Product Description

It wasn't the rain that upset Carole Seddon during her walk on the West Sussex Downs. It wasn't the dilapidated barn in which she was forced to seek shelter. No, what upset her most was the human skeleton she discovered there...So begins the second investigation for strait-laced Carole and her more laid-back neighbour Jude. This time their enquiries take them away from Fethering to the small download hamlet of Weldsham, where gossips quickly identify the corpse as Tamsin Lutteridge, a young woman who disappeared from the village months before...'Simon Brett has got into his stride with his second book in the "Fethering Mysteries" series...His light touch produces an enjoyable mystery.' - Susanna Yager, "Sunday Telegraph". 'Welcome return for Brett's lady sleuths...As crime gets a harder edge, it's refreshing to have an amiable light-hearted tale, which makes the most of wit and atmosphere. A gentle stroll down mystery lane.' - "Yorkshire Post". 'One of the exceptional detective-story writers around.' - "Daily Telegraph"

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7882468 in Books
• Published on: 2001-10
• Formats: Audiobook, Unabridged
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 6
• Binding: Audio Cassette

Review
'Simon Brett has got into his stride with his second book in the Fethering Mysteries series... His light touch produces an enjoyable mystery' Sunday Telegraph

About the Author
Simon Brett worked as a radio and TV producer taking up writing full time. As well as the Charles Paris and Mrs Pargeter detective series, he is also the author of the TV series 'After Henry', the radio series 'No Commitments' and 'Smelling of Roses', and the best-selling 'How to be a Little Sod'. His novel 'A Shock to the System' was filmed starring Michael Caine.

From AudioFile
Carole Seddon "parked the Renault on the outskirts of Weldisham, a village in the foothills of the South Downs that looked from the outside as though it hadn't changed much since the days when Agatha Christie might have set a murder there." Since Christie has at last consummated her flirtation with death, Simon Brett is the one who must produce the human skeleton, and get this story going. Brett has a beautiful, deep voice, with just a dash of plum. There follows a classic English mystery. Who's good? Who's wicked? Carole trusts her friend Jude, or does she? The puzzle challenges the mind. The neat prose and precise reading gratify the ear. B.H.C. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Customer Reviews

somewhat glib
I think "glib" is the word I would use to describe this book. Not that it's poorly written, it just seems rather formulaic. Simon Brett writes for TV and I think that shows in Death/Downs. The characters are well-delineated, and he manages to sustain a sense of mystery, but somehow the plot failed to come to life. Actually, the villain isn't very scary. If you like "cozy mysteries", you might like this more than I did. Not a bad book, but not a great one either.

Brett at his best
I first read Brett's Charles Paris mysteries and enjoyed them, but in the Fethering series (four so far), he has outdone himself. I've bought and lent these books for and to several friends. Good stuff.

Good Character Development from The Body on the Beach
It would be a mistake to read this book without first reading The Body on the Beach in which amateur detectives and neighbors Carole Seddon and Jude (no last name) meet one another. If opposites attract, these two fiftyish women make that point. Carole is a retired Home Office bureaucrat who likes things tidy and prefers her distance from people. Jude is friendly, messy, and plunges right in. That contrast was well established in The Body on the Beach. In Death on The Downs, the two characters begin to develop other facets. But if you haven't read the first book, you'll miss the relevance of much of that character development.

Carole Seddon once again stumbles on evidence of foul play when she uncovers a human skeleton while seeking shelter from the rain in an old barn. The local police are very sympathetic and even offer her counseling. Carole learns that there's been a young woman missing for four months. Could that be the victim? When Carole shares her experiences and theory with Jude, Jude is floored. She knows the missing woman!

Carole begins to exploit her developing social skills to find out more about what's going on in Weldisham, where she found the bones. Jude uses her alternative therapy contacts (and a little blackmail) to check out other lines of inquiry.

Carole knows she's on the right track when she begins to receive threats. Before the story is over, she'll pay a high price for her curiosity.

Readers who enjoyed The Body on the Beach will find Death on the Downs to be an easier book to read, with more interesting action.

This series is well worth reading and I hope you enjoy it!