A LESSON IN DYING - Ann Cleeves


Ann Cleeves has written the books from which some of my favorite BritBox TV shows are based. Shetland (based on the Shetland Island series) has been fantastic and Vera (from the Vera Stanhope series) is a must-watch for mystery/police procedural fans. When I saw this book, the first book in a different series, being offered up as an ARC I thought I was going to be in early on a new series. However, this is actually one of Cleeves' earliest series, first published in 1990, given new life, being rereleased. One wonders if maybe someone is looking for a new television contract...?

In any event, this book features an Inspector Ramsay - a dedicated though somewhat frustrated Inspector working in the small village of Heppleburn when the headmaster, Harold Medburn, of the local school is murdered. The tight-knit community doesn't seem to mourn Medburn's death at all, and Inspector Ramsay has no shortage of possible killers ... no one, not even his wife, seemed to like the man.

This should be a quick, open and shut case for Ramsay, but he's hampered by a village that continually sends him down false paths. Ramsay's reputation, not to mention justice for the victim and his family, are at stake.

I rather enjoyed this mystery. The story itself is classic a classic who-dunnit mystery. We get the same information that Ramsay gets and we're generally just as stymied as he is. The fact that nobody other than Ramsay seems to want the killer found adds to the old-school charm of this story. It actually strikes me as rather Hitchcockian.

The characters in the village seem to outdo each other in oddball-ness (British writers really create such great characters!). I liked so many of these characters - even Medburn stands out for his vitriolic character.

But what holds this book back, or perhaps shows that this is early Cleeve, is that our leading character, Inspector Ramsay, is the least interesting character in the book.  He's dedicated and intent on doing right, but he's also not exactly the best Inspector on record. He is easily overshadowed by all the other, more interesting, people in the book.

I'd love to see where this goes.  Cleeve is most definitely a great mystery writer and I suspect that this only gets better as it goes along. When Ramsay can rise up and be at least as interesting as those he's investigating, we'll have another must read series.

Looking for a good book? A Lesson in Dying is the first book in an older series by stalwart author Ann Cleeves. It's great to read to see how Cleeves has grown as an author but also great to read as a good mystery. A short read, this is perfect for a day at the beach.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

3-1/2 stars

* * * * * *

A Lesson in Dying

author: Ann Cleeves

series: Inspector Ramsay #1

publisher: Minotaur Books

ISBN: 9781250389862

paperback, 240 pages

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