Detective Matthew
Venn, standing outside the church at his father’s funeral, feels
estranged from his past. His musing is interrupted by a call that a
body has been found on the beach. The body is that of Simon Walden,
an alcoholic homeless man who is a talented chef. He also
volunteered at the Woodyard, a center for the care of disabled
adults.
As the investigation
proceeds, Mathew is drawn to the connection between the Woodyard and
the murdered man. The director at the Woodyard is Jonathan Church,
Mathew’s husband, which makes Mathew concerned about his
objectivity in the case. Lucy Braddick, a young woman with Down’s
Syndrome, was a special friend of Simon’s. Matthew thinks she may
have critical information but he must tread carefully because of
Jonathan and Lucy’s protective father.
I enjoyed the
characters in this novel. Matthew is quite different from the typical
hard driving detective. He has a quiet domestic life with Jonathan,
which is delightfully described. The setting in Devon where two
rivers come together, adds atmosphere to the story.
The plot is
convoluted with many characters, all with possible connections to the
murder. Altogether the book was a bit slow. Lucy was an engaging
character, and I enjoyed Matthew and Jonathan, but felt the pace
could have been better. In the end, the unraveling of the mystery is
rather messy and left me feeling unsatisfied.
I received this book
from Net Galley for this review.
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