Murder on the Marshes, Book Review

As the sun rises, a wealthy young woman – Samantha Seabrook – is found drowned in the ornamental fountain of a deserted Cambridge courtyard, the only clue – an antique silver chain wound tightly around her throat. It’s Tara Thorpe’s job to discover what happened to Miss Seabrook – but the case becomes personal when she learns that Samantha had been receiving death threats… rather like the one that landed on Tara’s doorstep the night the woman died.

Together with Detective Inspector Garstin Blake, Tara tracks the killer to the dank and dangerous fens on the outskirts of the city. But there’s something Tara can’t quite admit to Blake about her past – and it could make all the difference to whether they live… or die. Available here 

My review

This is the third book I have read by Clare Chase and they keep getting better and better. There’s a feel of Morse here despite that fact that we’re in the other ‘Bridge’, university town. Chase has a knack of dragging the reader, kicking and screaming from the comfort of their lounge and into a different place, a place that’s not always comfortable but glamorous all the same. Most of the characters are drawn from the higher echelons and who amongst us doesn’t enjoy a tale about the privileged?  Think Downton meeting Agatha and you’ll get the gist.  

The main character, journalist Tara, is well drawn as we follow her steps as she tries to puzzle just how someone managed to murder visiting professor, Samantha Seabrook. The side kick, Blake, the lead detective is an enticing introduction, a character I’m sure we’ll be hearing from again. 

If you liked Midsomer Murders you’ll like this 

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