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Ryder & Loveday Mystery #1
A Fatal Obsession
The start of a brand new series from the global bestselling author of the DI Hillary Greene series.
Oxford, 1960. There's a murderer on the loose and two unlikely heroes are poised to solve the case.
Meet Probationary WPC Trudy Loveday � smart, enthusiastic and always underestimated.
In the hope of getting her out of the way, Trudy’s senior officer assigns her to help coroner Clement Ryder as he re-opens the case of a young woman's death. She can't believe her luck � she is actually going to be working on a real murder case.
Meanwhile, the rest of the police force are busy investigating a series of threats and murders in the local community, and Clement can't help but feel it's all linked.
As Trudy and Clement form an unlikely partnership, are they going to be the ones to solve these crimes before the murderer strikes again?
A gripping, twisty crime novel that you won't be able to put down. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and M.C. Beaton.
The Ryder and Loveday Series
Book 1: A FATAL OBSESSION
Book 2: A FATAL MISTAKE
Book 3: A FATAL FLAW
‘A beautifully crafted crime mystery I could not put down.� Anita Davison, author of the Flora Maguire series
Readers love Faith Martin:
'A must read for all crime fiction fans'
'Have become an addict of Faith Martin � love her novels.'
'Cracking good read'
'Plenty of action and drama to keep the reader gripped through to the end'
'I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys crime fiction'
'Compelling murder mystery'
'Fabulous police procedural'
Oxford, 1960. There's a murderer on the loose and two unlikely heroes are poised to solve the case.
Meet Probationary WPC Trudy Loveday � smart, enthusiastic and always underestimated.
In the hope of getting her out of the way, Trudy’s senior officer assigns her to help coroner Clement Ryder as he re-opens the case of a young woman's death. She can't believe her luck � she is actually going to be working on a real murder case.
Meanwhile, the rest of the police force are busy investigating a series of threats and murders in the local community, and Clement can't help but feel it's all linked.
As Trudy and Clement form an unlikely partnership, are they going to be the ones to solve these crimes before the murderer strikes again?
A gripping, twisty crime novel that you won't be able to put down. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and M.C. Beaton.
The Ryder and Loveday Series
Book 1: A FATAL OBSESSION
Book 2: A FATAL MISTAKE
Book 3: A FATAL FLAW
‘A beautifully crafted crime mystery I could not put down.� Anita Davison, author of the Flora Maguire series
Readers love Faith Martin:
'A must read for all crime fiction fans'
'Have become an addict of Faith Martin � love her novels.'
'Cracking good read'
'Plenty of action and drama to keep the reader gripped through to the end'
'I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys crime fiction'
'Compelling murder mystery'
'Fabulous police procedural'
352 pages, Paperback
First published June 11, 2018
5,291 people are currently reading
2,296 people want to read
About the author
Faith Martin
91books903followersFaith Martin is a pen name of English author Jacquie Walton, who is best known for her popular detective series, starring Detective Inspector Hillary Greene.
As Joyce Cato, she writes more classically-inspired 'cosy' murder mysteries, such as the Monica Noble mystery series.
As Maxine Barry, her latest romance novels are now available from Corazon Books.
As Jessie Daniels, her 'spooky' crime novel, The Lavender Lady Casefile came out in November 2017.
As Joyce Cato, she writes more classically-inspired 'cosy' murder mysteries, such as the Monica Noble mystery series.
As Maxine Barry, her latest romance novels are now available from Corazon Books.
As Jessie Daniels, her 'spooky' crime novel, The Lavender Lady Casefile came out in November 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 461 reviews
May 19, 2018
4.5 Stars
Hang onto your socks! This is the first in a new series by Faith Martin, the author of the DI Hillary Greene series. The time is 1960 ... no cellphones, no DNA, no CSI.
WPC Trudy Loveday is on probation. She's young and smart and the only woman in her team. She's mostly relegated to the files and making coffee. Her boss has 'let' her out to patrol the streets on occasion and she's done well. She's arrested a couple of pickpockets and a flasher. But her supervisor doesn't seem to know what to do with her.
Clement Ryder is a coroner. He started out as a medical physician. When he was diagnosed with Parkinsons', he stopped practicing and took up the law. Now he holds court over possible murder cases and he consults with the police quite often. He has a sharp mind and a natural determination to find the truth.
Ryder demands that he be given an officer who can question suspects, make arrests, etc.... since he doesn't have that authority.
In the hope of getting her out of the way, Trudy’s senior officer assigns her to help coroner Clement Ryder as he re-opens the case of a young woman's death. She can't believe her luck � she is actually going to be working on a real murder case.
The author has never disappointed me in her other series ... and this one is also not disappointing. This is a gripping, twisty crime novel with complex characters, suspects that are not what they seem to be, and an interesting plot.
Many thanks to the author / HQ Digital / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this British Crime Fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Hang onto your socks! This is the first in a new series by Faith Martin, the author of the DI Hillary Greene series. The time is 1960 ... no cellphones, no DNA, no CSI.
WPC Trudy Loveday is on probation. She's young and smart and the only woman in her team. She's mostly relegated to the files and making coffee. Her boss has 'let' her out to patrol the streets on occasion and she's done well. She's arrested a couple of pickpockets and a flasher. But her supervisor doesn't seem to know what to do with her.
Clement Ryder is a coroner. He started out as a medical physician. When he was diagnosed with Parkinsons', he stopped practicing and took up the law. Now he holds court over possible murder cases and he consults with the police quite often. He has a sharp mind and a natural determination to find the truth.
Ryder demands that he be given an officer who can question suspects, make arrests, etc.... since he doesn't have that authority.
In the hope of getting her out of the way, Trudy’s senior officer assigns her to help coroner Clement Ryder as he re-opens the case of a young woman's death. She can't believe her luck � she is actually going to be working on a real murder case.
The author has never disappointed me in her other series ... and this one is also not disappointing. This is a gripping, twisty crime novel with complex characters, suspects that are not what they seem to be, and an interesting plot.
Many thanks to the author / HQ Digital / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this British Crime Fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
January 14, 2021
Great story! Just what I needed during these depressing days. Enjoyed this just as much as the Hillary Greene series. Faith Martin has definitely shot up on my must-read authors list.
Terrific storytelling of what appears to be a simple case of murder, turns to be more complex as each chapter builds on the original murder, adding new facets to the mystery. And the master mentoring the student, makes for a fun, even if a bit predictable, pairing. I noticed that the next book () in this series takes place only 6 mths after this one. Very excited to jump unto Trudy & Clement’s next case.
4.5 ⭐️
Terrific storytelling of what appears to be a simple case of murder, turns to be more complex as each chapter builds on the original murder, adding new facets to the mystery. And the master mentoring the student, makes for a fun, even if a bit predictable, pairing. I noticed that the next book () in this series takes place only 6 mths after this one. Very excited to jump unto Trudy & Clement’s next case.
4.5 ⭐️
December 8, 2024
It was Oxford in 1960 when nineteen year old WPC Trudy Lovedale was partnered with the elderly coroner, Clement Ryder, to re-investigate an almost five year old case in the hopes that Ryder's intuition and gut instinct was proven to be correct. Trudy was excited to be off desk duties as well as walking the beat, to work with a well respected and often feared man. When a recent murder seemed to be linked to the case they were looking at, Ryder felt justified in his search. But they needed to find answers - both to the old case, but also to the death which had just occurred, before more deaths happened. Many of those Trudy and Ryder interviewed, were lying - they needed to discover why. Could they - and before it was too late?
is the 1st in the Ryder & Loveday series by and it's an excellent read. I've not long finished the author's Hillary Greene series, which I loved. This one looks to be heading in the same direction. And what a unique partnership - Ryder, elderly, an ex surgeon and now coroner; and the young, feisty, intelligent and not afraid of Ryder PC, Loveday. I'm looking forward to the next in the series, very much. Highly recommended.
is the 1st in the Ryder & Loveday series by and it's an excellent read. I've not long finished the author's Hillary Greene series, which I loved. This one looks to be heading in the same direction. And what a unique partnership - Ryder, elderly, an ex surgeon and now coroner; and the young, feisty, intelligent and not afraid of Ryder PC, Loveday. I'm looking forward to the next in the series, very much. Highly recommended.
October 5, 2018
Great start
Having read a couple of her DI Hillary Greene series out of order, I was looking forward to reading the new series in order.
Set in Oxford in 1960, follows a young wpc and the constraints and frustrations of being a policewoman in this very male dominated world. Until she is paired up with an elderly coroner who wishes to re investigate an old case.
Now it could be that as the previous 3 or 4 books I have read were absolutely outstanding, I was expecting too much. But I found this to be a little bit disappointing at first, then as the characters and storyline developed, there was a big improvement. The ending was good and I look forward to book 2, as I truly believe that there is potential in these characters.
Having read a couple of her DI Hillary Greene series out of order, I was looking forward to reading the new series in order.
Set in Oxford in 1960, follows a young wpc and the constraints and frustrations of being a policewoman in this very male dominated world. Until she is paired up with an elderly coroner who wishes to re investigate an old case.
Now it could be that as the previous 3 or 4 books I have read were absolutely outstanding, I was expecting too much. But I found this to be a little bit disappointing at first, then as the characters and storyline developed, there was a big improvement. The ending was good and I look forward to book 2, as I truly believe that there is potential in these characters.
February 20, 2021
What a pleasant little surprise this book turned out to be!
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much, mostly due to the sheer number of books Martin churns out. But this was really quite good.
It’s 1960 and WPC Trudy Loveday is struggling with the idea that being female means she’ll never be considered anything more than a plod in the eyes of the general public as well as her superiors and co-workers. When a rich industralist receives threatening letters and a subsequent murder is committed, Loveday guesses she’ll remain chasing flahsers and other petty criminals whilst the male police officers will investigate these juicy crimes.
Meanwhile, ex surgeon and now coroner, Clement Ryder, thinks the new murder is linked with another coroner’s case he followed a few years previous. He arranges for a police officer to help him investigate the case and it’s Trudy who gets this [unwanted] assignment.
Trudy and Clement have great chemistry. It’s nothing romantic (there’s a huge age difference) but they have a bit of a satisfying mentor/student vibe going on. There was enough characterisation of both to keep me happy. There’s also room for them to develop in future books.
The mystery itself was pretty well done. It had some complexity and yet there was a chance for the reader and the characters to solve the case. I find with a lot of these types of books the police/detectives just take a wild guess and accuse everyone until they get lucky. And often there’s no way any reader could ever work out whodunnit. Martin, however, presented us the clues and gave us a chance to ‘play along�.
Martin’s prose isn’t full of flowery descriptions but it isn’t pedestrian or basic by any means. She also kept all the characters and situations true to the time. The only thing I didn’t like is how often she swapped the point of view of characters. She should have probably just kept with Trudy and Clement’s throughout. I didn’t think I needed the inner thoughts of every character (especially considering there’s quite a lot of them to allow for an array of suspects).
Sadly, the Oxford setting seemed a little wasted. It wasn’t particularly important and the book could have been set anywhere.
Overall though Martin has produced a book of a pretty high standard and I’ll definitely be picking up the next books in this series. 4 out of 5
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much, mostly due to the sheer number of books Martin churns out. But this was really quite good.
It’s 1960 and WPC Trudy Loveday is struggling with the idea that being female means she’ll never be considered anything more than a plod in the eyes of the general public as well as her superiors and co-workers. When a rich industralist receives threatening letters and a subsequent murder is committed, Loveday guesses she’ll remain chasing flahsers and other petty criminals whilst the male police officers will investigate these juicy crimes.
Meanwhile, ex surgeon and now coroner, Clement Ryder, thinks the new murder is linked with another coroner’s case he followed a few years previous. He arranges for a police officer to help him investigate the case and it’s Trudy who gets this [unwanted] assignment.
Trudy and Clement have great chemistry. It’s nothing romantic (there’s a huge age difference) but they have a bit of a satisfying mentor/student vibe going on. There was enough characterisation of both to keep me happy. There’s also room for them to develop in future books.
The mystery itself was pretty well done. It had some complexity and yet there was a chance for the reader and the characters to solve the case. I find with a lot of these types of books the police/detectives just take a wild guess and accuse everyone until they get lucky. And often there’s no way any reader could ever work out whodunnit. Martin, however, presented us the clues and gave us a chance to ‘play along�.
Martin’s prose isn’t full of flowery descriptions but it isn’t pedestrian or basic by any means. She also kept all the characters and situations true to the time. The only thing I didn’t like is how often she swapped the point of view of characters. She should have probably just kept with Trudy and Clement’s throughout. I didn’t think I needed the inner thoughts of every character (especially considering there’s quite a lot of them to allow for an array of suspects).
Sadly, the Oxford setting seemed a little wasted. It wasn’t particularly important and the book could have been set anywhere.
Overall though Martin has produced a book of a pretty high standard and I’ll definitely be picking up the next books in this series. 4 out of 5
January 24, 2021
Had so expected to enjoy this story set in 1960, the period when I first travelled in England; the principal character Trudy Loveday (a Woman Police Constable as they were then styled) and I would have been near contemporaries. Surprisingly she forms a partnership with ‘Dr Clement Ryder� a heart surgeon (shouldn’t he be addressed as Mr in England?) forced into a second career by hidden Parkinson’s Disease as a coroner. They investigate a cold case involving a young woman who died of an overdose of medication. Was it accidental or deliberate? Personally, I love pairing an attractive ingenue with a crusty senior male character.
Artistically the book is a disappointment, though. The author’s narrative technique shifts awkwardly between limited viewpoints and reading the characters� minds to tell us what they think. The plot turns out to be so unlikely as never to succeed in real life (especially the stolen prescription) and the ultimate villain neither believable nor sufficiently motivated. Which is a shame, as this is the first volume of a series featuring the Loveday-Ryder partnership. But life is too short especially for someone my age to waste time reading disposable mystery stories. Despite the charming full title A Fatal Obsession: A Gripping Mystery Perfect for All Crime Fiction Readers, we are reminded of the days before such authors as P. D. James and Ruth Rendell taught us that crime fiction could be as artistic as ‘serious� fiction. This story felt as if it should have had a green and white paper cover and been for sale at a railway-station newsagent.
Artistically the book is a disappointment, though. The author’s narrative technique shifts awkwardly between limited viewpoints and reading the characters� minds to tell us what they think. The plot turns out to be so unlikely as never to succeed in real life (especially the stolen prescription) and the ultimate villain neither believable nor sufficiently motivated. Which is a shame, as this is the first volume of a series featuring the Loveday-Ryder partnership. But life is too short especially for someone my age to waste time reading disposable mystery stories. Despite the charming full title A Fatal Obsession: A Gripping Mystery Perfect for All Crime Fiction Readers, we are reminded of the days before such authors as P. D. James and Ruth Rendell taught us that crime fiction could be as artistic as ‘serious� fiction. This story felt as if it should have had a green and white paper cover and been for sale at a railway-station newsagent.
July 3, 2019
Best known for her addictive DI Hillary Greene crime thrillers, author Faith Martin debuts another electrifying series with THE FAITH OBSESSION. I really like her new MC ... Probationary WPC Trudy Loveday ... assigned to coroner Clement Ryder as they reopen a cold case involving the death of a young woman. This is one “I-can’t-put-this-down-even-to-pee� wild ride! 5 Stars
Grateful to NetGalley and HQ Digital for the early read. Opinions are mine.
#DoTheRightThing #NetGalley
Grateful to NetGalley and HQ Digital for the early read. Opinions are mine.
#DoTheRightThing #NetGalley
May 14, 2018
I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ Digital for an advance copy of A Fatal Obsession, the first novel to feature trainee WPC Trudy Loveday and Coroner Dr Clement Ryder, set in Oxford 1960.
When local industrialist Sir Marcus Deering receives an anonymous letter threatening his son he calls in the police. With the station's attention on this threat DI Jennings doesn't have much time to spare for the coroner who wants to re-examine the verdict in the death of Gisela Fleet-Wright five years previously and needs a police liaison officer to facilitate his enquiries. Killing two birds with one stone, appeasing the overbearing Dr Ryder and getting an officer he doesn't know what to do with out of the way he appoints probationary WPC Loveday as liaison. Surprisingly the two of them hit it off and are soon involved in a twisty investigation where nothing is as it seems.
I enjoyed A Fatal Obsession which has a clever plot and a most unexpected resolution, although the clues are all there (I just failed to pick up on them!). Given the era there are no forensics so investigators rely mostly on interviews, smart thinking and an ability to read people and know when they are lying. This latter trait is at the heart of the novel as it is full of lies and attempted misdirection. The plot is well developed as it moves from knowing nothing through several developments and twists to a conclusion.
It would be impossible to pick up and read this novel without making comparisons to Ms Martin's very successful DI Hillary Greene series. It is completely different, not just in the setting but in tone. It lacks the warmth and humour between the characters of that series but I suspect that will come as both readers and characters acclimatise themselves to each other. It is a very promising start to a new series and I'm looking forward to reading more.
The characters are well thought out and interesting. Trudy is young and naïve but makes up for it in intelligence and enthusiasm whereas "the old vulture" as he is known is crusty, world weary and not in perfect health but he still has an incisive, logical mind a burning desire for the truth. They work well together, in a teacher/ pupil way although Trudy sometimes surprises her mentor and I'm anticipating great things from this unlikely duo.
The historical setting is interesting. Women had a hard time in the workplace, not just the police, in those days so Trudy doesn't have it easy and doesn't get the credit she deserves. It's the little details like her mum ignoring her desire for promotion and a career and trying to pressure her into marriage and kids which would mean giving up the job that give the novel authenticity.
A Fatal Obsession is a fine start to a new series so I have no hesitation in recommending it as a good read.
When local industrialist Sir Marcus Deering receives an anonymous letter threatening his son he calls in the police. With the station's attention on this threat DI Jennings doesn't have much time to spare for the coroner who wants to re-examine the verdict in the death of Gisela Fleet-Wright five years previously and needs a police liaison officer to facilitate his enquiries. Killing two birds with one stone, appeasing the overbearing Dr Ryder and getting an officer he doesn't know what to do with out of the way he appoints probationary WPC Loveday as liaison. Surprisingly the two of them hit it off and are soon involved in a twisty investigation where nothing is as it seems.
I enjoyed A Fatal Obsession which has a clever plot and a most unexpected resolution, although the clues are all there (I just failed to pick up on them!). Given the era there are no forensics so investigators rely mostly on interviews, smart thinking and an ability to read people and know when they are lying. This latter trait is at the heart of the novel as it is full of lies and attempted misdirection. The plot is well developed as it moves from knowing nothing through several developments and twists to a conclusion.
It would be impossible to pick up and read this novel without making comparisons to Ms Martin's very successful DI Hillary Greene series. It is completely different, not just in the setting but in tone. It lacks the warmth and humour between the characters of that series but I suspect that will come as both readers and characters acclimatise themselves to each other. It is a very promising start to a new series and I'm looking forward to reading more.
The characters are well thought out and interesting. Trudy is young and naïve but makes up for it in intelligence and enthusiasm whereas "the old vulture" as he is known is crusty, world weary and not in perfect health but he still has an incisive, logical mind a burning desire for the truth. They work well together, in a teacher/ pupil way although Trudy sometimes surprises her mentor and I'm anticipating great things from this unlikely duo.
The historical setting is interesting. Women had a hard time in the workplace, not just the police, in those days so Trudy doesn't have it easy and doesn't get the credit she deserves. It's the little details like her mum ignoring her desire for promotion and a career and trying to pressure her into marriage and kids which would mean giving up the job that give the novel authenticity.
A Fatal Obsession is a fine start to a new series so I have no hesitation in recommending it as a good read.
July 16, 2024
A new series from Martin so I gave it a try. The pairing of a young woman police officer with older health-challenged male coroner has potential so I will most likely look for the next book as it has potential as a series I may appreciate.
Now that I have looked up the pricing of the books in this series I am not likely to continue.
Kindle Unlimited
Now that I have looked up the pricing of the books in this series I am not likely to continue.
Kindle Unlimited
January 16, 2020
A new team is formed with policewoman Trudy Loveday and the coroner Clement Ryder solving murders, I liked it. Just a tad above a cosy mystery, although I did have it figured out.
January 14, 2020
Voilà un roman qui m’intriguait beaucoup, que ce soit pour sa très jolie couverture ou pour son résumé.
Trudy est stagiaire dans la police. C’est loin d’être une place facile pour une jeune femme dans les années 60 et notre héroïne aimerait plus que tout faire ses preuves. Quand pour se débarrasser d’elle, on lui demande de faire équipe avec le Dr. Clement Ryder, elle ne s’attend pas à cette histoire l’emmène aussi loin. Il faut dire que le docteur veut déterrer une affaire alors qu’une famille riche est en émoi à cause de lettres anonymes terrifiantes. Mais il se pourrait bien qu’en enquêtant, ils découvrent des secrets que tout le monde pensait cachés pour toujours.
J’ai vraiment passé un très bon moment avec ce roman et ses personnages. On suit les différents protagonistes en alternant les chapitres et j’ai trouvé ça très intéressant d’en apprendre plus à leur sujet. Trudy a très envie de faire ses preuves, même si rien n’est si simple. Si elle tire des conclusions parfois hâtives, elle est vive et fait de son mieux pour comprendre ce qui se passe. J’ai aussi beaucoup apprécié Clement Ryder qui est un homme hors du commun et le duo était vraiment très sympa à suivre. D’ailleurs, je suis très curieuse à présent de découvrir la suite pour les retrouver.
C’était un roman qui nous tient en haleine et j’avoue que j’ai été surprise à la fin en apprenant les détails de l’enquête.
Oui, c’était un bon policier assez léger au niveau de l’atmosphère, mais qui propose une intrigue bien élaborée.
May 15, 2018
A female rookie cop in 1960s Oxford assists a coroner working on a cold case of the accidental death of a young, manic-depressive girl, while her colleagues investigate the murder of an ex-boyfriend of the dead 21year old. Both cases are not related to each other � or so it seems.
While the base story was an interesting one, I had problems to connect with the protagonists and their sidekicks. The coroner fighting his angst of having Parkinson, the rookie cop (and she is only 19) dealing with her angst about being accepted by her much more experienced and (it’s the sixties!) male colleagues and superiors.
There was quite a bit of unnecessary filler, mainly angst issues, but also descriptions of surroundings. While the characters of the main protagonists were fleshed out quite a bit (even if they still felt superficial), some side characters were thoroughly neglected. Like a colleague who was described as a vain beau and mentioned quite often, but I don’t think he ever had anything to say.
The plot came together nice if not a bit farfetched and with some inconsistencies in the time line.
To sum it up:
A good read, and I would recommend it to certain friends who have a more cultured and serene taste than I do.
While the base story was an interesting one, I had problems to connect with the protagonists and their sidekicks. The coroner fighting his angst of having Parkinson, the rookie cop (and she is only 19) dealing with her angst about being accepted by her much more experienced and (it’s the sixties!) male colleagues and superiors.
There was quite a bit of unnecessary filler, mainly angst issues, but also descriptions of surroundings. While the characters of the main protagonists were fleshed out quite a bit (even if they still felt superficial), some side characters were thoroughly neglected. Like a colleague who was described as a vain beau and mentioned quite often, but I don’t think he ever had anything to say.
The plot came together nice if not a bit farfetched and with some inconsistencies in the time line.
To sum it up:
A good read, and I would recommend it to certain friends who have a more cultured and serene taste than I do.
November 15, 2019
Il y a des lectures qui ne nous surprennent pas vraiment et pour autant, on les apprécie fortement car justement, elles possèdent les qualités que l’on recherche dans tel ou tel genre de romans, elles rassurent, elles ont un pouvoir qui s’apparente à celui du « Doudou ».
« Le corbeau d’Oxford » appartient à cette catégorie.
Je n’ai pas été bousculée, j’ai retrouvé bien des codes vus et revus, des constructions qui ont fait leurs preuves, des personnages aux caractéristiques pas si extraordinaires, mais qui nous restent éminemment sympathiques. Bref, rien de très neuf, mais bien agréable tout de même car l’ensemble est qualitatif, fonctionne et les gros écueils ont été évités. C’est un bon Cosy mystery.
Facile d’accès, c’est un roman que l’on aura plaisir à lire d’une traite ou presque. Parfait pour se détendre sans se prendre la tête, mais sans être idiot.
Un duo qui se forme et que l’on retrouvera dans de prochaines aventures peut-être plus mordantes. Je lirai d’ailleurs celles-ci avec plaisir pour voir l’évolution qui en général donne plus de corps à ce type de roman.
« Le corbeau d’Oxford » appartient à cette catégorie.
Je n’ai pas été bousculée, j’ai retrouvé bien des codes vus et revus, des constructions qui ont fait leurs preuves, des personnages aux caractéristiques pas si extraordinaires, mais qui nous restent éminemment sympathiques. Bref, rien de très neuf, mais bien agréable tout de même car l’ensemble est qualitatif, fonctionne et les gros écueils ont été évités. C’est un bon Cosy mystery.
Facile d’accès, c’est un roman que l’on aura plaisir à lire d’une traite ou presque. Parfait pour se détendre sans se prendre la tête, mais sans être idiot.
Un duo qui se forme et que l’on retrouvera dans de prochaines aventures peut-être plus mordantes. Je lirai d’ailleurs celles-ci avec plaisir pour voir l’évolution qui en général donne plus de corps à ce type de roman.
July 21, 2018
An entertaining well-constructed mystery with much potential for the future. Full review at classicmystery.wordpress.com
September 1, 2022
Another fab installment
May 17, 2018
Book Description
Oxford, 1960. There's a murderer on the loose and two unlikely heroes are poised to solve the case.
Meet Probationary WPC Trudy Loveday � smart, enthusiastic and always underestimated.
In the hope of getting her out of the way, Trudy’s senior officer assigns her to help coroner Clement Ryder as he re-opens the case of a young woman's death. She can't believe her luck � she is actually going to be working on a real murder case.
My Thoughts
I am a fan of Faith Martin's Murder series and have followed DI Hillary Greene on her many adventures. I was intrigued to see that she is beginning a new series and excited to read A Fatal Obsession. The bar is always set so high for me when an author has written a great series and I wondered if she could create another compelling character. For me, this was a definite yes as I flipped pages as quickly as I have while reading the Murder series books, anxious to know how everything would come together.
I don't know if Faith Martin plans to continue writing her Murder series books, but I do know that A Fatal Obsession was a very good read, and while the books are very different, her engaging writing style was still quite evident. Probationary WPC Trudy Love is a delightful character in many ways. She is smart, determined and though young, eager to learn and advance in her career. Trudy is surrounded by male colleagues who for the most part either barely tolerate her or give her trivial assignments that fail to challenge her or assist her in growing within the department. When her supervisor assigns her to work with one of the coroners, Clement Ryder, he has no idea that he has just inadvertently provided her a mentor. Ryder believes the verdict in an investigation 5 years ago was wrong and that a new murder case is connected to this prior one. Can this duo put all the pieces together before someone else dies? No spoilers here, you will want to read A Fatal Obsession and find out whodunit and why.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more as they are released. Thank you, Faith Martin, HQ Digital and NetGalley for the complimentary digital ARC.
Oxford, 1960. There's a murderer on the loose and two unlikely heroes are poised to solve the case.
Meet Probationary WPC Trudy Loveday � smart, enthusiastic and always underestimated.
In the hope of getting her out of the way, Trudy’s senior officer assigns her to help coroner Clement Ryder as he re-opens the case of a young woman's death. She can't believe her luck � she is actually going to be working on a real murder case.
My Thoughts
I am a fan of Faith Martin's Murder series and have followed DI Hillary Greene on her many adventures. I was intrigued to see that she is beginning a new series and excited to read A Fatal Obsession. The bar is always set so high for me when an author has written a great series and I wondered if she could create another compelling character. For me, this was a definite yes as I flipped pages as quickly as I have while reading the Murder series books, anxious to know how everything would come together.
I don't know if Faith Martin plans to continue writing her Murder series books, but I do know that A Fatal Obsession was a very good read, and while the books are very different, her engaging writing style was still quite evident. Probationary WPC Trudy Love is a delightful character in many ways. She is smart, determined and though young, eager to learn and advance in her career. Trudy is surrounded by male colleagues who for the most part either barely tolerate her or give her trivial assignments that fail to challenge her or assist her in growing within the department. When her supervisor assigns her to work with one of the coroners, Clement Ryder, he has no idea that he has just inadvertently provided her a mentor. Ryder believes the verdict in an investigation 5 years ago was wrong and that a new murder case is connected to this prior one. Can this duo put all the pieces together before someone else dies? No spoilers here, you will want to read A Fatal Obsession and find out whodunit and why.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more as they are released. Thank you, Faith Martin, HQ Digital and NetGalley for the complimentary digital ARC.
May 15, 2018
4 stars
Trudy Loveday is a young (almost twenty), probationary PC. Her immediate boss is DI Jennings. She is chasing a bag snatcher down the street as the book opens in 1960’s London.
A murder has occurred and DI Jennings is very busy. He doesn’t want to be distracted by pathologist Doctor Ryder’s request to review the evidence in a cold case. The death was of Gisela Fleet-Wright and it happened five years earlier. He solves his problem by assigning his newest recruit WPC Trudy Loveday to assist Dr. Ryder in his investigation.
At first put off by Dr. Ryder’s curmudgeonly manner, the two quickly begin to get along. Trudy is very excited to actually work on her first real murder case.
This book was good and so completely different from Ms. Martin’s Hillary Green series. To begin with, it was set in the 1960’s when forensic techniques were unheard of and cops had to rely on witness statements and their own ability to tell who was lying and who was not. This reader had to keep reminding herself that there were no cell phones and the like to rely on. I didn’t like this book as much as I like Ms. Martin’s DI Hillary Greene series. Perhaps in time they will improve as WPC Trudy Loveday finds her feet. It had Ms. Martin’s trademark twists in it and there were surprises. A good entry, and I will be anticipating the next in the series to see if WPC Trudy attains her feet.
I want to thank NetGalley and HQ Digital for forwarding to me a copy of this good book to read, enjoy and review.
Trudy Loveday is a young (almost twenty), probationary PC. Her immediate boss is DI Jennings. She is chasing a bag snatcher down the street as the book opens in 1960’s London.
A murder has occurred and DI Jennings is very busy. He doesn’t want to be distracted by pathologist Doctor Ryder’s request to review the evidence in a cold case. The death was of Gisela Fleet-Wright and it happened five years earlier. He solves his problem by assigning his newest recruit WPC Trudy Loveday to assist Dr. Ryder in his investigation.
At first put off by Dr. Ryder’s curmudgeonly manner, the two quickly begin to get along. Trudy is very excited to actually work on her first real murder case.
This book was good and so completely different from Ms. Martin’s Hillary Green series. To begin with, it was set in the 1960’s when forensic techniques were unheard of and cops had to rely on witness statements and their own ability to tell who was lying and who was not. This reader had to keep reminding herself that there were no cell phones and the like to rely on. I didn’t like this book as much as I like Ms. Martin’s DI Hillary Greene series. Perhaps in time they will improve as WPC Trudy Loveday finds her feet. It had Ms. Martin’s trademark twists in it and there were surprises. A good entry, and I will be anticipating the next in the series to see if WPC Trudy attains her feet.
I want to thank NetGalley and HQ Digital for forwarding to me a copy of this good book to read, enjoy and review.
October 16, 2018
I keep waiting for Faith Martin's writing to improve, but it hasn't happened. It's hard to say exactly what's wrong, but "plodding" and "pedestrian" are apt. There were some errors in setting in this one, not excusable when checking is so easy, such as when songs were released. The book is set late 1960, she mentions Connie Francis singing "Where the boys are" as her big hit from the previous summer, but it wasn't released till 1961. (That particularly stood out for me, as I remember going to see the the movie as a pre-teen with my two older cousins, and I knew it was later than 1960.) The plot in this was fairly obvious, but Trudy is a bit more credible than Hilary Greene from the previous series - and thank goodness, doesn't have a "cutely" named car, (with the nauseating name repeated every time Hilary got into the damn vehicle!).
October 27, 2019
Un cosy mystery comme je les aime.
J'ai passé un super moment avec ce premier tome de la série. Les personnages sont attachants et intéressants, l'intrigue prenante et suffisamment complexe pour ne pas deviner qui est l'assassin avant la fin. Autrement dit, ce livre est parfait pour la saison automnale. Je vous conseille de le lire sous un plaid accompagné d'une bonne tasse de thé.
J'ai passé un super moment avec ce premier tome de la série. Les personnages sont attachants et intéressants, l'intrigue prenante et suffisamment complexe pour ne pas deviner qui est l'assassin avant la fin. Autrement dit, ce livre est parfait pour la saison automnale. Je vous conseille de le lire sous un plaid accompagné d'une bonne tasse de thé.
September 10, 2024
New author for me and did not disappoint. Great cozy easy book to read, with likeable characters and a good story. I’ll be reading more.
October 18, 2020
This was the first in the series and I'll definitely be continuing. The two main investigators are a close-to-retirement coroner and a rookie WPC.
It's set in 1960 and WPC Loveday's boss doesn't quite know what to do with her. She's keen and intelligent but she's a woman. So, for the most part, she's left on patrol in areas where she won't likely come to harm, or assigned filing and other paperwork. The other PCs treat her as a sort of pet and don't really take her very seriously.
The Coroner, Dr. Ryder, is a former heart surgeon at pains not to let folks know he's in the early stages of Parkinson's -- which is the reason he left surgery, studied the law, and became a coroner. He's got keen intuition and isn't going to let a case be closed just 'cause that makes it easier for everyone; he's interested in justice.
As things start, a prominent member of the community starts getting threatening letters telling him to 'do the right thing' but he can't figure out what they're referring to. And his son is threatened! Separately (?) there's a murder that's come before Dr. Ryder and he notices a woman in the gallery which reminds him of a case from 5 years before that he's sure was NOT settled correctly -- but it wasn't his case. To satisfy his own curiosity he requests the help of the police in re-interviewing some witnesses in that old case and, as he's known as a pretty shrewd character, the DCI assigns WPC Loveday to assist. He's not convinced there's anything to it, but he's also not convinced there's NOT, and this gets the WPC out of the way as they focus on investigating the current murder. Loveday isn't sure whether or not to be happy about being seconded to Dr. Ryder, but at least he seems to respect her as a person.
The investigation proceeds logically; the characters are likeable -- though, in this first installment, not too deeply drawn, and the mystery is intriguing. Further, the solution hangs together quite well without any 11th hour surprises to make it work.
It's set in 1960 and WPC Loveday's boss doesn't quite know what to do with her. She's keen and intelligent but she's a woman. So, for the most part, she's left on patrol in areas where she won't likely come to harm, or assigned filing and other paperwork. The other PCs treat her as a sort of pet and don't really take her very seriously.
The Coroner, Dr. Ryder, is a former heart surgeon at pains not to let folks know he's in the early stages of Parkinson's -- which is the reason he left surgery, studied the law, and became a coroner. He's got keen intuition and isn't going to let a case be closed just 'cause that makes it easier for everyone; he's interested in justice.
As things start, a prominent member of the community starts getting threatening letters telling him to 'do the right thing' but he can't figure out what they're referring to. And his son is threatened! Separately (?) there's a murder that's come before Dr. Ryder and he notices a woman in the gallery which reminds him of a case from 5 years before that he's sure was NOT settled correctly -- but it wasn't his case. To satisfy his own curiosity he requests the help of the police in re-interviewing some witnesses in that old case and, as he's known as a pretty shrewd character, the DCI assigns WPC Loveday to assist. He's not convinced there's anything to it, but he's also not convinced there's NOT, and this gets the WPC out of the way as they focus on investigating the current murder. Loveday isn't sure whether or not to be happy about being seconded to Dr. Ryder, but at least he seems to respect her as a person.
The investigation proceeds logically; the characters are likeable -- though, in this first installment, not too deeply drawn, and the mystery is intriguing. Further, the solution hangs together quite well without any 11th hour surprises to make it work.
August 3, 2021
3.5 stars. Kobo had this as a daily deal, 99 cents for the first three books in the series. Even if it had been terrible, well that’s only 33 cents per book! I don’t normally choose my books this way, but you have to admit that’s a bargain!
Anyway, I enjoyed this. I liked the main character, Trudy Loveday, a young woman struggling to be taken seriously as a police officer in the sexist 1960s. She is young and inexperienced, but she’s smart and determined, and she has enough self confidence to know it’s her colleagues and supervisors that are the problem, not her. She teams up with Clement Ryder, a heart surgeon turned coroner, to investigate a crime that seems secondary to the main murder but allows both of them to exercise their mystery solving and people cajoling skills.
The mystery hangs together and, while far fetched in some ways, is internally logical.
This is a gentle mystery with likeable characters and a pretty good plot that ticks along comfortably and ends when it should. I’m looking forward to reading the next books in the series.
Anyway, I enjoyed this. I liked the main character, Trudy Loveday, a young woman struggling to be taken seriously as a police officer in the sexist 1960s. She is young and inexperienced, but she’s smart and determined, and she has enough self confidence to know it’s her colleagues and supervisors that are the problem, not her. She teams up with Clement Ryder, a heart surgeon turned coroner, to investigate a crime that seems secondary to the main murder but allows both of them to exercise their mystery solving and people cajoling skills.
The mystery hangs together and, while far fetched in some ways, is internally logical.
This is a gentle mystery with likeable characters and a pretty good plot that ticks along comfortably and ends when it should. I’m looking forward to reading the next books in the series.
April 16, 2025
The written style was hard for me to follow at times, but overall I liked the story
July 2, 2018
The strength of this book is the fun investigative pairing of the young and eager WPC, Trudy Loveday, with the experienced coroner Dr. Ryder. I enjoyed their mentor-mentee relationship and his appreciation for her talents, something she doesn’t get from a lot of her colleagues as a WPC in 1960. The attitudes towards a woman working as a police officer and pop music references were the main things that located this in the early 60s—not a strong sense of the era, I thought.
The book almost lost me at the start as the point of view shifted between a lot of seemingly unrelated characters. I get why mystery writers do that, but it can make it hard to get into the story, especially when the chapters are short—just when I got interested in someone, we moved on. Eventually they did all come together in some interesting ways and the second half was more focused and engaging. There was one big question about how the killer could have known a secret about the victim that victim didn’t even know: eventually this was answered, but it seemed implausible (or inexcusable) that Trudy and Ryder didn’t wonder about it earlier.
Somewhat sloppy sentence-level writing: at one point it seemed that Martin’s favourite word must be “large,� as she repeated it about 6 times in 2 paragraphs, and she is rather prone to repeating words close together, which I find distracting. (Also once Ryder found his interest “peaked�). But either that smoothed out or I stopped noticing when I got drawn into the plot. Trudy is fun and I like the pairing. This was an enjoyable time-passer and I’ll probably read the next one.
The book almost lost me at the start as the point of view shifted between a lot of seemingly unrelated characters. I get why mystery writers do that, but it can make it hard to get into the story, especially when the chapters are short—just when I got interested in someone, we moved on. Eventually they did all come together in some interesting ways and the second half was more focused and engaging. There was one big question about how the killer could have known a secret about the victim that victim didn’t even know: eventually this was answered, but it seemed implausible (or inexcusable) that Trudy and Ryder didn’t wonder about it earlier.
Somewhat sloppy sentence-level writing: at one point it seemed that Martin’s favourite word must be “large,� as she repeated it about 6 times in 2 paragraphs, and she is rather prone to repeating words close together, which I find distracting. (Also once Ryder found his interest “peaked�). But either that smoothed out or I stopped noticing when I got drawn into the plot. Trudy is fun and I like the pairing. This was an enjoyable time-passer and I’ll probably read the next one.
June 25, 2020
"Cunning collaboration"
I loved the Hillary Greene series and was pleased to read of a new Faith Martin series. Ryder and Loveday should be like oil and water. The elderly curmudgeon and the bright young thing. In the hands of an expert weaver of crime mysteries I needn't have worried. This promises to be another long-running, page-turning, crime-solving, fun-filled experience. Onwards to Book #2.
I loved the Hillary Greene series and was pleased to read of a new Faith Martin series. Ryder and Loveday should be like oil and water. The elderly curmudgeon and the bright young thing. In the hands of an expert weaver of crime mysteries I needn't have worried. This promises to be another long-running, page-turning, crime-solving, fun-filled experience. Onwards to Book #2.
October 20, 2019
Detailed
This bear good detailed observance of human nature and personality alongside an interesting plot. While it set within the world of the police it sits there loosely due to the main characters.
This bear good detailed observance of human nature and personality alongside an interesting plot. While it set within the world of the police it sits there loosely due to the main characters.
October 5, 2021
Excellent tome dans lequel on découvre les deux enquêteurs Loveday et Ryder et une superbe enquête bien ficelée. La campagne anglaise, années 60, des personnages surprenants... Vivement les suivants !
June 16, 2018
A Fatal Obsession
A page turned by this author.I feel sure that newcomers to this writer will find her other books just as enjoyable.
A page turned by this author.I feel sure that newcomers to this writer will find her other books just as enjoyable.
December 2, 2018
British police/ murder mystery. Good read, I will definitely read my of this author.
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