The Malvern Murders – review

Author – Kerry Tombs

Publisher – Joffe Books

Date – 2019 (revised and updated, original 2006)

Length – 207 pages

Stars – 5/5

Review

Over the Christmas period, I had more time than usual to read and managed to get myself absorbed in a few brilliant books.  The Malvern Murders was another book I found by chance whilst scrolling for crime fiction.  I was intrigued by the book cover which I know you should never judge but everyone always does.  At the time I was keen to read this as there were no other reviews on Kindle so I was really going in blind. I see many others had the same thought as there a now a few ratings, all good I may add.

This Victorian detective novel conjures thoughts and imagery of a classic Holmes story but Tombs definitely celebrates his own flare for the genre.  This is the first instalment in the Detective Ravenscroft series which I’m glad to read as this left me wanting more.

Detective Ravenscroft is a Whitechapel policeman who, due to a faltering performance, is sent to Malvern by his superior to experience the Water Cure.  I had never heard of this before but, sure enough, it is a real folks tale relating the Malvern water, which you can buy bottle in most good shops and apparently has healing properties.  Of course, whilst undergoing such treatment, Ravenscroft finds himself swept up in a murder case.  There are many twists and turns and the real killer was not obvious to me but is hidden in plain sight.  

My only slight reservation is a love interest which feels a little undercooked. Maybe this is to flourish in the next story so I will reserve any criticism.

Favourite Character

Stebbins

The clerk in Malvern at the Tudor Hydropathic Establishment, where Dr Mountcourt oversees Ravenscroft Water Cure treatment.  An endearing character but I’m a little perplexed as to why I seem to have him speaking like the Artful Dodger when he is from the Midlands. He proves to be a helping hand for our protagonist and made the story just that little bit more real and relatable.

Favourite Word

Tontine

An agreement whereby multiple parties agree to pay a sum into a fund and thereafter receive a set annuity.  As the members of the group die, their shares devolve to the other participants.

I had never heard this word before this book but, as is usual with these things, have heard it at least twice on the TV in the last week since finishing reading this book.

Recommendation

Get it read! I am already reading the second instalment by Tombs and thoroughly enjoying it!