The Lover of the Grave: The Lydmouth Crime Series Book 3
Andrew Taylor
'Andrew Taylor is a master story-teller' Daily Telegraph
From the No.1 bestselling author of The Ashes of London and The Fire Court, this is the third instalment in the acclaimed Lydmouth series
After the coldest night of the year, they find the man's body. He is dangling from the Hanging Tree on the outskirts of a village near Lydmouth, with his trousers round his ankles. Is it suicide, murder, or accidental death resulting from some bizarre sexual practice?
Journalist Jill Francis and Detective Inspector Thornhill become involved in the case in separate ways. Jill is also drawn unwillingly into the affairs of the small public school where the dead man taught. Meanwhile a Peeping Tom is preying upon Lydmouth; Jill has just moved into her own house and is afraid she is being watched. And there are more distractions, on a personal level, for policeman and reporter . . .
'An excellent writer. He plots with care and intelligence and the solution to the mystery is satisfyingly chilling' The Times
'The most under-rated crime writer in Britain today' Val McDermid
'There is no denying Taylor's talent, his prose exudes a quality uncommon among his contemporaries' Time Out
Product Details
About Andrew Taylor
Reviews for The Lover of the Grave: The Lydmouth Crime Series Book 3
Independent
'Part baffling mystery, part social commentary, The Lover of the Grave is so atmospheric you can practically feel the ice on the inside of the windows' Liverpool Daily Post 'The tensions, both emotional and sexual, that run through this deftly plotted novel stretch the reader's nerves almost to breaking point' Val McDermid, Manchester Evening News Andrew Taylor is one of the most interesting, if not the most interesting novelist writing on crime in England today
Spectator
'This absorbing tale is only the third of Taylor's Lydmouth Mysteries, yet already they rank among the finest of English rural whodunit/whydunits..' Shropshire Star The people depicted here are real and believable and the drabness and genteel facade of Fifties England is skilfully brought to life. Taylor is, as always, adept at showing the reality beneath the surface
Sunday Telegraph
'A nicely satisfying read' The Irish Times How skilfully he recreates the atmosphere of the time through innuendo, attitude and detail . . .Taylor is the master of small lives writ large and he has carved a classic detective story
Frances Fyfield
'Andrew Taylor was given the thumbs up long ago for beautifully crafted, well written narratives combining sublety, depth and that vital 'Oh my God what is the hell is going to happen next' factor, which is the driving force of the story-teller... The Lover of the Grave... makes you long to read the next tale' Frances Fyfield Express on Saturday The most under-rated crime writer in Britain today
Val McDermid
'A good, meaty story in the best classic tradition' Birmingham Post 'This absorbing tale is only the third of Taylor's Lydmouth mysteries, yet already they rank among the finest of English rural whodunit/whydunits' Cumberland Evening News and Star 'Taylor evokes and stays faithful to the narrow convention and dingy austerity of the 1950s, He is an excellent writer who has conjured up an understated and grimy drama. Very praiseworthy' ? 'Quite definitely a cut above the usual whodunnit' Yorkshire Post-