Customer Reviews

Evans Above (A&B Crime S.)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The first installment in the Constable Evans series of Welsh mysteries introduces us to the quiet village of Llanfair, at the foot of mount Snowdon in Northern Wales. With its slate blue cottages and warm townsfolk, it is the last place on earth for murder. Or is it? Faster than you can say "bore da" (the Welsh "hello"), Constable Evan Evans - "You can't get more Welsh than that, can you?" (Page 213) - is whisked away from his weekly sermon at church when the terrible deaths of two apparent climbers take place at the famous mountain, quite furtively. An investigation immediately opens but Constable Evans doesn't get much help. He has to deal with some eccentric superiors who would not accept his hunches about the two deaths being connected, even though they happened in two different spots at Mount Snowdon.

Poor Evans doesn't have it easier on his personal turf either. Two local women are on his track: one exuberant barmaid and a demure school teacher who are at each other's throats over him, a landlady who overfeeds him Welsh delicacies, and the local minister's wife, who expects him to be at her beck-and-call for everything from tomato theft to flowerbed trampling.

This is a complex mystery that starts off with two murders, but it develops into an engaging puzzle of disappearances, child crimes, robbery, etc.; where Constable Evans always tries to find "a connection". As the book progresses, this becomes his mantra, as the confusion increases and the so called connection seems most elusive, but it's always lurking in the background, until it eventually turns up.

I didn't find the denouement all that fair to the reader. As a matter of fact, it is impossible to discover whodunit on the book's evidence alone because a vital piece of information is missing until, all of a sudden, we're confronted with the murderer. Withholding information in a mystery is a serious crime (get it?). The evidence, the clues, must all be well hidden and sometimes even presented deceptively; but they must always be there, and the reader must be able to sense them. This is not so in "Evans Above". Luckily, however, this country cozy is entertaining enough, when at the same time reflects the fierce nationalism that makes this part of the UK stand as a land on its own. The local customs and the spirit of the people come through, giving the book its true value. As it says in the prologue, one doesn't think of Wales as a foreign country, but in fact it is. It is one of those places I'd like to visit some day, and, thanks to books like this one, I know I'll keep it in my heart.

This is a delightful romp up and down Mt. Snowdon in north Wales. The mystery is not the most compelling or intense, but the narrative accurately portrays the Welsh independent characteristics and dialog, describes the beautiful country side and unique climate, and alludes to the differences between the Welsh and English. The book brings back fond memories for anyone who has visited this charming part of Wales. A book full of charm and humor. I'm looking forward to the next ramblings of Constable Evans -- and a trip back to Mt. Snowdon.

This new "cozy" mystery series begins with the new Constable Evan Evans who wants to return to the the idyllic quiet in Llanfair, Wales. He had been trained in Swansea but is returning to his home after his policeman father is killed in the line of duty.

But it seems murder is also in Llanfair when the bodies of two men, strangers it seems to each other, are found on a mountain. At first, it looks like an accident, but Evan Evans thinks they were murdered--but murdered separately. He finds a postcard indicating that the two men had come to the Llanfiar mountain in thememory of their Army buddy, but it doesn't given any inference as to why the men were killed. He sets out to find why and who.

Then, another stranger is found with his throat slashed in a cave. What does this have to do with the murder of the other two?

I was very glad to have discovered Ms. Bowen's Evan Evans. This is not a cloying cozy mystery. It grabbed my interest from the start, and I wanted to find more about Constable Evans and his life in Llanfair. I am glad Rhys Bowen is continuing the series and hope to read more.

I had heard of this series and when shopping one day, bought this first one to try it out. I was somewhat disappointed. It kept my interest long enough to want to confirm my thoughts on who committed the murders and I might even bother to buy & read the second in the series; however, the writing was at times amateurish and I found myself thinking of better ways to write what I had just read. The main character is interesting [and there is the obligatory love interest], but there were times that he contradicted himself in his treatment of his superiors and the townspeople.
This was enough for me to rate it four stars, but then having figured out who did it long before the end of the book, I rate it only three.

Althought this book is not a brain teaser, it is enjoyable, relaxing and fun to read. I must say I did like it.

If you have read any of M C Beaton's popular Hamish MacBeth series (set in the Scottish Highlands) you will find the whole setup entirely predictable. There's the likeable, unambitious village constable who (surprise surprise) ends up showing his superiors a thing or two. There's the lovely yet austere woman with whom a relationship is kindled. There's the village of supposedly colorful characters where everyone knows everyone's business.

Unfortunately the characters as drawn are not all that interesting, save that they share the same name. So we meet the butcher "Evans the Meat" and the milkman "Evans the Milk" as distinguished from our hero "Evans the Law." The plot, concerning two deaths on the Snowdon mountains is slow, and marred by the fact that we know so little about the victims or their families. It becomes hard to care very much. I found myself skimming the last third of the book just to find out whodunnit. The writing and plot development were so pedestrian that I could not stay focussed.

This new "cozy" mystery series begins with the new Constable Evan Evans who wants to return to the the idyllic quiet in Llanfair, Wales. He had been trained in Swansea but is returning to his home after his policeman father is killed in the line of duty.

But it seems murder is also in Llanfair when the bodies of two men, strangers it seems to each other, are found on a mountain. At first, it looks like an accident, but Evan Evans thinks they were murdered--but murdered separately. He finds a postcard indicating that the two men had come to the Llanfiar mountain in thememory of their Army buddy, but it doesn't given any inference as to why the men were killed. He sets out to find why and who.

Then, another stranger is found with his throat slashed in a cave. What does this have to do with the murder of the other two?

I was very glad to have discovered Ms. Bowen's Evan Evans. This is not a cloying cozy mystery. It grabbed my interest from the start, and I wanted to find more about Constable Evans and his life in Llanfair. I am glad Rhys Bowen continuing the series and hope to read more.

Constable Evan Evans is enjoying his quiet job in the small Welsh village of Llanfair. The only things that occupy his time are avoiding attempts to set him up with eligible women like Betsy the barmaid and answering the occasional call from Mrs. Powell-Jones about trespassers in her garden.

But one day, two bodies are found on nearby Mount Snowden. Both look like hiking accidents, but Evan is convinced that something strange is going on. Poking around, he finds a connection between the two men. But why were they lured to their death? Is there really a mad man on the loose on his beloved mountains?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The setting and characters were charming, and the subtle humor kept me smiling throughout. Part way through, I was convinced I knew what was going on, but wound up being completely surprised by the ending. The plot never looses its pace either. There was always some new bit of information to keep me glued to the book.

I'm glad I gave this series a try and am already planning a return visit. If you enjoy cozies, pick up the first in this fun series.

The Welsh countryside setting of this mystery novel is unusual, the characters are potentially intriguing, and the plot is decent enough, but the writing style is too dull and workmanlike. The narrative never, ever sings, and the dialogue never rises above the terribly mundane. Because of the little-seen setting and the pleasant characters, I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. Readable, but I'm afraid I won't be seeking out any more titles by this author.

Constable Evans is a very likable fellow. He is over qualified for his position in a small Welch village. The crimes he deals with have big city motives and criminals. The people who inhabit the village are interesting if somewhat strange. I read the first four books in the series and will buy the next one. They are an easy lite read. I easily read one an evening. The descriptions of the Welch countryside was just the thing for a hot summer evening. The glossary of Welch terms was interesting. The author is a writer of childrens books, I believe this to be her first venture into an older market. I think she's managed to find a nice market here. This series could easily be read by a child ten or older. A parent would have no concerns about adult content. All in all an enjoyable series.