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Sitting Murder

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Member Reviews

I'm always a sucker for a book with Spiritualism or mediums in it, which was the reason that I applied for and received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley (in exchange for an honest review.)
This book was pretty good, but not great. I haven't read any of the other books in this series. However, I would read them (the first in the series looks particularly interesting.)
The characters in this book were the best part of the book for me. The author seemed to put most of his energy in creating memorable personalities. I did like the detective, Sergeant Brennan, and also Constable Jaggery. The various inhabitants of the village in Wigan were interesting.
The plot was good, with many different suspects. The actual murderer was a little surprising. I did guess part of the culprits, but not all.
A lot of the book is dialogue in a Lancashire dialect, which was a little grating to my Californian ear. The vernacular use of the word "anyroad" instead of "anyhow" was used too much for my liking.
A fun read, if not one of the best books I've read this year.

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Sitting Murder is book #4 in the Lancashire Detective series. The book is set in Wigan, Lancashire in 1894, and features DS Brennan and his sidekick Constable Jaggery investigating another murder. We still don't really find out much more about Brennan and Jaggery's personal lives.

There are quite a few characters in this novel, some living and some dead, but there is no confusion as to who they all are. Some of the characters are red herrings and Wright keeps you guessing until the end with the twists he puts into the story. I've previously read Elementary Murder in this series, which I rated 5*. However, I am going to rate Sitting Murder 4* as I felt it was a bit drawn out in the middle, but nevertheless still a great read.

Brief blurb:

Alice Goodway, recently widowed, decides to become a spiritual medium and her aunt assists her. Neighbours in the area, who have not moved on from the loss of their loved ones, visit Alice for a reading. Alice manages to get 'messages' from the neighbour's dearly departed, via her late husband. DS Brennan and Constable Jaggery are called in when a threatening letter is received. There is a subsequent murder, then a case of poisoning to be investigated. Brennan thinks that spiritualism is a load of codswallop, but Jaggery is far more open minded on the subject. Together they eventually discover who is responsible for causing all the mayhem.

This series of books are excellent and well worth checking out. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

I received a digital copy of this book via Netgalley......many thanks to all concerned.

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The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover - it's beautiful! Luckily, this book is a lot more than a pretty cover. When I started this book I was not aware that this is actually book #4 of a currently 4 book series. I didn't realize that until about a quarter of the way in - I loved the writing and thought, 'why have I never heard of this author before? This is really good.' I look it up on Goodreads and that is when I discovered it is actually a full series. This being discovered however, I did not feel that not having read the first three books I was missing any information - I think you could easily read this as a stand-alone story or read the earlier ones out of order. I definitely plan on seeking out the other books in this series.

The setting, in a small village in Victorian times, is quite gothic -something I love. You can almost feel the cold streets, the flickering candlelight and the hardships of the characters. There is a girl acting as medium, seances, a murder - what is not to love about all that? This was a completely enthralling mystery with a classic format, in the sense of Christie or Sayers, complete with strong, smart detectives cracking the case. My only slight criticism would be that I wish there had been a bit more character development for some of the main characters, particularly Brennan and Jaggery; that is but a minor thing however and perhaps that is something that was taken care of in the earlier books. I am genuinely happy that I had the opportunity to read this book - thank you to Endeavor Press - I would definitely recommend Sitting Murder to anyone who loves a good mystery!

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Alice Goodway has gained the gift to talk to the dead following her husband's death. She offers sittings to friends with the help of her husband's aunt who is then murdered. Sergeant Brennan is called in to find out who killed her. Threatening notes sent to Alice make it seem she's the next victim can the murderer be found before someone else dies.

This was a really good read and I didn't figure out who it was until right before the end. There are lots of brilliant twists that you don't see coming and Brennan is an interesting character. I loved constable Jaggery too.

The setting was brilliant and The attention to detail in descriptions of the surroundings was so well done. A Brilliant mystery.

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I would like to thank Netgalley and Endeavour Press for a review copy of Sitting Murder, the fourth novel in the Lancashire Mystery series and the third to feature DS Michael Brennan of the Wigan Police.

In 1890s Wigan Alice Goodway has just lost her husband, Jack, in a mining accident and discovered psychic powers. She has been holding individual sittings for a few of the local bereaved with her Aunty Doris by marriage taking charge of the "administration". When they receive an anonymous poison pen letter Doris calls the police.. DS Brennan doesn't know what to think of it but he's sure her psychic powers are fake, Constable Jaggery isn't so sure. Things get more complicated when Doris is found suffocated in her bed.

I enjoyed Sitting Murder which is an old fashioned murder mystery jazzed up with the fad of the day, spiritualism. Never having read the series before it was difficult to know initially if it would have a supernatural element and this made deciding what was important and what wasn't difficult to fathom. Looking back all the clues were there but I didn't have an inkling until shortly before the dénouement. It is very well done.

The plot is deceptively simple as there is a limited number of suspects, a victim with far more enemies than is immediately apparent and a straightforward method but it soon gets complicated when grief gets involved. Some of these points were laboured and the novel sagged a bit in the middle with repetition but I loved the solution which is elegant, fitting and very well done.

As befits a period detective novel the reader doesn't learn much about Sergeant Brennan except he has a wife and son and is an able detective with a dislike of his boss. He is there to move the plot along which he does well. I like the period detail which has more to do with attitudes than everyday life.

Sitting Murder is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

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When a body is discovered, Detective Sergeant Michael Brennan of the Wigan Borough Police who doesn't believe in ghosts investigates all the people who visited Alice Goodway for a seance.
This well-written mystery has quite a few suspects, with some decent rounded characters. An easy read which kept my interest right to the end.

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After Alice Goodway's husband is killed in an accident she suddenly gains the ability to speak with spirts. She performs sittings for those who wish to speak to lost loved ones for a small price. When she receives a threatening letter accusing her of lies, Detective Sergeant Michael Brennan is sent to investigate. He dismisses the letter as nothing more than a disgruntled client letting off steam until someone is murdered in Alice's home. With Alice thought to be the intended target Detective Brennan must investigate her recent clients and solve the case before the killer strikes again.

This book was a fantastic historical murder mystery. This was such a great whodunit with lots of red herrings and connected plot points. This is the first novel I have read by A.J. Wright but it will not be my last. I did not want to put this one down and would highly recommend it for anyone who loves a good mystery.

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Sitting Murder by A. J. Wright is the fourth book in the Lancashire Detective series. I have not read any of the previous books, but this one works perfectly as a stand-alone.

Sitting Murder is set during the late Victorian period in Wigan, a town known for its cotton mills and coal mines. When a mine accident takes the life of Alice Goodway's husband Jack, Alice's grief and sense of abandonment is intense.

But then it seems that Jack is able to communicate with Alice from beyond the grave, acting as a spirit guide. Word spreads and a number of people want Alice to contact their loved ones. Jack's abrasive aunt, moves in with Alice and persuades her to do a limited number of "sittings."

Alice views these sittings as a way to comfort those who are grieving, and along with the pat phrases offered by most purported mediums, Alice reveals information she should have no way of knowing.

Although the thoroughly detestable aunt makes sure the privilege is paid for, Alice only responds to a few of the people who are eager to commune with the dead, and most of these petitioners are comforted to feel that their loved ones are content.

Then the first threatening letter arrives, and DS Michael Brennan and Constable Jaggery are consulted. Brennan, while seriously skeptical of the whole mediumship-and-communication-with-the-dead scenario, is definitely concerned about the implied threat and tone of the letter.

Before Brennan and Jaggery can prove who wrote the letter, Alice's aunt is murdered, and Brennan suspects that the real target was Alice. As the investigation delves into the secrets of most of the those who requested sittings, Brennan and Jaggery try to keep Alice safe while narrowing down the list of suspects.

Sitting Murder was a fun historical mystery with complications that kept me guessing--and that is precisely what I want from this genre. It fit the mood of the season with the psychic/medium element, provided a solid mystery in a favorite time period, and introduced two likable characters in DS Brennan and Constable Jaggery.

NetGalley/Endeavor Ink

Historical Mystery. Oct. 12, 2017. Print length: 282 pages.

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