From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Fell Murder (Robert MacDonald #24)

E.C.R. Lorac,

Martin Edwards (Introduction)

Start date: July 1, 2020

Finish date: July 31, 2020

Discussion: Group reads

Why we're reading this: Winner of the poll for our July group read.
[close] Winner of the poll for our July group read.

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Group reads

* November 2025 group read - Winner!
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last updated Sep 17, 2025 08:43AM

* Sept 25: Lonesome Road (#3 Miss Silver Mysteries) by Patricia Wentworth
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last updated Sep 19, 2025 01:03PM

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What Members Thought

Jun 21, 2020 Susan rated it really liked it

Normally, I dislike reading books out of order, so I was unsure whether to try, “Fell Murder,” published in 1944 and the 24th book in the Robert MacDonald series. However, not many of E.C. R. Lorac’s (pen name of Edith Caroline Rivett – incidentally, born in Hendon, fairly close to where I live) are in print. However, I am delighted that publishers are re-printing some Golden Age authors and I am sure that, having enjoyed this so much, that I will be trying more books by this author.

It is warti Normally, I dislike reading books out of order, so I was unsure whether to try, “Fell Murder,” published in 1944 and the 24th book in the Robert MacDonald series. However, not many of E.C. R. Lorac’s (pen name of Edith Caroline Rivett – incidentally, born in Hendon, fairly close to where I live) are in print. However, I am delighted that publishers are re-printing some Golden Age authors and I am sure that, having enjoyed this so much, that I will be trying more books by this author.

It is wartime and farming is full of regulations, but the farming community of Lunesdale, just South of the Lake District, are fairly untouched by events. Their job is to feed the country and the Garth family, headed by patriarch, the elderly Robert Garth, are one of the best known farming families in the area. Robert Garth lives with his daughter, Marion, son Charles, who has returned to England from the Far East, having lost everything, and younger son, Malcolm, who is more interested in poetry than the land. They are helped by a relative, Elizabeth Meldon, and, although Robert Garth sneers at women farming, it is clear that Marion and Elizabeth are much more help than either Charles or Malcolm.

Robert Garth had another son, his heir, Richard. He hasn’t seen him since 1919, when Richard married a local girl, he disapproved of and who left the country. Now Richard is back, tramping over the local area he has missed. Although he does not go to visit his family, he does see a local man, John Staples, and tells him he is on leave from his war work on the Atlantic convoys, and now widowed. When Robert Garth is found murdered, Richard’s whereabouts and rumours of his visit, spread quickly and it is up to MacDonald to discover whether he is the culprit, or not.

As a lover of Golden Age mysteries, there was much I enjoyed about this book. I liked the thoughtful, intelligent and sympathetic MacDonald. I liked the characters and the struggles of the Garth family, as well as the portrayal of the other locals. Very enjoyable, well written and definitely an author whose work I wish to explore further.
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Oct 20, 2022 Lynnie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: world-war-2, golden-age-detective-story, lancashire, read-in-2022, british-library-crime

I love this author and have now read seven of her books, mostly the ones set in London - this is the first rural one and it's my favourite so far. A good mystery, a great detective and wonderful descriptions of the countryside that made me want to be there! ...more

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Feb 01, 2020 Andréa rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: digital, netgalley-edelweiss, arc, mystery-thriller-crime, classics, ww2-holocaust, british-isles

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

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Mar 12, 2025 Cricket Muse rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Fortunately the Inspector Macdonald mysteries can be read out of order and can even be read as standalones.

This particular mystery is Lorac at her best as Macdonald is sent out to the countryside to investigate the shooting death of Robert Garth, an eighty something farmer known for his irascible temperament.

Suspects abound since the Garth household has its share of dysfunctional sibling spats, along with neighborly grudges.

Tightly written, without an ounce of superfluous red herrings, Lorac p ...more

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Jun 19, 2020 Jill rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: e-c-r-lorac

This is the first book I have read by E.C.R.Lorac and I really liked it, Maybe because we have been required to stay at home, I found it gave a great vision of the open countryside in the north of England. The story is based on a farming family south of The Lake District, during WW2. The father had three sons and a daughter, but the eldest son was disowned and had gone to live in Canada after an argument with his father over marrying a girl his father did not approve of. It was the daughter who ...more

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Apr 08, 2023 Sarah G rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this. Great story, dialogue, location and characters. I wish the detective MacDonald had appeared rather earlier though. (Audiobook)

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Feb 23, 2020 Ellen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Loved this. It guessed whodunnit!

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Jul 03, 2020 Sandy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-detective-grp, mystery-classic, rread-2020

Excellent at setting the scene (a farm community during WWII), an interesting and complex family situation, and a sympathetic and intelligent detective. A pleasant read. Farming is a hard occupation.

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