pushed through. It is so poorly written and badly needs a decent editor. The sentence structures are cumbersome and obnoxious to read. I've never been so bored with a book while at the same time being so frustrated with it

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riveting

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have loved Stella Darnell from the beginning: she's a kind of a mix of Dr. Temple Grandin and Harriet the Spy. I was less taken with Jack when he came along, but I could cope, and of course I adore Stanley, who wouldn't. This time around the magic just doesn't seem to be there. The plot was just a bit more round-about than usual, much like feeling one's way through Jack's maze, and there seemed to be a bit of subtext in the conversations between Lisa Mercer and Stella that I just wasn't getting. I ended up skipping through other conversations and situations but found a few coincidences that detracted from the tension as well as a bit of magical thinking. Not sure how I feel about Jack's and Bella's twins yet either - are they a case of jumping the shark? I guess the next book in the series will explore that.

[S.J. Higbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stella Darnell’s father was a detective married to the job – and Stella bears the scars. She set up and now runs her own very successful cleaning company, but is increasingly drawn to the drama and tension surrounding the business of solving cold-case murders. Jack, her partner in these investigations also has a fascinating backstory, which I won’t be revealing here as it wanders into spoiler territory. Each of them is a loner, and I enjoyed the increasing tension as they now both feel uncomfortable keeping secrets from each other to an extent that occasionally trips into humour. Lucie Mae, local journalist and long-running character, also crashes into this investigation and brings along her budgie.

Thomson manages to evoke the countryside very well from the viewpoint of two confirmed Londoners as they rent a ramshackle cottage while investigating the crime. Her vivid worldbuilding is her superpower, as we get the sound and feel of Winchcombe and the sense of a tight-knit community, who nevertheless enjoy the chance to talk about the murdered girl, especially as her convicted killer is due to be released on parole. Though a fair few people don’t believe he committed the crime.

I found it difficult to put this one down as Jack and Stella steadily gather evidence and red herrings, while someone is also trying to persuade them to walk away. As ever, I didn’t guess who the murderer was until I was supposed to – and this time in particular, there is a development near the end that means Jack’s life is about to change forever. The thing I find with Thomson’s books, is that once I’ve finished reading one, the characters and situation goes on living in my head. And no… that isn’t usual for me. Normally once I’ve put a book down and written the review, I usually move onto the next book and rarely recall it. But Stella and Jack have wriggled into my inscape and rearranged my mental furniture. Highly recommended for fans of intelligent, murder mysteries set in a vivid contemporary setting.
10/10

[Philippa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initially I found this difficult to read because of the writing style - in particular some not especially natural sounding sentence structures such as 'Munching, he sat down' (or words to that effect). I think novels should be able to be read aloud and sound natural and fluent, but the occasional sentence jarred for me, shaking me out of the story and into editor mode. Also there were an awful lot of characters introduced in a very short time at the beginning; it was hard to keep up with who was who.
I did persist as there was a liveliness about it and I had enough curiosity about what would happen and how the main characters Stella and Jack would find out what happened in two cases 22 years apart in the same small Cotswold village - the disappearance of a young woman in 1977 (which was found in 1999 to be murder, on discovery of her body) and the disappearance of another young woman in 1999.
It's an involved plot in some ways, with plenty of intrigue and a few red herrings. The dialogue is plentiful and natural, propelling the story along at a brisk clip. The charactes of Stella and Jack developed slowly in contrast with the ebullient Lucie May who provided a bit of light relief with her cheek and her talking budgerigar, which could have been a real liability.
I still have no idea what the story was with the scarecrow(s).

[Samantha Forbes · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing is so confusing at times that apparently even the writer can’t keep the characters straight.
“Exactly. You didn’t kill Cassie,” Cassie said. The books is filled with odd and unnecessary details that only help the word/page count, but don’t help or add to the story at all. All in all it was good enough that I finished the book, but bad enough to leave me frustrated that I read it instead of something else.

[Ieva · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a small world in Lesley Thomson's book

The coincidences come thick and fast, even when cleaner extraordinaire and sometime detective Stella Darnell takes a case far from her home ground of Hammersmith. Somehow her partner in the cleaning business turns out to be related by marriage to a suspect in murder in Gloucestershire and a second possible murder victim is an acquaintance too. I have to say that, while I enjoy the style of these Detective's Daughter mysteries, the plots are beginning to get on my nerves. Does Thompson throw dice when deciding which characters from previous books are to be featured in a new book's plot? I wonder if the population of England has been decimated by some nasty virus leaving so few people around that they keep turning up in unexpected ways.
Apart from these quirks of the plot, I also found that proofreading hasn't been as thorough in this book as it should have been. I imagine it's due to the demands of churning out more episodes of what is turning, rather disappointingly into a soap opera-like series.

[Peter · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to give up on this book as the murder seemed secondary to the characters involved in solving it. The set up seems quite improbable and there are far too many descriptions of their daily activities. I must say I haven’t read any others in the series so maybe I should have started at the beginning. I have recently given up on Tana French because she is so long-winded in her storytelling and now this! Not sure who to try next. Any suggestions?

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 bit over long and complicated to satisfy as a good read.

[Rob Bevan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book knowing Winchcombe reasonably well. I just got a bit confused with who was who amongst the characters.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Death Chamber is the sixth book in the Dectective’s Daughter series and this time it sees Clean Slate owner and part-time private detective Stella Darnell and trusty sidekick Jack Harmon head to the Cotswolds village of Winchcombe to solve two murders which have been troubling DCI Mercer for almost twenty years.
June 1977, while celebrating the Queen’s silver jubilee Cassandra Barker spots her boyfriend with another woman and storms off home, never to be seen again. December 1999, Bryony Motson disappears after a night out with two friends. Charlie Brice the man believed to have abducted Bryony leads DCI Mercer to the body of Cassandra Baker, linking him to both girls but sadly admissible evidence meant he couldn’t be charged for either murder.
Seventeen years later and DCI Mercer is on his death bed and he longs for Charlie Brice to serve justice for the crimes Mercer believes he committed and for the mistakes which cost Mercer his glowing career. Daughter Lisa summons detective duo Stella and Jack to help solve the case once and for all.
Stella and Jack head off to the country, Stella reluctantly as she is a city girl who prefers the perks of London life including public transport, wi-fi and electricity and not to mention the distinct lack of mud. Jack is more enthusiastic about their trip, been in love with Stella from afar for ever Jack jumps at the chance to play house with her alone in the country…plus it gives him time to think about the bombshell ex-girlfriend Bella has just dropped on him…he’s going to be a dad.
The Death chamber is a book which could be read as a standalone but after reading the previous novel The Dog Walker I think you will get much more enjoyment if you’ve read at one of the previous novels. The first third of this book was steady and centred more on the personal lives of Jack and Stella than the actual case. I enjoyed this as having read the previous book it was good to catch up with the characters, if you’ve not read the previous book then you may struggle.
Once the story heads off to the country it’s not long before Stella and Jack are fully immersed in the case and the pace picks up, with a growing number of suspects it turns out to be more complicated than they first thought. With the help of journalist Lucie can Stella and Jack solve the crimes? Who is behind the creepy activity with drones, crows and scarecrows? Will anything happen with Stella and Jack and what exactly is Stella’s secretary Jackie Makepeace got to do with everything?
I really enjoyed reading The Death Chamber, its one of those novels where you just keep reading a bit more and then discover something else so read a bit more and before you know it your husbands home and wondering where his tea is (true story). I love the way Lesley Thomson has added depth to the story with each of the main characters having their own dramas going on which all tie into and enhance the main storyline instead of detracting from it, very cleverly written. My favourite character in this book had to be Endora the budgerigar, just because of the witty one-liners she came out with which just made me smile.
I enjoyed everything about this book and really hope we have another instalment in this series soon. Thank you to Head of Zeus for sending me a copy to review and inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

[Jane Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this is the sixth in the detective daughter series, you can read as a standalone.

The story begins with the circumstances surrounding the first murder in 1977. After the disappearance of another girl in 1999, the body of the first victim is found. Stella and Jack are offered the case by another detective's daughter whose father wants them to prove that the murderer is still at large. Other members of the team are not sure if they should take the case, but someone closer to home is keeping secrets that will need to be solved too.

The characters' stories are sketched out in the first part of the story, so even if you are new to the series, like me you get a feel for who they are. Quirky is the word that sums up both Jack and Stella, both are good people but are damaged by life and find it difficult to relate to others outside their immediate team. There is a good team dynamic both in the 'Clean Slate', cleaning company and the detective agency. Everyone has a role and it more of a family than a business.

The crime-solving takes place in the last two-thirds of the story. It is a detailed and lengthy book but is well-paced. The factual details seamlessly merge with clues, misinformation and the characters' internal and external conflicts. I liked the dynamic between Stella and Jack, they are vividly described and come across as believable.

The plot is intricate with numerous twists, even when you think you've solved it something alters to move the goal posts, and you discover you're only partly correct. Atmospheric and suspenseful twists make o ordinary events and settings menacing and chilling.

The ending leaves no loose ends and manages to retain its surprises.

I received a copy of this book from Head of Zeus via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[B Bevans · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been really enjoying the Detective's Daughter series, I thought Jack was the most interesting character and the slowly developing and subtle relationship between him and Stella was nice. I had a big gap between this and the last book and when I started this I remembered why I stopped, Jack had been in a relationship with Bella and it really spoilt it but at least they broke up. This book was really disappointing as it started with Jack finding out Bella was expecting twins. I found the whole book had too many instances of Jack trying to tell Stella but getting interrupted, to the point of it being tedious "Stella, there's something I need to tell you-" phonecall, lunch order, someone butting in. It was never resolved, it became so irritating and disappointing it spoiled the whole book for me. I like the mysteries and this had a good eerie beginning with the scarecrow being moved around, it was great but the sub-plot really wrecked it. I also didn't like the story focusing around their friends' pasts either, it just didn't work and it really put me off Jackie who was one of my favourites before. Very disappointed. I read a review of the next book saying Stella and Jack are now a couple and it's great that it doesn't change much and she even is good with the twins, but the last 2 books and the journey to get there absolutely spoilt it for me. I don't know if I would read any more in this series which is a shame as it started off so well.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A departure for this series, in that most of the action takes place in the Cotswolds rather than Hammersmith. There is a little bit of creepiness here (ruined or empty houses in the countryside, the sense of being watched, a mysterious scarecrow that moves around) but on the whole the surroundings are less dark than the urban Thames of the previous novels. There's a mystery: a dying detective who fears the wrong person was imprisoned for the murder of a young woman in 1977 (her body was not found until 1999, in a local long barrow); and there's another missing girl, who has not been seen since 1999. Jack and Stella go to stay in an empty house to investigate. There are many twists and turns, and two unexpected links back to Hammersmith (which is perhaps stretching credulity a bit, as is Jack's ability to absent himself from his train driving job so easily!). All is resolved, more or less, by the end, and for those who have been following Jack's story there is some surprising personal news too. Stanley the dog and Endora the budgie provide some light relief.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of this series and have read them all in chronological order. I think readers who enjoy and seek out series books do so because they engage with the characters and enjoy spending time in their company. The plot is almost secondary to the character development. I find the two main characters, Stella and Jack, intriguing. The first book had almost a magical realism feel to it. Jack certainly had something of the night about him. Interestingly this book was set in a rural market town away from the usual London streets and for me it seemed less tense. That didn't spoil it for me I still enjoyed it, particularly the background story involving the 'supporting cast'. As with the other books it ends on something of a cliff-hanger for the two main protagonists. Love the stuff about cleaning and I speak as someone who has no such obsession. I think this is a book which relies heavily on the reader having at least read one of the previous titles and preferably the first in the series.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lesley Thomson never disappoints. This is another enthralling read featuring Stella Darnell, Jack Harmon and Stanley the poodle. There is also a bigger role for the irrepressible Lucie May. The difference here as that most of the story takes place in the Cotswolds rather than west London. You don't have to had read the previous books in the series as this works very well as a standalone but it would help to understand the complications of the relationship between Stella and Jack. In addition, they are all very good reads.

In 1977, seventeen-year-old Cassie Baker took a shortcut home and vanished. Twenty years later her remains have been found whilst a search was being conducted for another missing teenager, Bryony Motson. Bryony has never been found. In 2016 Stella is asked to investigate the disappearances of the two girls and the subsequent prosecution of one man. As she digs deeper into the cases, matters become a little more close to home than she could have ever anticipated.

Deftly plotted and full of surprises this is another winner.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another random choice fro me when I went to my local library. I hadnt heard of this author but as I enjoy reading crime fiction this appealed.

I must admit I found it a bit disjoined and almost zany at times, not sure whether it was a serious crime fiction or partly a satirical /comedy one ( i also admit to feeling the same about Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club books).
Nevertheless I persevered and I did get to become more involved in the book but I quite possibly wouldnt read another of this author

[Greville Waterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book, well written, slow to burst into life but then a humdinger. I have not read the previous books in this well established series but found no problem in catching up so it can be read as a standalone.

Excellent descriptions of rural life and the author is very strong on characterisation. I was captivated early on and will be reading the previous books in the series.

Recommended.

[Cathy Beyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy reading the next installment in this series, but this one seemed to be slightly slower and less dark. The story only really takes off later in the book and if it weren't for the familiar characters and the way they interact, this could have been a bit tedious in the beginning. If you really want to enjoy this, it would be best if you read the others in the series first. It could get a bit confusing otherwise.

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

c2018 (14) FWFTB: 1977: 1999, sleuth, Winchcombe, suspect. Predictable and bland. It is always difficult to enjoy a book when you don't like the characters and, sadly, I didn't like any of the characters - not even the ones just passing. It was a quick read because of the plot but I couldn't recommend to the normal crew.

[Karen wadey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and have read others in the dectective's daughter series but there were some errors in the writing. Sentances incorrectly constucted and on a couple of occasions the wrong names were used which is a little off putting. The story was very complicated with all the characters although I love the chemistry between Jack and Stella.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent installment of the Detective's Daughter series.

Not sure it was ideal reading material sitting next to my dying husband but then I don't do soft and frothy.

I loved Lucie May and Endora, such fabulous characters and in the end all came good for Jack and Stella.

Thoroughly recommend this.