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Starting/joining in with buddy reads
By Judy · 1342 posts · 372 views
By Judy · 1342 posts · 372 views
last updated 3 hours, 39 min ago
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White Nights by Ann Cleeves (Shetland #2) (August/Sept 25)
By Susan · 29 posts · 12 views
By Susan · 29 posts · 12 views
last updated Sep 04, 2025 12:17PM
What Members Thought
This is the eighth Gervase Fen mystery, first published in 1951. I am delighted these books are now back in print, and also available on Audible, as it is one of my favourite Golden Age series.
Fen goes undercover in a small village, which has been plagued by a spate of anonymous letters, which have resulted in deaths. Sadly, Fen is not that involved in the mystery until the end, but this is still a clever, well-plotted mystery, with an enjoyable setting. The central character is Helen Downing, a ...more
Fen goes undercover in a small village, which has been plagued by a spate of anonymous letters, which have resulted in deaths. Sadly, Fen is not that involved in the mystery until the end, but this is still a clever, well-plotted mystery, with an enjoyable setting. The central character is Helen Downing, a ...more
In this entertaining story of anonymous letters and murder Gervase Fen is undercover in the village of Cotton Abbas asking questions and generally finding his way into everything which is going on. In his inimitable fashion he soon uncovers all the villagers' secrets, the author of the letters and the murderer.
This is a light hearted story with plenty of amusing incidents and some marvellous characters including the cat, Lavender, who chases Martians and destroys everything in his way. Though th ...more
This is a light hearted story with plenty of amusing incidents and some marvellous characters including the cat, Lavender, who chases Martians and destroys everything in his way. Though th ...more
Very good mystery - ignore the blurb on the back of the book, as it is completely misleading! Although I managed to work out parts of the solution, I couldn't see how it all went together. Crispin also threw in a suspenseful side plot towards the end which kept me from being able to ponder on the clues.
Fen is incognito for the majority of the book, although for readers familiar with him it was easy to spot who he was on first appearance. Visiting the village of Cotten Abbas to investigate a spa ...more
Fen is incognito for the majority of the book, although for readers familiar with him it was easy to spot who he was on first appearance. Visiting the village of Cotten Abbas to investigate a spa ...more
This was one of the better Gervase Fen novels, I thought, with a very typical-mystery plot concerning poison-pen letters, inheritance issues, foolish young love, not quite so foolish older love, and an interesting cast of village characters.
Jul 10, 2023
Jazzy Lemon
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
english-authors,
classics
A whole lot of excitement there.
Mar 01, 2011
Jenn Estepp
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
sleuths-and-gumshoes,
libraries-are-great
Another Gervase Fen mystery, although this time he's theoretically undercover - or at least going by an alias - as he investigates a series of poison pen letters + murder in a picturesque village. It took me a while for me to get into it and for the characters to grow on me, but it/they did eventually. And really, "a while" is a relative term, since the books read so quickly once they get going. And yes, as twisty as I've come to expect, although not quite as ha ha ha. Really enjoyable, though.
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I think this is one of the better reads from this author. This describes a small community in the English countryside where woman doctor has started her practice, however there is a male doctor already who tends to the people and so she has very few patients. This meaning she has a very low income. We learn that there have been some of the people receiving anonymous letters, which is causing a lot of ill feeling. At the beginning we meet a man who has come to stay at the village. He decides that
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I do love the humor in the Gervase Fen books. The mystery puzzle was excellent and the village characters, memorable (such as the man trying to give up smoking).
Thanks to GR member Eric whose review provides the quote that inspired the title. I was wondering as there is no mention of divorce.
Thanks to GR member Eric whose review provides the quote that inspired the title. I was wondering as there is no mention of divorce.
Feb 12, 2008
Nancy Oakes
added it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
crime-fiction-uk,
crime-fiction
Jun 26, 2016
Miss M
marked it as second-in-line
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-i-own,
crime_classic-and-ga
May 14, 2021
Shaina
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mysteries,
kindle-unlimited
