Death of a God

Benjamin Jurnet #4

by S.T. Haymon

Detective-Inspector Ben Jurnet learns as many shocking truths about himself as he does about the killer during an investigation into the murder of a crucified rock star

Genres: Mystery, Procedural

223 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

"One of the purest lyric voices in the mystery field" New York Times Book Review

Sylvia Theresa Haymon was born in Norwich, and is best known for her eight crime fiction novels featuring the character Inspector Ben Jurnet. Haymon also wrote two non-fiction books for children, as well as two memoirs of her childhood in East Anglia.

The Ben Jurnet series enjoyed success in both the UK and the US during Haymon’s lifetime: Ritual Murder (1982) won the prestigious CWA Silver Dagger Award from the Crime Writers' Association. Stately Homicide (1984), a skilful variation on the country house mystery, was praised by the New York Times as a 'brilliantly crafted novel of detection...stylish serious fiction', and favourably compared to the work of Dorothy L. Sayers.

Reviews

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Death of a God is the fourth book in S. T. Haymon's police procedural series starring Inspector Ben Jurnet. This particular outing finds Jurnet getting a taste of the young pop scene as a local boy-made-good comes home for a rock concert at the local university. Angleby's own Loy Tanner is now the lead singer for the group Second Coming--a rock band with mystical, quasi-religious tones to their music and followers who treat their beloved star as even more of a god-on-earth than is usual for rock group groupies. Jurnet's fiancee, Miriam, manages to get hold of a couple of tickets (winds up that one of her employees is Loy's mum) and she convinces Jurnet to join her for an evening of music. Jurnet is surprised to find himself pulled in by the charismatic band and their "beat." And, even though he is still convinced at the end of the evening that he has somehow been manipulated or brainwashed, he can't deny the effect the musicians had on him....and everyone else within range of the music.

Jurnet and his colleagues are even more surprised the next morning when Loy is found murdered and hung as a replacement in the crucifixion tableau display that had been set up at the request of the Bishop. And as Jurnet digs into the young man's past and relationships he learns that the rock god truly did have feet of clay. His friends and fellow band members had a real love-hate relationship with Loy. Loving the musician he was and the influence of his personality and music and yet hating the way he could use that talent and charisma to make them to do and be anything he wanted. The case quickly moves from no suspects ("no one could possibly want Loy dead") to too many. It doesn't help that Jurnet's personal life and personal feelings cloud some of the issues for him. He finally discovers the key to puzzle of who Loy Tanner really is and who would want him dead--but will he be to late to prevent another death?

Jurnet is a down-to-earth, introspective, very human policeman. Sometimes just a bit too much so--he spends quite a lot of time considering his relationship with Miriam. And I was quite tired of that relationship by the end of the book. She insists that he convert to Judaism before she will consent to marry him--not because she's particularly devout, but,as she puts it, because if there ever comes a time for the British Jews to become outcasts as her people have so often been in the past then she wants to be sure that her husband is on the outcast side with her. Jurnet seems to be making honest efforts to convert and makes all sorts of allowances for her weird moods and yet she removes herself from his apartment mid-way through the book. Only to be hastily reunited with him at the end...a move that quite honestly makes no sense plot-wise or through character development. Jurnet hasn't changed to conform any better with what she wants and her change of attitude just seems convenient rather than logical.

That aside, the mystery is quite decent--although not quite as good as Ritual Murder (#2) or A Very Particular Murder (#5)--and should keep the reader guessing till the end. The style is very fluid and easy to read, making this a nice comfortable book to settle down with for an evening. Three stars.

{This review is mine and was first posted on my blog: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/20.... Please do not repost any portion without permission. Thanks.}

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this excellent. Well written, a good plot with the clues in plain sight but not over-explained.

[Damaskcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s Easter in Angleby and there is a re-creation of the Crucifixion scene near the marketplace which is causing a bit of a stir as it shows three members of the pop group, Second Coming, crucified. The group are playing a sell-out gig at the university and Ben Jurnet’s girlfriend, Miriam, wants to attend though it is not at all Ben’s scene. Following the gig, the leader of the group, Loy Tanner, is found occupying centre stage in the Crucifixion scene – dead.

The ramifications of the case present Ben Jurnet with some tricky personal and professional challenges before the murderer is finally discovered. I enjoyed this well written and well plotted mystery with its Norfolk background and interesting characters. Ben’s continuing battle with Christianity and Judaism is very well done as his problematic relationship with the elusive Miriam.

S T Haymon is an underrated author in my opinion and deserves to be more widely known. If you like Golden Age crime stories then you may well enjoy this series.

[Margaret]

Well, I am kind of mixed on this one - there were some things I liked and some I did not ... the plot seemed overly complicated, sometimes sacrilegious and the ending ill-conceived. All the characters had personality flaws to the extent that one almost felt most sympathetic for the murderer. I did think that the author had quite a way with words and could really turn a phrase well and there were even bits of humor, which helped me keep reading. Not sure what else to say about this book now that I've given it a lukewarm review!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite in the series.