Book Review: A Man of Some Repute by Eilzabeth Edmondson

Format: E- Book

Pages: 293 pages

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Published: July 1, 2015

Genre: Mystery & Thriller

Synopsis:

“Truth is rarely pure and never simple…

Selchester Castle in 1953 sits quiet and near-empty, its corridors echoing with glories of the past.

Or so it seems to intelligence officer Hugo Hawksworth, wounded on a secret mission and now reluctantly assuming an altogether less perilous role at Selchester.

The Castle’s faded grandeur hides a web of secrets and scandals—the Earl has been missing for seven years, lost without a trace since the night he left his guests and walked out into a blizzard.

When a skeleton is uncovered beneath the flagstones of the Old Chapel, the police produce a suspect and declare the case closed.

Hugo is not convinced. With the help of the spirited Freya Wryton, the Earl’s niece, he is drawn back into active service, and the ancient town of Selchester is dragged into the intrigues and conspiracies of the Cold War era.

With a touch of Downton Abbey, a whisper of Agatha Christie and a nod to Le Carré, A Man of Some Repute is the first book in this delightfully classic and witty murder mystery series.”

This one was a very quick and very intriguing mystery novel. I know it is a common saying when a reader says “it had me hooked from the very beginning”. I can safely say that rings true with this novel. Like the synopsis mentions, it takes place in a Downton Abbey  with a mixture of Agatha Christie to make a perfect blend. It just felt like we were really there in that small village and getting caught up in the “local gossip” of the mystery. 

At first, I was a little confused at the breaks in the chapter. The author constantly breaks up the narrative into scenes when the perspective or scenery changes, like “scene 1” or “scene 2”. Maybe she was mixing the elements of a narrative and a screenplay. I thought to myself, “if this continues throughout the book, I’m seriously going to be annoyed”. But as time went on, I forgot they were even there. Her writing style just absorbed me into the story it didn’t bother me anymore. Speaking of her writing style, it was a lot different compared to other mystery novels. It was simplistic, but not necessarily in a negative way. It may not have give you enough information and description but it gave you just enough to keep you interested in the story.

I loved the characters. They were all quirky and witty. Like I mentioned before, there was little character description, except for any description being told through the characters, but maybe that was done on purpose. Maybe the author has yet to tell the full story, if the ending gives any indication. I really hope the author decides to continue it as a series because it has a lot of potential.

So if you are looking for a quick British mystery that is not too deep or involved but keeps you wanting more, then this definitely should be you next read.

Overall rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

Note: I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Get it at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository