Henrietta Jenkins comes home from university shortly before her 21st birthday to identify the body of her mother who has been killed in a hit-and-run incident on a quiet village road. However, a post mortem reveals both that Mrs Jenkins has never had a child and that she was probably deliberately killed. This leaves Henrietta without an identity as she never met her father, and Inspector Sloan and Constable Crosby with the problem of why Mrs Jenkins (if indeed she was Mrs Jenkins) was murdered – and whether the two questions are related.
It’s a very readable and enjoyable tale. Catherine Aird creates excellent characters, with Sloan himself being a pleasure to spend time with, and a very good sense of place and the way English village life works. She has an often rather dry humour in her writing which I like very much and which gives the narrative a bit of extra sparkle. Gritty realism it certainly ain’t, but it’s none the less engrossing and enjoyable for that.
I’m delighted to have discovered this series and will certainly be reading on. Warmly recommended.
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