Customer Reviews

Night She Died, The

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

 

 

This is my first by Dorothy Simpson (although there are now more than a dozen in the series) but definitely a series worth pursuing. The protagonist, Luke Thanet, is a no-nonsense, down-to-earth police officer. He is an easy-going family man who methodically works his way through his cases until coming up with the end result by process of elimination. In this book, the murder of a young housewife may or may not be tied into another murder that took place over two decades before. Simpson's descriptions of the English countryside, towns, and villages add so much to the story; you can almost picture being there.

A friend gave me the first three books in the Inspector Thanet series as a birthday gift and I really enjoyed this first entry. It is a typical English police procedural with the added bonus of having some personal glimpses of the inspector and his family thown in. Some books tend to be too cut & dry with its police work but this one really has a nice balance between the professional and personal sides of the main character. The mystery is rather easy to figure out as there is one really big clue thrown in towards the beginning but that did not detract from my enjoyment. Looking forward to reading the second & third books.

Simpson's Inspector Luke Thanet mysteries manage to combine the rigor of police procedurals with something of the feel of English country house murders. This early entry in the series is good example. A young housewife is knifed to death in her own home. Thanet must decide whether the motive for murder's lies in her present or her past as the denizens of a small town try to hide their secrets.

I have searched local used books stores for this particular title for some time. I do not normally purchase books on the internet but found this on Amazon and am very glad that I did. It was used but in good condition and a pleasure to read.

This is the first in the Inspector Thant Series originally published in 1981. Even though it is over 25 years old, it still holds up to today's standards.

Inspector Like Thanet is called into investigate the brutal death of Julie a young housewife murdered in her own home. Though married, this beautiful woman had many men interested in her, yet she seemed to spurn them all. Digging further, Thanet finds many similarities to a murder some twenty years before when a then three year old Julie witnesses a murder. Thanet must decide if her past caught up with her and whether a conniving murderer plotted their revenge.

This is a great series. Don't think you need to read them in order since I haven't and I don't seem to have missed anything.

The books aren't easy to find but well worth the hunt.

I AM TRYING TO READ ALL OF DOROTHY SIMPSON'S "INSPECTOR LUKE THANET" STORIES, AND EVEN THO I AM NOT READING THEM IN ORDER, THEY ARE STILL GREAT!! IF YOU LIKE BRITISH POLICE PROCEDURALS, THIS IS THE SERIES FOR YOU, ALSO LUKE HAS A FAMILY AND SEEMS TO BE A NORMAL GUY....THAT'S A CHANGE FROM THE NEUROTIC INSPECTOR'S WE SOMETIMES ENCOUNTER IN FICTION. OH WELL, I LOVE THEM ALL, BUT THIS ONE IS SPECIAL!!