Review ~ A Death in the Night by Guy Fraser-Sampson

Urbane Publications
November 2017

My thanks to the author and publisher for my review copy of this book

In this fourth novel in the Hampstead Murders, Bob Metcalfe, Lisa Atkins, Helen Willis and Peter Collins are attending a vintage dinner dance at the Athena Club, which is a rather exclusive women only establishment in London, once frequented by the great, Dorothy L Sayers. Whilst the group enjoy their evening entertainment, an unexplained death occurs in one of the club's bedrooms, which consequently reveals a perplexing mystery with few clues and many suspects.

There is something rather charming about this series, which harks back to the golden age of crime writing that, even though at the heart of A Death in the Night is a rather dark mystery, there is something quietly comforting to be had in working alongside this group of professional detectives as they conduct their enquiries. With good old fashioned police investigation, the Hampstead detective team work with methodical precision, leaving no stone unturned and no suspect unattended, and with such a complex and difficult mystery, the team will be tested to the limit of their investigative powers.

Bringing his characters to life with gentle humour and fine attention to detail the author has certainly created in the Hampstead Murders, a memorable crime series, and whilst each book is quirkily different, there are common themes, so that readers who have travelled the journey from the beginning will see familiar threads running alongside each new investigation.

I've really come to love these stories, so that I now look upon these characters as old friends, in whose company I am more than happy to spend many entertaining and enjoyable hours.

About the Author

Find out more about the author here 

Follow on Twitter @GuyFSAuthor

Urbane Publications

  

Review ~ A Whiff of Cyanide by Guy Fraser-Sampson

Urbane Publications

June 2017

Blurb...

The third volume of the bestselling Hampstead Murders sees the team become involved with a suspicious death at a crime writers' convention. Is this the result of a bitterly contested election for the Chair of the Crime Writers' Association or are even darker forces at work? 

Peter Collins, who is attending the convention as the author of a new book on poisoning in Golden Age fiction, worries that the key clue to unlock this puzzle may be buried within his own memories. A character called Miss Marple offers her advice, but how should the police receive this? 

Meanwhile an act of sudden, shocking violence and a dramatic revelation threaten tragic consequences.

My thoughts...

Returning to this series of Hampstead Murder mysteries, and this is now book number three, is rather like becoming reacquainted with group of cherished friends and from the very start of this latest novel there is a comfortable feel to the story which, even though it covers a rather dark subject, it is such a delight to read.

A Whiff of Cyanide is set, it would seem, in the rather murky world of literary malcontent and focuses on the petty jealousies of those authors who are attending a crime writer's convention and who feel that they are not getting the attention that their work deserves.

The mystery at the heart of the novel is complex and convoluted and there is a real sense of unease which starts to infiltrate almost from the beginning of the story. I especially like the pervading sense of nostalgia and that subtle hint of bygone days when police investigations were conducted with good manners and old fashioned sleuthing.

The author has most certainly created his own special literary niche with this wonderful collection of crime stories which seem to go from strength to strength. As with all series it is usually better to read from the beginning and I think this is especially important in this instance as to see the progression of the characters as they settle into their individuals roles is one of the unique strengths of the Hampstead Murders series. There is a real surprise in this book which I didn't see coming but which now adds a really interesting dynamic to a couple of relationships and I am sure that these will be expanded upon in future novels.

A Whiff of Cyanide is a strong story with a tantalising beginning, a complex middle and a satisfying conclusion and is written with all the fine attention to detail which is so beautifully reminiscent of the glorious age of crime writing.

About the Author

Guy Fraser Sampson is an established writer best known for his Mapp and Lucia novels which have been featured on BBC radio and optioned by BBC television. 

Follow on Twitter @GuyFSAuthor

Urbane Publications

  

My thanks to the author for sharing his book with me and also to Matthew at Urbane Publications for my review copy of A Whiff of Cyanide.

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Review ~ Miss Christie Regrets by Guy Fraser-Sampson

Urbane Publications
2017

What's it all about ...

The second in the Hampstead Murders series opens with a sudden death at an iconic local venue, which some of the team believe may be connected with an unsolved murder featuring Cold War betrayals worthy of George Smiley. It soon emerges that none other than Agatha Christie herself may be the key witness who is able to provide the missing link.

My thoughts about it...

I first discovered this author’s work when I read Death in Profile which is the first in the Hampstead Murders series of crime novels. That novel sets the scene for future books, and introduces us to characters who I am pleased to say make a welcome return in Miss Christie Regrets.

The story opens with a murder, the consequences of which will have a bearing on a subsequent, and seemingly unrelated, macabre discovery, and which will stretch the Hampstead police's investigative team's tenacity and resolve to their very limits. The secret at the heart of the novel has more than enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, and the added inclusion of Miss Agatha Christie to the novel adds an element of charm and old fashioned mystery to what is in effect a modern-day murder investigation.

As always, the author spends time explaining both plot and malice. His turn of phrase and fine attention to detail always leaves the reader in no doubt that this type of detective story harks back to the golden age of detective investigation and to, perhaps, a more erudite way of tracking down a potential murderer.

There is an element of continuity in this second book which I liked, particularly in the way that certain characters have been allowed to develop more fully. It was good to meet up again with DS Kate Willis and her psychologist boyfriend, Peter Collins, and to ponder anew over the ambiguity of DS Willis’ relationship with her colleague, DI Bob Metcalfe. The dynamics of a functioning investigative team is maintained with all the appropriate ‘office’ politics that goes on behind closed police doors, which is fascinating to observe.

Miss Christie Regrets is a good continuation of the series and it's fair to say that whilst this story sits comfortably on its own merits, as with all series it’s probably best to start the series from the beginning. I am also pleased to note that there is to be a further continuation of the Hampstead Murders in the next installment, A Whiff of Cyanide, which is due to be released in Summer 2017.

Best Read With..A glass of a crisp Italian white and a few bite sized nibbles..

About the Author

Guy Fraser Sampson is an established writer best known for his Mapp and Lucia novels which have been featured on BBC radio and optioned by BBC television. 

Follow on Twitter @GuyFSAuthor

My thanks to the author and also to Urbane Publications for my review copy of this novel.

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Review ~ Death in Profile by Guy Fraser-Sampson

Urbane Publications
2016

When a woman's body is found in a quiet area of Hampstead, the investigative team suspect that it is the work of the serial killer they have been chasing for the last couple of years. The killer's modus operandi seems to be identical, and yet, the anomalies which appear in the investigation seem to provoke more questions than they do answers. Desperate for a result, a profiler is brought into the team to add another perspective, and suddenly, buoyed on  a wave of enthusiasm, the case seems to take off and before long is ready to reveal its secrets.

What then follows is a crime procedural story with a rather unusual twist, in that parts of the novel hark back to the golden age of detectives stories, with the author very much in tune with the work of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers, and Marjory Allingham.  The sharply observed elements of classic detective stories adds a quirky twist and I found myself discovering some hidden gems hidden away in the narrative which were so reminiscent of the old classic detectives.

I enjoyed getting to know the police team, and found the complicated dynamics between the different characters interesting. They seem an odd bunch of people to be thrown together but yet when the chips are down they all seem to be able to pull together, with the exception of an old school copper who seems determined to do things his way. The main premise of the plot seems a little fanciful, at times, but I think this is entirely appropriate given the style of writing and its particular genre of old fashioned cosy crime.

The author has an interesting writing style, drawing the reader into the story with gentle humour and a wry wit which makes a refreshing change. Death in Profile is the first title in a proposed new cosy crime series and I look forward to reading more in the Hampstead Murders series.

Best Read with …. A pint of London Pride and a chicken pie …

About the Author

Guy Fraser Sampson is an established writer best known for his Mapp and Lucia novels which have been featured on BBC radio and optioned by BBC television. This is his debut work of detective fiction and the first in the Hampstead Murders series.







Follow on Twitter @GuyFSAuthor

Amazon UK

My thanks to the author for sharing his novel with me.

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