A Dirty Death

Rating:
Summary: so-so mystery
Review: What an awful way to die. In spite of his warnings to his children over the last fourteen years about how unsafe the slurry pit is, farmer Guy Beardon somehow drowned in the disgusting muck. His twenty-year old daughter Lilah, who discovered the body, is stunned by the tragedy as is her brother and mother. Police officer Denholm Cooper rules the death was caused by a nasty accident.

Two more related deaths follow, which leads Cooper to reassess his original position. Someone apparently is out to get the Beardens and anyone associated with the family. Den, who is beginning to fall in love with Lilah, starts making inquiries. Several suspects surface who loathed Guy, and the culprit will murder again if necessary to protect his or her identity.

A DIRTY DEATH is an intriguing English rural police procedural novel that will entertain sub-genre fans especially with its insight into modern farming. The story line is interesting although careless editing hurts it at times. Lilah, Den, and Guy come across as fully developed charcaters, but the rest of the cast seems flat. Still, Rebecca Tope shows much talent that will encourage readers to want to obtain future novels by her.

Harriet Klausner