I hunted down a copy of this for a monthly read of the English Mysteries Goodreads group; I'd never read any of the Midsomer Murders novels before, and somehow never even saw any of the PBS Mystery! series made from them, so it was all new and different. (Really, though, I don't know how I managed to miss these all these years.)The plot summary: an elderly woman is found dead in her cottage in a lovely-seeming English village, and because her best friend will not back down from her assertion that it was not a natural death Chief Inspector Barnaby and his sidekick Sgt. Troy are sent in to look into it. In the course of their investigation, the cozy, charming village cracks wide open to reveal a seamy, sordid gooey interior that would make Miss Marple blanch. (Well, maybe not.) Incest, adultery, murder, attempted murder, blackmail, incest (did I miss anything?) … It all comes spewing out when Barnaby begins to poke into things. (Was anyone other than Barnaby sleeping with who they were supposed to be?)I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of the sort of novel that insists that beneath every idyllic appearance is something awful. And after a while the sheer volume of sordidness began to push the envelope; I mean, really? Nearly every single person in the village had some horrible secret whose discovery might have led to murder? It might have been refreshing if there had been someone besides the victim and her friend (Misses Simpson and Bellringer, respectively) had been guilty of no more than a late library book. But no. The positive side to this is that I never saw the solution to the puzzle coming – with the rather satisfying conclusion that, really, it's the only answer that really makes sense to the question of "who was it Miss Simpson saw in the woods": no other pair would, in so-modern 1982, really necessarily care enough or have enough to lose as to be driven to kill someone who saw them. That being said, some of the characterizations were fun. The best things about the book were Miss Bellringer and Barnaby and his family. The former is unapologetic – she knows there is something wrong about her friend's death, and she'll be dashed if she doesn't see to it that it's solved. She's a bit of a heroine. I'd be perfectly happy with a series centered around her. And the latter, Barnaby and his wife and daughter, are terrific. One of my deepest sources of irritation in any book or tv series featuring these high-stress non-9-to-5 jobs (cop, lawyer, doctor) is the clichéd storyline of the wife (usually) who constantly complains and nags over the unpredictability of the spouse's job, and usually leaves. I love that Joyce, Barnaby's missus, is a real partner to him, interested in his work and understanding of the fact that his schedule is not predictable. I hope that doesn't change. Speaking of partners … Sgt. Troy, the cynical, sarcastic terrible driver who is Barnaby's associate on the job, was a surprise. I don't recall ever seeing a relationship like this in a mystery series. Troy's prejudices and bitterness, once I got past the initial shock of the pure internal disrespect his external smarminess covered, made for kind of a nice change from other series where the chief can do no wrong, held in the highest esteem. There's some scope there, with Troy snarking away in his head and Barnaby unable to resist baiting and teasing him. One aspect I feel is a flaw, but which might have been somewhat unavoidable in a series' opening novel, is the insistence on providing the two supporting characters, Troy and Joyce, with a Flaw: Troy is a terrible driver and Joyce is a terrible cook. It casts a kind of unsuitably comic light on the story, as Barnaby walks away from a life-threatening breakfast table to embark on a life-threatening drive with his partner. (Aren't the police supposed to have some sort of intensive driving course?) This bit – and the setting of the Classic English Village – make it feel like a cozy mystery – but for me the graphic descriptions of some of the deaths keeps it out of the subgenre of Cozy. (Also, I always think of a cozy as having an amateur detective lead, but don't quote me.) This wouldn't be a proper review if I failed to mention the Rainbirds. I heard (read) a lot about them as I got ready to read Badger's Drift … and … honestly? While they were horrors, they didn't quite live up to their billing as dreadfulness in the extreme . I don't know whether that was a relief or a disappointment … I've already tracked down the second book in the series, and watched the PBS adaptation of Badger's (which was great fun, and faithful enough to be going on with). I liked this, and I will certainly read (and watch) more in the series. It won't, however, be a high priority.
For those of you who are familiar with the television show Midsomer Murders and have never read the series they are based on, I have to ask you one question: Why?I admit though that I've been watching the series for years, but didn't discover until recently it was based on novels by Caroline Graham. I put them on my wish list, so when I found a copy of the first book when I went shopping on my birthday I knew it was kismet.There were very few things changed for television, nearly all minor. The only major one was the fate of Dennis Rainbird. I won't say more in case you're unfamiliar with the series.Mrs. Barnaby’s cooking is as bad as in the show; perhaps worse.Barnaby laid down his knife and fork. You could ask just so much from ordinary tempered cutlery.Troy’s driving (and attitude toward just about everything) is as depicted.There’s no need to drive as if you’re auditioning for the Sweeney*, Sergeant.One difference, although not all that important in the greater scheme of things, is that Troy is married in the book. This fact is mentioned rarely as his other half isn't needed to help define his character, whereas Joyce Barnaby’s relationship to her husband is critical.Tom Barnaby loved his wife. Joyce was kind and patient. She was a good listener. He always talked when he came home, usually about work, knowing her discretion was absolute. And she would look as interested and concerned at the end of half an hour as she had at the beginning.His wife is his sounding board and confidant and knows more than she ever lets on to her husband. When she does respond, it’s timed well and is gentle and understanding. It works perfectly in balancing Barnaby’s character.Then there is Caroline Graham’s way with a descriptive phrase. It was breathtaking at times; a true mystery writer’s prose, never being too trite or too dark.She took a Burberry cape from a hook behind the door and flapped her way into it.*****Even when it was shorn of the eulogistic flavour deemed obligatory in all statements about the recently dead, Barnaby was still left with the picture of a singularly nice human being.*****Barbaby sank into an armchair thickly barnacled with bumps of crochet.And my favorite:She could have been any age between thirty and sixty. The only certain thing was she hadn’t been a girl since he’d been a been a boy scout…She wore lipstick like vermilion Vaseline and thick makeup journeyed over the eruptions and into the craters of her complexion. You could join all those dots up till the cows come home, thought Barnaby, and never reach the hidden treasure.The TV series is a favorite, but after reading this first novel in the series, I’m hooked even deeper. All the characters from the show are done well and pretty much in sync with the novel, but it’s the thoughts, the observations, all the things that can’t be translated completely into a script that makes reading the books so much better.I still am not the fondest of Troy, and I think the book does Joyce more justice than the TV series – but this is why I like Caroline Grahams writing so much. The development of the plot and its characters is so much more robust than what I’ve seen represented visually.I’m usually disappointed when I watch adaptations of a book, but not this time. Quite the opposite. I can’t wait to get my hands on more of Caroline Graham’s books as well as watch more repeats of Midsomer Murders. I feel the books, much like the shows, are ones I’ll return to from time to time and never, ever, lend out.Sorry my friends, if you want some of your own Midsomer goodness, you’re going to have to go buy it yourself or hope your library has copies. Mine are going onto the “if there was a fire and you could only grab one box of books” shelf.
Do You like book The Killings At Badger's Drift (2005)?
I have watched all the seasons available on Acorn TV of Midsomer Murders and finally decided to read one of the books. This is the first book in the series that Midsomer Murders is based on. In this book, we meet Chief Inspector Barnaby and Sargeant Troy and the additional characters of Joan, Barnaby’s wife and Cully, his actress daughter. I have seen the episode based on this book so there was not much to surprise me, especially because the book and TV show were very similar.This is a well written, at times humorous introduction to the series. It captures the classic English village mystery feel to a T. The characters are well drawn and interesting and the mystery is well plotted with red herrings and misdirection. I am really glad I finally read one of the books and will look to read others in the series. Very enjoyable read that immersed me in the world of Midsomer Murder.
—Fanficfan44
Morte na Aldeia é um excelente policial em todos os seus elementos! Começando pelo tom animado da autora que cria uma atmosfera espirituosa bastante divertida mas também enervante e até macabra, destilando a cada parágrafo a noção da típica aldeia pequena e antiquada ao adoptar ela própria um estilo de escrita ligeiramente antiquado.As descrições são óptimas, tanto de cenário, que julgo ser indispensável num bom policial, como das personagens - um conjunto de personalidades convincentes e individualmente bem trabalhadas, que acabam por contribuir, cada uma, para tornar o livro ainda mais misterioso.Na minha experiência de leitura a identidade do assassino acabou por ser uma surpresa completamente chocante e inesperada. Caroline Graham conseguiu, sem dúvida, levar-me a roer as unhas de curiosidade até ao final do livro com as constantes reviravoltas e actividades suspeitas, possivelmente incriminatórias, das várias personagens, levando-me a tirar conclusões falsas, umas atrás das outras, alterando constantemente a identidade do principal suspeito.
—Tempo de Ler
I read this book after I watched many episodes of Midwomer Murder with the adorable John Nettles as Inspector Barnaby. Might I have loved this book as much if I hadn't watched or loved the series? Not sure. perhaps liked it a lot. The characters are much better drawn and fleshed out than in the TV series. And such interesting quirks. Joyce is tone deaf when it comes to food (superb), Or Troy's bigorty! For a straight forward murder mystery, the characters are memorable and of course made easier to remember thanks to the brilliant cast in the Tv series. About the book. It is involved, there are several people to confuse the reader and yet enough to keep you going without getting confused. Its a straight forward mystery.What makes Ms. Graham's work stand out for me is that her characters are so interesting that even if the mystery is less than perfect, one forgives heartily and wants more just to be able to hang out with Barnaby and his gang!
—Ranjini Iyer
