The thing I enjoy about P. D. James’ Detective Chief Adam Dalgliesh is that he puts together a fine team. The crimes are meaty and complex, and half the fun is Dalgleish and his posse holding team meetings to review the bits and pieces everyone has uncovered during the day and steadily working their way to the solution. Whereupon the group of suspects is convened (and there is always a pool of such to choose from) and Dalgleish lays down the verdict whilst the rest give the side eye to the murderer in their midst. Well, this book wasn’t quite like that.
Sally Jupp, previously a resident of St. Mary’s Refuge for Girls, has been hired by Mrs. Eleanor Maxie as house-parlormaid, baby and all. Sour Martha, the cook and housekeeper, is not a fan. But the extra help is needed at the moment. The St Ched’s Church Fête Is approaching, and the Maxies have always hosted. The two Maxie offspring, Stephen, a rather good natured young doctor, and Deborah, divorced and cynical, are here to give assistance, hopefully as little as possible. Mr. Maxie doesn’t count, since he’s upstairs dying. Mrs. Maxie’s real assistants are the vicar, the head of St. Mary’s Refuge, and Mr. Maxie’s doctor. In addition, there is Catherine, Stephen’s presumptive fiancé, and a nurse. Plans are made, and a series of ghastly dinners is held by the sullen lot. But the drama is upped when the next morning after the festivities, Sally is found in her locked room, murdered in her bed, baby sleeping peacefully in crib nearby.
Of course, since the fête was held in basically the Maxie’s back yard, and nearly the entire village tromped in and out of the manor house all day, the list of possibilities widens considerably. So very much not like a normal Adam Dalgleish mystery, but early days – first one, actually. And I was pleased to be half right, take that as you will.