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Helen West #5
A Clear Conscience
An award-winning thriller in the English style features Helen West, a prosecutor in domestic violence cases, who discovers that her cleaning woman is being abused by her husband and that her brother has just been murdered. Reprint.
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
About the author
Frances Fyfield
85 books67 followersAka Frances Hegarty.
Frances Fyfield is a criminal lawyer, who lives in London and in Deal, by the sea which is her passion. She has won several awards, including the CWA Silver Dagger.
She grew up in rural Derbyshire, but spent most of her adult life in London, with long intervals in Norfolk and Deal, all inspiring places. She was educated mostly in convent schools; then studied English at Newcastle University and went on to qualify as a solicitor, working for what is now the Crown Prosecution Service, thus learning a bit about murder at second hand. She also worked for the Metropolitan Police.
Years later, writing became her real vocation. She also writes short stories for magazines and radio and is occasionally a contributor to Radio 4, (Front Row, Quote Unquote, Night Waves,) and presenter of Tales from the Stave.
Frances Fyfield is a criminal lawyer, who lives in London and in Deal, by the sea which is her passion. She has won several awards, including the CWA Silver Dagger.
She grew up in rural Derbyshire, but spent most of her adult life in London, with long intervals in Norfolk and Deal, all inspiring places. She was educated mostly in convent schools; then studied English at Newcastle University and went on to qualify as a solicitor, working for what is now the Crown Prosecution Service, thus learning a bit about murder at second hand. She also worked for the Metropolitan Police.
Years later, writing became her real vocation. She also writes short stories for magazines and radio and is occasionally a contributor to Radio 4, (Front Row, Quote Unquote, Night Waves,) and presenter of Tales from the Stave.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 8, 2020
Helen West #5: My first Helen West case, and what a doozy! West is the Crown Prosecutor in a domestic violence court; she is looking at burnout both at work, and in her personal life, when she learns something about her cleaning lady that gets the fire back in her eyes, as she takes on the case that has much deeper roots than at first presumed. An impressively well put together crime thriller, that has me wanting to read more of this series when given the opportunity. A Three star, 7 out of 12.
2010 read
2010 read
April 24, 2026
I really wanted to enjoy this storyline much more than I did, as the underlying tensions which motivated the murders, were deep, dark and very thought-provoking.
However, I found that although very well defined and developed as characters, the main protagonist Helen West and indeed just about all of her colleagues within the Social Services and Police Departments, rather took their collective 'eyes off the ball', so concerned were they about their own personal lives. So much so, that they missed the clues which were right under their noses and which, if spotted and acted upon sooner, might well have averted the final devastating outcome.
Even though the seeds had been sown, the final twist in this complex and emotional storyline, caught me off-guard and caused a sharp intake of breath.
However, I found that although very well defined and developed as characters, the main protagonist Helen West and indeed just about all of her colleagues within the Social Services and Police Departments, rather took their collective 'eyes off the ball', so concerned were they about their own personal lives. So much so, that they missed the clues which were right under their noses and which, if spotted and acted upon sooner, might well have averted the final devastating outcome.
Even though the seeds had been sown, the final twist in this complex and emotional storyline, caught me off-guard and caused a sharp intake of breath.
May 29, 2025
The theme is domestic violence, specifically the violence of men against women. The author moulds it into a very good murder mystery and the identity of Damien Flood's killer left me guessing right to the end. If justice is done in the story it is a vigilante justice, the sort that is a form of righteous justice. Violent men die violent deaths. They deserved a punishment for their crimes - but evisceration? While the bayonet wielder carries on walking the streets and working in a pub. While a blindfold justice is meant to show impartiality, sometimes it simply makes justice blind. So, not entirely a sound moral tale but a very good one.
If I had one criticism it is the portrayal of working class people, all of them, as lazy, workshy, dishonest, habitually drunk or high on drugs, violent, sexually promiscuous, capable of producing only children who mirror their parents' violence and dishonesty. It is a perverted picture of reality and insults the vast majority of the working class who work long hours for low wages and for whom life is a permanent struggle. Criminals are classless. What unites them is their criminality not shortage of money, lack of employment, or where they live. The author needed to make that clear.
If I had one criticism it is the portrayal of working class people, all of them, as lazy, workshy, dishonest, habitually drunk or high on drugs, violent, sexually promiscuous, capable of producing only children who mirror their parents' violence and dishonesty. It is a perverted picture of reality and insults the vast majority of the working class who work long hours for low wages and for whom life is a permanent struggle. Criminals are classless. What unites them is their criminality not shortage of money, lack of employment, or where they live. The author needed to make that clear.
September 7, 2013
A Clear Conscience by Frances Fyfield is a Witness Impulse publication, an imprint of HarperCollins. I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Helen West works domestic violence cases. When Helen feels she needs help keeping her house up while she does some redecorating, she calls Emily, Helen's good friend, and inquires after her cleaning lady, Cath.
Meanwhile, a murder has occurred and Bailey, Helen's boyfriend,is assigned the case. As it happens the victim was Cath's brother, Damien.
Cath was pleased to help Helen for some extra money. The two women bonded a little and then it became clear that Cath was also a victim. Her husband, Joe regularly abuses her.
Bailey gets caught in a difficult situation when he must keep certain facts about the murder from Helen.
A series of odd happenings involving Emily's daughter, Jane, has people thinking that perhaps Joe knows more about Damien's death than originally thought.
This book was originally published in 1995 and has now been released in e book format.
I love British mysteries and this one was very dark and thought provoking. Domestic violence is examined at length on more than one level. The effects this type of abuse has on the victim, the lengths one must go to escape, the selfish motives of other people, the inside thoughts of Joe, who felt he had done so much for Cath and that she owed him,(???), and the eyes and ears of children all played a role in the story.
There were a few twist in the plot, but it was really a crime story and psychological thriller.
The relationship between Helen and Bailey was also a bit unorthodox. Helen loved having a career and her independence, but was also still hard wired to think of the traditional route of marriage and children. Trying to stay true to both parts of her personality will prove to be a challenge.
Although, this novel is just a tiny bit dated, it is still a very good story and I would recommend it to mystery lovers in general, but especially to British mystery lovers. If you haven't read this author's works, this is a good one to start with. This one gets an A.
Helen West works domestic violence cases. When Helen feels she needs help keeping her house up while she does some redecorating, she calls Emily, Helen's good friend, and inquires after her cleaning lady, Cath.
Meanwhile, a murder has occurred and Bailey, Helen's boyfriend,is assigned the case. As it happens the victim was Cath's brother, Damien.
Cath was pleased to help Helen for some extra money. The two women bonded a little and then it became clear that Cath was also a victim. Her husband, Joe regularly abuses her.
Bailey gets caught in a difficult situation when he must keep certain facts about the murder from Helen.
A series of odd happenings involving Emily's daughter, Jane, has people thinking that perhaps Joe knows more about Damien's death than originally thought.
This book was originally published in 1995 and has now been released in e book format.
I love British mysteries and this one was very dark and thought provoking. Domestic violence is examined at length on more than one level. The effects this type of abuse has on the victim, the lengths one must go to escape, the selfish motives of other people, the inside thoughts of Joe, who felt he had done so much for Cath and that she owed him,(???), and the eyes and ears of children all played a role in the story.
There were a few twist in the plot, but it was really a crime story and psychological thriller.
The relationship between Helen and Bailey was also a bit unorthodox. Helen loved having a career and her independence, but was also still hard wired to think of the traditional route of marriage and children. Trying to stay true to both parts of her personality will prove to be a challenge.
Although, this novel is just a tiny bit dated, it is still a very good story and I would recommend it to mystery lovers in general, but especially to British mystery lovers. If you haven't read this author's works, this is a good one to start with. This one gets an A.
September 3, 2011
I think Frances Fyfield is one of the most underrated mystery authors out there. I just love her Helen West series. Her books are wonderfully textured and filled with real people, with real problems. Like this one, which seems to revolve around domestic violence.
It's a wonderful mystery with three-dimensional characters. Even those committing violence can be sympathized with. I highly recommend it.
It's a wonderful mystery with three-dimensional characters. Even those committing violence can be sympathized with. I highly recommend it.
April 10, 2022
I haven't kept up with this series for some reason. I enjoy it. It's a British mystery and cleverly plotted. I found a little difficulty since I hadn't read the former ones for years. I will go on to the next one in Fyfield's Helen West mysteries!
May 9, 2017
Found this gem on my hostel's book exchange shelf, I don't know what I expected. It's so BORING.
Maybe I'm being a little unfair since mysteries aren't really my thing and the writing is pretty well done. I appreciate the research into psychology of domestic abuse victims that was done for this novel and the deep understanding of different social classes of people who were shown in this novel, but it's really hard to take a novel seriously that in its description on the back cover has a word chiller.
Yeah, it's good for casual bus rides home from a tipsy night out, but that's pretty much it.
I yearn for times I read mystery novels for enjoyment, rather than full analysis.
Maybe I'm being a little unfair since mysteries aren't really my thing and the writing is pretty well done. I appreciate the research into psychology of domestic abuse victims that was done for this novel and the deep understanding of different social classes of people who were shown in this novel, but it's really hard to take a novel seriously that in its description on the back cover has a word chiller.
Yeah, it's good for casual bus rides home from a tipsy night out, but that's pretty much it.
I yearn for times I read mystery novels for enjoyment, rather than full analysis.
November 30, 2020
Senza farlo apposta ho scelto questo libro proprio nel mese in cui si celebra la Giornata Mondiale contro la violenza sulle donne .
Di questo parla il romanzo, corale, nella quale protagoniste assolute sono le donne.
Donne di potere che ricoprono un ruolo di responsabilità, come Helen West, pubblico ministero, e Mary Secura, investigatrice della Polizia inglese, che hanno tra i loro obiettivi quello di proteggere, difendere, dare giustizia alle donne maltrattate e donne che subiscono abusi da anni a causa dei loro mariti/compagni/familiari.
Da qui si intreccia una vicenda di maltrattamenti che si interseca anche con un caso di omicidio parzialmente risolto, seguito dall'investigatore Bailey, compagno di Helen.
Buona lettura, anche se la scrittura dell'autrice non mi ha particolarmente convinto, proprio in termini lessicali e di uniformità.
Di questo parla il romanzo, corale, nella quale protagoniste assolute sono le donne.
Donne di potere che ricoprono un ruolo di responsabilità, come Helen West, pubblico ministero, e Mary Secura, investigatrice della Polizia inglese, che hanno tra i loro obiettivi quello di proteggere, difendere, dare giustizia alle donne maltrattate e donne che subiscono abusi da anni a causa dei loro mariti/compagni/familiari.
Da qui si intreccia una vicenda di maltrattamenti che si interseca anche con un caso di omicidio parzialmente risolto, seguito dall'investigatore Bailey, compagno di Helen.
Buona lettura, anche se la scrittura dell'autrice non mi ha particolarmente convinto, proprio in termini lessicali e di uniformità.
October 28, 2017
Well, that's a few days of my life I'll never recover. Run of the mill, cliched and just deadly dull story of domestic violence, committed upon the cleaning lady (and not very likeable) Cath who just happens to work for an unsympathetic earth mother type barrister and a CPS lawyer. How the middle classes cope with what Joe Boyce inflicts upon his wife Cath is both literally and metaphorically painful. I doubt if I'll be reading any more Fyfield and am glad that this cost me the princely sum of 25p.
September 20, 2020
I really don't know how to rate this book. From my aspect it was written with no actual plot in mind, but was one of those books that was written from go to whoa and if something popped into FYFIELD's mind at that moment, she wrote it in.
Not recommended.
Not recommended.
August 4, 2025
Fun little surprise at the end! A quick read, and it was fun that it was British. The format was a bit difficult to figure out at the beginning, but once I figured it out it was good!
October 19, 2013
A Clear Conscience
by
Frances Fyfield
My "in a nutshell" summary...
Attorneys and police become enmeshed in a spousal abuse drama that is also connected to a murder. There are lots of entwined entangled relationships. Everyone involved has a connection to someone else involved.
My thoughts after reading this book...
Cath is a cleaning lady...not really educated...and in a violently abusive relationship with her husband Joe. Joe is a bartender and a drinker and absolutely horrible to Cath when he is drinking. He also has a weird obsession with buying stuff...almost like a Home Shopping addiction. They literally live in a slum but their attic is filled with stuff that Joe buys but they never use. Cath is also reeling from the death of her brother...this is sort of an unsolved murder. Once the police begin really digging into this vile murder...Cath and Joe's lives start to unravel.
The relationships in this novel are amazing and complicated. Cath begins cleaning for an attorney who prosecutes domestic violence crimes...this would be Helen. Helen is dating the detective who is trying to determine who killed Cath's brother. Helen has a relationship with Emily...Cath cleans for Emily and Emily's husband is also involved in the case...again...the relationships are sort of enticingly revealed and they are amazing.
What I loved about this book...
I loved it all...it's fascinating, complex and quite addictively disturbing. It's becomes more and more intense as each little secret about Cath and Joe is revealed. The violence is frightening. What Cath endures is sad and heartbreaking. The way she is described is so achingly sad...Emily says she chews with her mouth open...she doesn't have a pleasant smell and she is both fond of Cath and annoyed by her.
What I didn't love about this book...
The most annoying character was Emily. She talked too much about her life and her children. She was quick to accuse Cath of stealing...she was not kind.
Final thoughts...
This was a totally absorbing mystery. I can't even begin to reveal anything more about it because it would be spoiled for you...a potential reader. I could not stop reading this book...it was not a cozy British mystery but it was an unputdownable one. It reminds me of Gone Girl, The Silent Wife and Mother, Mother. It has complex characters that I either pitied or strongly disliked. The ending was a surprise. I loved every word of this book!
This author is a completely new author for me...I have never heard of her nor have I read her other books...and she has written quite a few. Needless to say...this will not be the last book I read by Frances Fyfield!
by
Frances Fyfield
My "in a nutshell" summary...
Attorneys and police become enmeshed in a spousal abuse drama that is also connected to a murder. There are lots of entwined entangled relationships. Everyone involved has a connection to someone else involved.
My thoughts after reading this book...
Cath is a cleaning lady...not really educated...and in a violently abusive relationship with her husband Joe. Joe is a bartender and a drinker and absolutely horrible to Cath when he is drinking. He also has a weird obsession with buying stuff...almost like a Home Shopping addiction. They literally live in a slum but their attic is filled with stuff that Joe buys but they never use. Cath is also reeling from the death of her brother...this is sort of an unsolved murder. Once the police begin really digging into this vile murder...Cath and Joe's lives start to unravel.
The relationships in this novel are amazing and complicated. Cath begins cleaning for an attorney who prosecutes domestic violence crimes...this would be Helen. Helen is dating the detective who is trying to determine who killed Cath's brother. Helen has a relationship with Emily...Cath cleans for Emily and Emily's husband is also involved in the case...again...the relationships are sort of enticingly revealed and they are amazing.
What I loved about this book...
I loved it all...it's fascinating, complex and quite addictively disturbing. It's becomes more and more intense as each little secret about Cath and Joe is revealed. The violence is frightening. What Cath endures is sad and heartbreaking. The way she is described is so achingly sad...Emily says she chews with her mouth open...she doesn't have a pleasant smell and she is both fond of Cath and annoyed by her.
What I didn't love about this book...
The most annoying character was Emily. She talked too much about her life and her children. She was quick to accuse Cath of stealing...she was not kind.
Final thoughts...
This was a totally absorbing mystery. I can't even begin to reveal anything more about it because it would be spoiled for you...a potential reader. I could not stop reading this book...it was not a cozy British mystery but it was an unputdownable one. It reminds me of Gone Girl, The Silent Wife and Mother, Mother. It has complex characters that I either pitied or strongly disliked. The ending was a surprise. I loved every word of this book!
This author is a completely new author for me...I have never heard of her nor have I read her other books...and she has written quite a few. Needless to say...this will not be the last book I read by Frances Fyfield!
July 4, 2016
Frances Fyfield is a superb crime writer. This one was penned in 1994. The topic, wife battering, social niceties and shielding of eyes is still current. Fyfield herself has only gotten better at what she does, delivering amazingly articulate and authentic crime stories, well drawn characters warts and all, gritty settings where a simple daisy patterned tea towel shines through the much of relationships and justice turning slowly, if at all. Set in London, along the 59 bus route where tenement buildings and poncy pubs live cheek by jowl, main character Cath cleans two homes of the better class, better than her, at any rate. She does this to have her own autonomy and so that her bartender charmer husband won't bother or batter her. He is damaged, she is scarily not. Her brother, Damien, has been killed and while that shakes her to her very soul, she and he had secrets. Helen West, a crown prosecutor, hires Cath to clean her very messy house. Helen, too, has secrets. Helen's boyfriend, Bailey, a policeman through to his core is looking into Damien's death. The Eliots are dear friends of Helen; Mr. is the prosecutor on the case, Mrs. becomes disenchanted with Cath...so many connections and yet, one may not know about the other's involvement in Cath's life and Alistair Eliot puts it nicely: "We are all at cross purposes, he though, every one of us a little mad, each of us with a piece of puzzle in our hands, while the truth floats up there like that big, black rain-cloud." Fyfield writes with an economy of words, her descriptions are wonderfully rich, like this, "Prejudiced, judgemental, politically incorrect, leaping onto a band wagon and waving a flag: the Helen he loved." The ending of A Clear Conscience is a zinger. Maybe you saw it coming but it is like a double edged sword. What a twist!
December 29, 2013
Read my full review: bit.ly/1eouAbb
My opinion: Helen West is the newest star of Masterpiece Mysteries. When I saw these books on Edelweiss, I wanted to check them out. After all, this is how I found Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley and Colin Dexter's Inspectors Morse and Lewis. Helen West failed to get my fire started. It wasn't that the writing was horrible. It was simply that it was drier than what I was expecting. I was hoping for a new series, but was left horribly disappointed. I found the characters to be more bland than what I am used to in British mysteries. What resulted was a story that failed to pull me in and took me a very long time to read a book that I should have finished in less than 2 hours.
I must admit that this was a series that I read out of order purposely. There are series books that I choose to read as "stand alones" to see how character driven a series is. There was a lot of history to the main character, which can affect one's understanding of current happenings in a storyline. That was evident in this book.
By the way, I wasn't a fan of the series on Masterpiece Mystery and removed them from my DVR, if this means anything.
My opinion: Helen West is the newest star of Masterpiece Mysteries. When I saw these books on Edelweiss, I wanted to check them out. After all, this is how I found Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley and Colin Dexter's Inspectors Morse and Lewis. Helen West failed to get my fire started. It wasn't that the writing was horrible. It was simply that it was drier than what I was expecting. I was hoping for a new series, but was left horribly disappointed. I found the characters to be more bland than what I am used to in British mysteries. What resulted was a story that failed to pull me in and took me a very long time to read a book that I should have finished in less than 2 hours.
I must admit that this was a series that I read out of order purposely. There are series books that I choose to read as "stand alones" to see how character driven a series is. There was a lot of history to the main character, which can affect one's understanding of current happenings in a storyline. That was evident in this book.
By the way, I wasn't a fan of the series on Masterpiece Mystery and removed them from my DVR, if this means anything.
December 5, 2013
This is probably my favorite Fyfield book so far. It is so complicated with all the character links. Helen's relationship with Bailey just doesn't work for me, but the rest of the book makes up for that.
All the secrets and drama in Joe and Cath's life is so intriguing. It pulls you in and doesn't let you go. I got so caught up in the drama and mystery that it took no time to finish. A book I just could not put down. This is Fyfield at her finest! Mystery lovers must read this fantastic book.
http://twinopinionsreview.blogspot.co...
April 15, 2011
The lives of friends and colleagues are inextricably and inexplicably linked in this gritty London drama. Cath, cleaning lady to the boisterous and happy Eliot family and to Helen West, Crown Prosecutor with a complicated relationship status, receives terrible beatings from her husband.
Unfortunately, that's about as far as I got into the plot as I gave up at page 102. More than a third of the way into the book I thought there really ought to be a plot going, and if the circumstances are so dire, more of the characters need to be likeable (see Kate Atkinson's When Will There Be Good News).
Unfortunately, that's about as far as I got into the plot as I gave up at page 102. More than a third of the way into the book I thought there really ought to be a plot going, and if the circumstances are so dire, more of the characters need to be likeable (see Kate Atkinson's When Will There Be Good News).
August 30, 2007
I discovered Frances Fyfield this summer and found it out to be excellent detective fiction, quite similar to P.D. James (on whom I wrote my 800 page PhD paper.)
Want to Read
August 28, 20125 in the series
November 14, 2013
Heavy, dark, sense of foreboding throughout--
Well crafted, unpredictable story that held my interest.
Can't say I enjoyed it due to the menacing tone.
Well crafted, unpredictable story that held my interest.
Can't say I enjoyed it due to the menacing tone.
December 31, 2014
Très attachant, "mais je ne comprends pas le titre français" avais-je écrit alors (= "En pleine lumière"). Est-ce bien le même livre?
February 1, 2016
Love this series. Read Deep Sleep and Shadow Play while snowed in!
May 4, 2025
Choppy; none of the characters were likeable. Maybe it would have been more enjoyable for someone who had followed the first four Helen West series. Does have a surprise twist ending.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews