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Reverend Shaw Mysteries #1
A Third Class Murder (large print edition): a cozy 1930s mystery set in an English village
England, 1930. An antiques dealer is found robbed and murdered in a third class train compartment on a remote Suffolk branch line. The police believe they know who the killer is, and an arrest is soon made.
A passenger on the same train, the Reverend Lucian Shaw, country parson and former army chaplain, is concerned that the police have the wrong man, and begins an investigation of his own.
Before long, Shaw is drawn into a web of intrigue, deceit and murder which lurks beneath the surface of a seemingly peaceful country parish.
Fans of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and G.K. Chesterton's 'Father Brown' will love this cozy mystery set in an English village.
A passenger on the same train, the Reverend Lucian Shaw, country parson and former army chaplain, is concerned that the police have the wrong man, and begins an investigation of his own.
Before long, Shaw is drawn into a web of intrigue, deceit and murder which lurks beneath the surface of a seemingly peaceful country parish.
Fans of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and G.K. Chesterton's 'Father Brown' will love this cozy mystery set in an English village.
- GenresMysteryCozy Mystery
423 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2021
49 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 24, 2024
One of the wonderful things about going to a second-hand bookshop / used bookstore, is that during your browsing your eyes fall upon books you would probably never have otherwise read. Such is the case with this book that I saw in a shadowy corner of MacLeod's Books in Vancouver, BC. I think it was the near-turquoise colour of the spine and then the basic cover of a vicar with a dog looking at a train that hooked me. A murder / mystery involving a train sounded good, so I purchased the book.
Set in a village in Suffolk, England, in 1930, this book is a wonderful read and involves an 'amateur' sleuth (the vicar) who investigates a brutal murder on a train and gets to the answer slightly before the 'professional' police. The dog plays a key role in finding some evidence, which the police had missed. The characters are well drawn and believable, though perhaps slightly stereotyped.
In the eyes of the vicar, Lucian Shaw, the police do arrest the wrong man and so he has to work quickly to make sure the killer doesn't escape. Shaw puts himself in danger by confronting the killer but the police arrive in time to prevent the vicar becoming victim number 3.
Recommended.
Set in a village in Suffolk, England, in 1930, this book is a wonderful read and involves an 'amateur' sleuth (the vicar) who investigates a brutal murder on a train and gets to the answer slightly before the 'professional' police. The dog plays a key role in finding some evidence, which the police had missed. The characters are well drawn and believable, though perhaps slightly stereotyped.
In the eyes of the vicar, Lucian Shaw, the police do arrest the wrong man and so he has to work quickly to make sure the killer doesn't escape. Shaw puts himself in danger by confronting the killer but the police arrive in time to prevent the vicar becoming victim number 3.
Recommended.
August 20, 2021
A Third Class Murder really wants you to think that it's a British Library Crime Classic, but it's not. But don't hold it against it,because it's actually a nice, easy fun cozy crime novel that happens to be set in the 1930s. It's not earth shattering or ground breaking, and yes I figured out who did it before the reveal but that's fine - I wanted a murder mystery that I could enjoy and not have to think too hard about. Perfect lazy afternoon reading.
October 14, 2022
Set in 1930, 'A Third Class Murder' is so called because the murder takes place on a branch line in Suffolk on a local train running to Lower Addenham.
On the train is the Reverend Lucian Shaw, who as his wife later aptly calls him 'some sort of clerical version of Sherlock Holmes' but because the train is compartmentalised and does not have a corridor it is only when the train stops that he becomes aware of the murder. This, of course, does not stop him from having his own views on what happened.
But the official investigation is led by Detective Inspector Geolrge Ludd assisted by his sergeant, James McPherson but Rev Shaw does not hold back from putting his views forward all the time. The man murdered is an antiques dealer so we have an insight into his business with his shop in a part of Lower Addenham that is in the way of some property development that two astute estate agents are planning.
There are other locals, including a one-time criminal, who enter the story and some of whom come under suspicion for the murder, more so when another occurs later.
'A Third Class Murder', with a delightful 1930s' style illustration to the cover, is very definitely a cosy English village mystery with a cast of believable characters that keep the entertainment going throughout.
On the train is the Reverend Lucian Shaw, who as his wife later aptly calls him 'some sort of clerical version of Sherlock Holmes' but because the train is compartmentalised and does not have a corridor it is only when the train stops that he becomes aware of the murder. This, of course, does not stop him from having his own views on what happened.
But the official investigation is led by Detective Inspector Geolrge Ludd assisted by his sergeant, James McPherson but Rev Shaw does not hold back from putting his views forward all the time. The man murdered is an antiques dealer so we have an insight into his business with his shop in a part of Lower Addenham that is in the way of some property development that two astute estate agents are planning.
There are other locals, including a one-time criminal, who enter the story and some of whom come under suspicion for the murder, more so when another occurs later.
'A Third Class Murder', with a delightful 1930s' style illustration to the cover, is very definitely a cosy English village mystery with a cast of believable characters that keep the entertainment going throughout.
June 19, 2022
Audiobook narrated by Charles Johnston
This didn’t read like a cozy mystery, for me it felt more like a golden era styled whodunit.
Unlike the female writers who lived and wrote in the golden era, and I really enjoy, in this book the author has injected a heavy dose of objectifying of females with attitudes, actions, and comments men in the story make.
The Reverend Lucian Shaw is one of the few decent blokes, and solves the mystery.
*Read for a Crime Spree Challenge � Religious Characters
This didn’t read like a cozy mystery, for me it felt more like a golden era styled whodunit.
Unlike the female writers who lived and wrote in the golden era, and I really enjoy, in this book the author has injected a heavy dose of objectifying of females with attitudes, actions, and comments men in the story make.
The Reverend Lucian Shaw is one of the few decent blokes, and solves the mystery.
*Read for a Crime Spree Challenge � Religious Characters
December 10, 2023
The writing style is simple, and the pages fly by quickly, and I enjoyed it a lot. It is rather like watching a good episode of the Father Brown BBC TV series.
June 26, 2021
A charming little tale in the guise of a British Golden Age Classic. However, it is not. It's not bad as the story goes nor in the atmosphere of village life and age it creates. The characters are typical and the on the whole it does exactly what is says on the cover. Not a bad little read with an cuppa and a slice of victoria sponge.
Toast
Toast
September 23, 2021
A 2021 mystery in a Golden Age mould
I am not the only one to have fallen into the trap of mistaking this novel with its 2021 publication date for a Golden Age murder mystery, since the cover (only seen thumbnail size on my phone), certainly bears more than a passing resemblance to the volumes of the British Library Crime Classics series. This aside, "A Third Class Murder" is not a bad amateur sleuth story in a Golden Age mould. The 1930s atmosphere is largely successful, though I did notice a reference to the novels of Miss rather than Mrs Christie and felt that the BBC's back-to-back light entertainment programmes (so beloved by the murder victim's wife) were anachronistic - a view backed up by another reviewer whose knowledge of the subject far exceeds my own. Red herrings abound just as they would in a genuine 1930s novel. I spotted who dunnit early on but the motive remained a mystery to me until the big reveal.
I am not the only one to have fallen into the trap of mistaking this novel with its 2021 publication date for a Golden Age murder mystery, since the cover (only seen thumbnail size on my phone), certainly bears more than a passing resemblance to the volumes of the British Library Crime Classics series. This aside, "A Third Class Murder" is not a bad amateur sleuth story in a Golden Age mould. The 1930s atmosphere is largely successful, though I did notice a reference to the novels of Miss rather than Mrs Christie and felt that the BBC's back-to-back light entertainment programmes (so beloved by the murder victim's wife) were anachronistic - a view backed up by another reviewer whose knowledge of the subject far exceeds my own. Red herrings abound just as they would in a genuine 1930s novel. I spotted who dunnit early on but the motive remained a mystery to me until the big reveal.
May 5, 2021
Set in 1930, a train journey to Lower Addenham judders to a halt when fare dodgers jumps from the carriage. On arriving at is destination antique dealer Charles Cokeley is found stabbed dead with a knife through the heart. Apart from the fare dodger there is mysterious blonde who has also vanished. Detective Inspector George Ludd and Sergeant James McPherson are brought from Midchester to solve the case. This is the sort book that gets recommended to readers of Golden Age Crime novels and to be honest it took a while to spot that this was a modern recreation. The author made a strong start but when the dialogue began drop in modern lines like "we're all men of the world" I began to lose interest. It's a good effort but I prefer to stick to the classic author's and steer clear of cozy mysteries.
February 23, 2023
I ended up with a copy of the audiobook, and was never fooled into thinking it was from a classic line despite the cover.
Like some other reviewers, I kept being thrown out of this story by easily researched background details � we’re told this takes place in 1930, in Suffolk. Is that West Suffolk, or East Suffolk (the two were merged only in 1974)? A character is depicted as lying around and listening to dance music on the radio, on the Light Programme. In 1930, the BBC was broadcasting as 2LO (London) and 5XX (Daventry) until March, when it transitioned into BBC National and BBC Regional, neither of which played much by way of dance music during that period � in fact, at that time the BBC was on air, during the week, from 12 noon to 4pm, and then 6pm to 11pm or midnight; Saturdays from noon to midnight. This is all available via the BBC Genome page, which includes an archive of The Radio Times
Then there’s the railway business. Even a pre-British Railways line would have been running more than a single coach on even a lowly branch line, with consists likely to include the locomotive (likely a pannier tank engine, 2-4-2), two coaches, at least one goods van, and the brake van. If we take the passenger service of the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway (absorbed eventually by the LNER) as fitting the story, then the consists would be somewhat longer than that. As for the signaling…hydraulic? Ridiculous. Honestly, signalmen would be happy to have a hydraulic assist � pulling those signal/switching levers is very hard work. Aside from rod systems, and wire, electrical systems were coming into play for certain things.
Then there’s the police.
The majority of the book is an attempt at a period whodunnit, though the writing is clean, competent, and relatively modern. Our amateur sleuth, Vicar Lucien Shaw, is a congenial fellow, quietly assisting the lumpen Inspector Ludd and his sergeant.
Like some other reviewers, I kept being thrown out of this story by easily researched background details � we’re told this takes place in 1930, in Suffolk. Is that West Suffolk, or East Suffolk (the two were merged only in 1974)? A character is depicted as lying around and listening to dance music on the radio, on the Light Programme. In 1930, the BBC was broadcasting as 2LO (London) and 5XX (Daventry) until March, when it transitioned into BBC National and BBC Regional, neither of which played much by way of dance music during that period � in fact, at that time the BBC was on air, during the week, from 12 noon to 4pm, and then 6pm to 11pm or midnight; Saturdays from noon to midnight. This is all available via the BBC Genome page, which includes an archive of The Radio Times
Then there’s the railway business. Even a pre-British Railways line would have been running more than a single coach on even a lowly branch line, with consists likely to include the locomotive (likely a pannier tank engine, 2-4-2), two coaches, at least one goods van, and the brake van. If we take the passenger service of the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway (absorbed eventually by the LNER) as fitting the story, then the consists would be somewhat longer than that. As for the signaling…hydraulic? Ridiculous. Honestly, signalmen would be happy to have a hydraulic assist � pulling those signal/switching levers is very hard work. Aside from rod systems, and wire, electrical systems were coming into play for certain things.
Then there’s the police.
The majority of the book is an attempt at a period whodunnit, though the writing is clean, competent, and relatively modern. Our amateur sleuth, Vicar Lucien Shaw, is a congenial fellow, quietly assisting the lumpen Inspector Ludd and his sergeant.
April 9, 2024
Mr. Morrison really set himself up for a bunch of “third class mystery� jokes, didn’t he? Well, I won’t pick that low-hanging fruit. No siree, bob! It was more of a three and a half class mystery, anyway.
The pros—strong sense of time and place: if someone told me this was written by one of the lesser known GAD pensmiths, I’d have believed him. The ‘tec: pretty good first outing—another religious detective but a welcome one given the strong point of view and plausibility.
The cons—the pool of suspects was a little on the shallow side: I never really felt they or their potential guilt were sufficiently explored. And the ending was unsatisfying for a couple of reasons (these reasons being different than those of the typical blue-haired reader.)
All in all, a worthy read or listen, but there’s nothing new or exceptional here. Personally I prefer, even in light-hearted cozies, both a larger cast of suspects and bodies. I am glad it’s a series, though—maybe the next book will be something I’m gonna wanna own in hardcover and read again and again.
(Heads up: if you’re expecting this to be a whodunit set on a train, it’s not. It jumped to the top of my TBR pile for that reason, but in retrospect that was an illegal jump. There are a few train-set scenes, but it’s not a train mystery in the same way Murder on the Orient Express is. Go in expecting a train journey from Point A (the murder) to Point B (the reveal) and you might be disappointed; adjust your traininess expectations and you might be pleasantly surprised.)
The pros—strong sense of time and place: if someone told me this was written by one of the lesser known GAD pensmiths, I’d have believed him. The ‘tec: pretty good first outing—another religious detective but a welcome one given the strong point of view and plausibility.
The cons—the pool of suspects was a little on the shallow side: I never really felt they or their potential guilt were sufficiently explored. And the ending was unsatisfying for a couple of reasons (these reasons being different than those of the typical blue-haired reader.)
All in all, a worthy read or listen, but there’s nothing new or exceptional here. Personally I prefer, even in light-hearted cozies, both a larger cast of suspects and bodies. I am glad it’s a series, though—maybe the next book will be something I’m gonna wanna own in hardcover and read again and again.
(Heads up: if you’re expecting this to be a whodunit set on a train, it’s not. It jumped to the top of my TBR pile for that reason, but in retrospect that was an illegal jump. There are a few train-set scenes, but it’s not a train mystery in the same way Murder on the Orient Express is. Go in expecting a train journey from Point A (the murder) to Point B (the reveal) and you might be disappointed; adjust your traininess expectations and you might be pleasantly surprised.)
May 29, 2023
Sometimes, you need a "read-in-a-day" book, and this fits the bill perfectly.
21st century author Morrison has found a way to perfectly capture the feel for Golden Age of Mysteries writing. Not only the dialogue, but references, medical and police jargon, and especially references to "the war" (in 1930, there was only one "war") all give this novel the feel not only of being about a story taking place in 1930, but of actually being written in the 1930s. This is not an easy thing to do, and I commend him for it.
In this first book in his "Reverend Shaw" series, Lucien Shaw, former English army chaplain on the front lines, and now a vicar in the small village of Lower Addenham, Suffolk, was in the third class train compartment when a local businessman was murdered. At first, Reverend Shaw just tried to do his best to help the police and then get back to preparing for his upcoming Easter sermon. But as happens in these mysteries, different people tell him things, and after a while, Shaw ends up in the middle of it all.
I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to get drawn into this mystery.I was more excited to discover there are at least three more "Reverend Shaw" books already published (as of today). I will be reading them all!
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
21st century author Morrison has found a way to perfectly capture the feel for Golden Age of Mysteries writing. Not only the dialogue, but references, medical and police jargon, and especially references to "the war" (in 1930, there was only one "war") all give this novel the feel not only of being about a story taking place in 1930, but of actually being written in the 1930s. This is not an easy thing to do, and I commend him for it.
In this first book in his "Reverend Shaw" series, Lucien Shaw, former English army chaplain on the front lines, and now a vicar in the small village of Lower Addenham, Suffolk, was in the third class train compartment when a local businessman was murdered. At first, Reverend Shaw just tried to do his best to help the police and then get back to preparing for his upcoming Easter sermon. But as happens in these mysteries, different people tell him things, and after a while, Shaw ends up in the middle of it all.
I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to get drawn into this mystery.I was more excited to discover there are at least three more "Reverend Shaw" books already published (as of today). I will be reading them all!
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
August 25, 2023
🚋A third class murder, 2021
A cozy 1930s mystery set in an English village
Hugh Morrison
🛤️Inglaterra, 1930
Durante un viaje en tren, procedente de una línea secundaria en Suffolk, un anticuario es asesinado para poder robar su recaudación.
🏞️Parece que la policía tiene muy claro quién es el autor del crimen, un joven recién liberado de prisión que cumplió condena por otro intento de robo.
🏘️Pero uno de los pasajeros del tren, el reverendo Lucian Shaw, párroco rural y antiguo capellán militar durante la Gran Guerra cree que se han equivocado de hombre.
Me ha gustado mucho el estilo de estos dos libros del reverendo Shaw, pragmático y resolutivo sin perder nunca del sentido del humor.
#athirdclassmurder #thekingisdead #hughmorrison #cozymystery #leeresvivir #leermola #murdermystery #britishnoir
A cozy 1930s mystery set in an English village
Hugh Morrison
🛤️Inglaterra, 1930
Durante un viaje en tren, procedente de una línea secundaria en Suffolk, un anticuario es asesinado para poder robar su recaudación.
🏞️Parece que la policía tiene muy claro quién es el autor del crimen, un joven recién liberado de prisión que cumplió condena por otro intento de robo.
🏘️Pero uno de los pasajeros del tren, el reverendo Lucian Shaw, párroco rural y antiguo capellán militar durante la Gran Guerra cree que se han equivocado de hombre.
Me ha gustado mucho el estilo de estos dos libros del reverendo Shaw, pragmático y resolutivo sin perder nunca del sentido del humor.
#athirdclassmurder #thekingisdead #hughmorrison #cozymystery #leeresvivir #leermola #murdermystery #britishnoir
October 22, 2024
Good period atmosphere
The first of the Rev Shaw mysteries has a convincing village feel and the 1930 setting seems authentic in the behaviour of the characters and style of language. Shaw is an engaging protagonist and hopefully the policemen will develop further if they appear in future installments. The branch line that features has echoes of 'Oh, Mr Porter!' (to the extent of one minor character being called Graham Moffatt - the name of one of Will Hay's regular co-stars).
Sadly, however, despite all the promising background, I found the main plot blindingly obvious, which rather defeats the object - so only 3 stars. But I will try the next in the series in the hope that things improve.
The first of the Rev Shaw mysteries has a convincing village feel and the 1930 setting seems authentic in the behaviour of the characters and style of language. Shaw is an engaging protagonist and hopefully the policemen will develop further if they appear in future installments. The branch line that features has echoes of 'Oh, Mr Porter!' (to the extent of one minor character being called Graham Moffatt - the name of one of Will Hay's regular co-stars).
Sadly, however, despite all the promising background, I found the main plot blindingly obvious, which rather defeats the object - so only 3 stars. But I will try the next in the series in the hope that things improve.
March 2, 2023
A good modern take on a golden age whodunit, with the usual characters, the amateur sleuthing vicar, several obvious suspect and dodgy people. The writing is good and captures the period very well. Hugh Morrison seems well versed in the workings of the railway. It is a good, enjoyable light read. I worked out the killer but about halfway through, it was a little obvious but apart from that a good one. Charles Johnson is a good narrator with an excellent range. I did find his delivery a little flat at times but an easy listen. I received a complimentary copy of the Audio book and am leaving a honest voluntary review
May 22, 2021
A First Class Treat
I really enjoyed this and was sorry to leave the author's world. Loved the rural Suffolk setting and the authentic 1930s atmosphere, deftly done. Reverend Shaw is a likeable amateur sleuth, his vocation giving him wise insights and compassion for human frailties. Everything about the novel, the believable characters, intriguing plot and the murderer's motive are steeped in the period. I read lots of historical murder mysteries set in the Golden Age and this is one of the very best I've found. A real gem. Hope it's the start of a new series.
I really enjoyed this and was sorry to leave the author's world. Loved the rural Suffolk setting and the authentic 1930s atmosphere, deftly done. Reverend Shaw is a likeable amateur sleuth, his vocation giving him wise insights and compassion for human frailties. Everything about the novel, the believable characters, intriguing plot and the murderer's motive are steeped in the period. I read lots of historical murder mysteries set in the Golden Age and this is one of the very best I've found. A real gem. Hope it's the start of a new series.
March 28, 2022
A lovely crime mystery who done it set in 1930 which reminded me of so many of the Golden Age of crime fiction novels I've read.Fans of A.Christie or Dorothy L Sayers will enjoy this.A fairly simple story and plot but I still wasn't sure who did it until the end.Nothing too taxing just a really pleasant enjoyable read.I really hope Hugh Morrison writes some more like this as I'll definitely be buying them.
August 7, 2022
A cracking good read
This was my first time reading a novel by Hugh Morrison and I will definitely buy another!
A Third Class Murder is a delightful tale of intrigue in a quiet country town, laced with skillfully woven clues, red herrings, twists and turns that kept me engaged all the way along. It's a tale told with humour and whimsy, that had me laughing out loud in places and most importantly, the ending was a clever surprise!
This was my first time reading a novel by Hugh Morrison and I will definitely buy another!
A Third Class Murder is a delightful tale of intrigue in a quiet country town, laced with skillfully woven clues, red herrings, twists and turns that kept me engaged all the way along. It's a tale told with humour and whimsy, that had me laughing out loud in places and most importantly, the ending was a clever surprise!
July 4, 2021
Short and sweet...
If one can say that about murder. There didn't really seem to be much investigating going on, not even by the police, who seemed to jump to conclusions rather too quickly. The perpetrators were rather obvious to me the reader, so maybe they were to the vicar as well. It was a nice gentle read and didn't tax the brain cells.
If one can say that about murder. There didn't really seem to be much investigating going on, not even by the police, who seemed to jump to conclusions rather too quickly. The perpetrators were rather obvious to me the reader, so maybe they were to the vicar as well. It was a nice gentle read and didn't tax the brain cells.
July 27, 2024
An easy holiday read, a murder mystery without too much grisly detail. It is a bit Grantchester Mysteries meets Marlow Murder Club, where the formula is very simple, the plot is just interesting enough to keep you reading one more chapter before bed. Will try book 2 in the series and see how the main characters develop.
March 6, 2021
I had sussed out the murderer fairly early on. I just didn't care about any of the characters and it wasn't on a par with the other bloodless murders I have enjoyed. This would normally be a 2 day read at most and it took longer as the impetus to pick it up and not put it down wasn't there.
Read
July 18, 2021Good story , page turner. Must read another by Hugh Morrison.
Recommend to anyone who enjoys reading Agatha Christie type of stories , good Who Done it theories. Enjoyed the characters and the fact it is set in 1930.
Recommend to anyone who enjoys reading Agatha Christie type of stories , good Who Done it theories. Enjoyed the characters and the fact it is set in 1930.
September 17, 2024
Excellent story in the “Golden Age”style
A bit of a Church of England style Father Brown! I had a few ideas as to who was involved but not who actually did the deed!
Good plot and will read more.
A bit of a Church of England style Father Brown! I had a few ideas as to who was involved but not who actually did the deed!
Good plot and will read more.
May 30, 2021
Cosy murder mystery
Very enjoyable. Good characters, especially the vicar. Would like to know read more from this author. Would recommend if you like period murder mysteries.
Very enjoyable. Good characters, especially the vicar. Would like to know read more from this author. Would recommend if you like period murder mysteries.
Read
June 5, 2021Old fashioned murder
An old fashioned murder story with a sleuthing cleric reminiscent of the golden age of detective fiction set in a village .
An old fashioned murder story with a sleuthing cleric reminiscent of the golden age of detective fiction set in a village .
December 18, 2021
A fun historical cozy that has characteristics of a Golden Age Mystery.
February 19, 2022
A nice little mystery.
A very good plot and nicely done with a backdrop of a local railway thrown in. I do like these thirties mysteries.
A very good plot and nicely done with a backdrop of a local railway thrown in. I do like these thirties mysteries.
October 14, 2022
A really enjoyable, gentle and old-fashioned detective story
March 4, 2023
It was weak all along, but the reveal, the ending... ah, so bland, so nothing... Mondieu!
March 2, 2024
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