“Can she solve the case – and save herself? Or have her days of sleuthing come to an end?”
- Book: A Body On The Beach
- Location: Cornwall
- Author: Dee MacDonald
Oh Dear – It’s over already!
I finished this lovely book in just a couple of sittings, and yet still managed to immerse myself in its pages, savouring every single word.
As an avid follower of this series, I feel as though I have got to know the resident characters of fictional Tinworthy quite well, so reading a new chapter in the life of the village always feels like ‘going home’ to Cornwall, one of my most favourite parts of the country, even if there does seem to be a disproportionately high number of murders for such an intimate location.
But have no fear! You don’t need to have read this series from the beginning to feel part of the village life, as all the books work great as stand alone stories, with author Dee MacDonald having honed the knack of bringing any new readers up to date with necessary back-story details, to perfection, with just a few cleverly placed sentences and as a seamless part of the current storyline, all without ever making her regular followers feel short-changed.
At this point in my reviews, I usually try to provide a short, no spoiler overview of the storyline. However on this occasion, the premise provides just about all the relevant facts of the case, so to add anything further would certainly be information ‘too much detail’, for anyone planning to read the book. Suffice to say that my suspect list was every bit as long as Kate’s own, although I felt quite pleased with myself that in addition to Kate’s many names, my own list included that of the eventual murderer, although I had no idea about a motive, just a strong feeling that I didn’t like or trust them. There are always plenty of red herrings and twists in any case with which Kate is involved and this one proved to be particularly tricky, with the final sting in the tail being totally unexpected by just about everyone. When the reasons for the murders were revealed, I was really surprised at just how clever author Dee MacDonald had been in weaving together two seemingly unrelated strands of the storyline, one of which Kate herself had unwittingly been a party to. The police were definitely barking up the wrong tree completely, so it’s a good job Kate had ignored all their warnings about getting too involved in the case, as on this occasion, she herself had been one of the prime suspects!
This time Kate not only almost broke my fourth golden rule for what makes a great fiction storyline – that the main protagonist shouldn’t end up dead – but she also almost took Woody and Jack down with her, although I have to say that they were as ‘up for the chase’ as much as Kate herself was. In fact, all three of them were willing orchestrators of the final showdown, which almost inevitably wasn’t going to end well, so is Woody still really unhappy about Kate’s constant sleuthing, or is he secretly beginning to come round to the idea of ‘keeping his hand in’ with the occasional police investigation. After all, Kate really does need a calming influence when it comes to an ongoing situation, as her thought processes can end up all over the place, despite the many suspect and motive lists she makes, which often makes Woody smile. He also has the knack of knowing when Kate is about to dash off and follow up a new lead, when he really doesn’t think it is such a good idea. However, as much as he tries to keep her in check, even down to actually making her promise not to follow up on a particularly risky lead, she will always find a way to outwit him, or change a detail or two, so that she can say that she honestly never disobeyed his specific request.
Well structured, multi-layered and highly textured, this storyline is fluently written in short, easy to navigate chapters, which keep the pace of the action non-stop and ever evolving. Plenty of wonderfully assured observational and descriptive narrative, together with some excellent conversational dialogue, offers a really good sense of time and place, making it all too easy to follow events as they unfold, whilst still not being able to spot the real villain of the piece. In this story, revenge is definitely a dish best served cold, although past traumas do have to be allowed for, as no one really understands the fragility of the human mind, despite the outward show of bluff and bravado.
Dee has created a multi-faceted, well drawn and defined cast of characters, who I could clearly visualise in my minds eye, especially Kate’s elder sister Angie, and her current partner, Irishman Fergal – as soon as you meet them, you’ll see what I mean about them being memorable and they are certain to raise a smile or two. Whether they are on the side of good or bad, all are authentically realistic and genuinely believable in the individual roles which have been created for them. Theirs is collectively a strong voice, with which they tell their own story, although some are more reliable witnesses, easy to connect with and relate to than others. The core cast of characters are like old friends and such are the dynamics between them, I almost feel that I could knock on any Tinworthy door, or visit any of the businesses and receive a warm welcome, so long as Kate or Woody were with me to break the ice a little first. Each episode generally features a couple of ‘outsiders’, who really don’t fit into village life at all and seldom tend to stick around, especially if they end up dead or in custody!
Kate Palmer decided not to take her husband’s name on marriage, well would you, when your surname is already a very fitting anagram of ‘Marple’. The similarities don’t stop with the shared name either, and even though there is quite a substantial age difference between them, Kate is definitely a modern day version of that famous amateur sleuth, even right down to some of her personality traits. With each passing story, I am growing more and more confused as to whether Kate reminds me more of Miss Marple or Jessica Fletcher. I suppose it rather depends on which side of the pond you live, as to where your loyalties lie!
Now that Kate and Woody have made their joint home in Kate’s charming cottage, her dog Barney gets double the walks, double the love and no doubt double the treats! He makes great cover for Kate when she is off on one of her ‘fishing’ missions for clues, a ploy which Woody has just cottoned onto and one he will no doubt be watching out for in the future!
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