Death on the Downs a Fethering Mystery [CD-ROM]

Simon Brett (Author)

Product Details

• CD-ROM
• Publisher: BLACKSTONE AUDIO BOOKS (2002)
• ASIN: B000Q1LPK2
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I miss Brett's usual wit, January 9, 2002

By 

Stefanie N (Schuyler, VA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Death on the Downs (Fethering Mystery) (Hardcover)

I'm a huge fan of Simon Brett's "Charles Paris" series, a moderate fan of his "Mrs.Pargeter" series. In his mysteries I always enjoy his wit and sense of irony particularly as regards his characters' (both principal and minor) lack of self-knowledge. In "Death on the Downs" Carol Seddons inadvertantly discovers a dismembered skeleton in a village near her town. Carol, a button-down (or at least a Burberry raincoat) type teams up with her free-spirited neighbor Jude to solve the case. What ensues is an exploration of the village's history and the interdynamics of its residents. Brett describes the gentrifying of the village, including the takeover of the local pub by a countrywide hospitality chain. Humble cottages become yuppie showplaces and skyrocketing property values make living in the village out of reach for working class people who were born and raised there. This class distinction is one of the causes of the action that follows and makes for amusing moments. Of one of the new homes Brett wonders whether it really needed both a turret and a belltower.

The situation is ripe for satire and yet Brett's storyline is grim, quite possibly due to the focus on Carol who really is quite dour. My sense is that Brett relishes characters with quirks and neither Jude nor Carol have many. I found the mystery itself dissatisfying and can only recommend it for Brett's talent for description of the village and some of the peripheral characters.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars As always, a "good read", August 20, 2001

By 

G. Green "book junky" (PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death on the Downs (Fethering Mystery) (Hardcover)

I have read 26 of Mr. Brett's books. This book, the second in his new series, is not up to his usual standards. Previousely his lead characters were well presented, warts and all. Carole is not as colorful a character as Charles Paris or Mrs. Pargeter although she is improving. I could do without Jude, she's rather boring, in fact the dog is more engaging. Ted has real possibilities and the addition of other villagers would help. With this said, I did enjoy the book although I'll probably wait for the paperback next time.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good mystery, August 8, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death on the Downs (Fethering Mystery) (Hardcover)

With her friend Jude away for an indefinite time and her dog with an injured foot, divorcee Carole Seddon forgoes her usual walk on the Feathering beach. Instead, she drives to the West Sussex town of Weldisham to walk on the Downs for her morning constitution. Just as she's about to head back to the car, it starts pouring and she takes refuge in an abandoned barn.

While waiting for the rain to abate, Carole, sitting on some wooden planks, slips, jarring her seat into revealing fertilizer bags filled with human bones. She calls the police who realize they have a criminal case on their hands. Much to Carole's surprise she wants to find the identity of the remains and how they got in the barn. When Jude returns, she's as eager as Carole is to solve the case. The two friends, in their own way, begin to investigate.

Carole and Jude are as different as two people can be yet their friendship is so real and dynamic it is electrifying. Their thought processes are very different yet they always end up agreeing with one another on a point of contention. The atmosphere of an English village gives DEATH ON THE DOWNS a delightful ambiance that the armchair traveler will enjoy.

Harriet Klausner