The sun breaks through the clouds to shine on a little cottage where a mossy path leads to the front door, but inside something terrible has happened…
Police photographer Sukey Reynolds is looking forward to a quiet weekend gardening at home, when she gets a call that there has been a shocking break-in at a local manor house. Once she begins to gather evidence, Sukey realises that this is the latest in a spate of well-crafted burglaries in the Cotswolds. Someone is targeting expensive houses with valuable art collections…
Thankfully, the police soon have a suspect in custody. But, during questioning, he suddenly catches a glimpse of Sukey, turns deathly pale and calls out to her. Sukey is sure she has never met this man before… Is this a bizarre joke, or is there a stranger out there who is Sukey’s perfect double in every way?
Just as Sukey begins to suspect she’s being followed, the police are baffled by a spate of local murders. With the body count rising, and the police unsure of where to turn, is Sukey herself a clue in this strange case? Can she unmask the killer before she becomes the next victim?
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Review
I finished part two of this series and I enjoyed it so much, I started the next book straight away.
Sukey is a SOCO and they do very important jobs. Trying to find the tiniest clue in order to uncover the culprits is the first step, but I don’t have the slightest doubt she would make a very good detective too. Both professions require a good memory and you have to pick up every piece of the puzzle and Sukey is always on the ball for sure.
I guess we all know Robin Hood. In my opinion our burglar might be one of his descendants who forgot part of the story along the way 😊. He steals from the wealthy and does not want to hurt anybody. The only thing he forgets is to give to the poor. He only lines his pockets and those of even wealthier people. Maybe he should reread the story. 😉
Is it possible to feel sympathy for a not so good person? Yes, it is because he does realise what he is doing is not kosher, but when he realises who he does it for and what is at stake he feels even worse and he makes a admirable decision.
Sukey, who normally does not have to deal with killers directly, now feels herself very much in the middle of the action. Thank God for attentive civilians, right?
This is not a good book. It is a great book. I loved it. 5 stars
Thank you
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About the author
Betty Rowlands 1923-2020
Betty Rowlands burst onto the crime scene in her mid sixties by winning the Sunday Express / Veuve Clicquot Crime Short Story of the Year Competition which shows it’s never too late to start writing. Her success continued with her highly acclaimed Melissa Craig mysteries featuring a crime writer who solves mysteries in Gloucestershire. Her second series, The Sukey Reynolds Stories comprise of thirteen books, featuring Sukey Reynolds, a Scenes of Crime Officer who later becomes a detective. She lived in the heart of the Cotswolds, where her Melissa Craig mysteries are set, and then in Bristol which is closer to Sukey Reynolds patch, where she lived until her death on 29 July 2020, just a few months before her 97th birthday. She passed peacefully in the residential home that she called ‘home’. She will be greatly missed by her two surviving children, her four grandchildren, six great grandchildren, other family members, her friends and you, her many readers. The resurgence in interest in her Melissa Craig and Sukey Reynolds books in her last years gave her immense pleasure. She loved to receive emails from her fans knowing that her writing was being so enjoyed. Betty may no longer be with us but Melissa and Sukey are still there solving those mysteries. Keep on reading!
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Book Link
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Beacon-Cottage-absolutely-addictive-ebook/dp/B07QJZF9HG/
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