I’ve read, and enjoyed, the eight Detective Chief Inspector John Shadow mysteries by British writer H L Marsay. Set largely in the city of York, they’re intriguing stories amplified through the often-comical interactions of the dour Shadow and his detective sergeant, Jimmy Chang.
Marsay has also written four mystery novels in the Secrets of Hartwell series. The first is Betrayal at the Old Hall, also set in York but in the small town of Hartwell near the moors of north York. The series is less a police procedural and more of “murder club,” with four friends unexpectedly working together to solve several crimes, which may turn out to be related.
Lady Lucy Hanley is the youngish owner of Hartwell Hall, trying to raise her young son alone after her husband’s disappearance a year before. The hall is in desperate need of repair, and Lucy is flirting with renting it out for various events, like weddings, receptions, and movie sets. Her best friend is Rachel Foxton, a teacher in the local school and the second member of the quartet.
H L Marsay
Meera Kuman is the town’s new doctor, and she’s arrived with her young son to get away from her husband, his family, and her own family. And the fourth member is Jo Ormond, a former London police detective busted down to detective sergeant after a case gone awry.
Each of the four has personal baggage. Each is discovering a romantic interest. Lucy learns she’s being stalked. When a murder occurs, the four find themselves tracking down a killer and possibly facing danger. And their own secrets begin to unravel as well.
Betrayal at the Old Hall is a relatively lighthearted mystery, despite the presence of murder. It’s somewhat easy to see that the next three mysteries will like each focus on a different member of the investigating quartet.
A member of the Crime Writers Association, Marsay lives with her family in the city of York in England. In addition to the John Shadow mysteries, she’s also published The Lady in Blue mysteries.
Related:
A Viking’s Shadow by H L Marsay.
A Ghostly Shadow by H L Marsay.
A Roman Shadow by H.L. Marsay.
A Forgotten Shadow by H L Marsay.
A Christmas Shadow by H L Marsay.
A Stolen Shadow by H.L. Marsay.
Some Monday Readings
Britain: Rallying round the flag – Owen Polley at The Critic Magazine.
I Hated Novak Djokovic. Now I’m Rooting for Him – Uri Berliner at The Free Press.
Notes on the Greatest Night in Pop – Ian Leslie at The Ruffian.
Will at center of legal battle over Shakespeare’s home unearthed after 150 years – Caroline Davies at The Guardian.
Open Sesame! Translators Unlock Words and Worlds – Joel Miller at Miller’s Book Review.
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