This is the first book I have read by Lorac and I will definitely be looking for others. I enjoyed the mystery but what I really enjoyed was the characters. I wanted to know more about them and their lives. At times I found myself not thinking about the fact that this was a mystery but instead getting caught up in the lives of the characters. The book also provided an interesting window into the world of farming during WWII and evocative descriptions of the countryside.

A classic mystery that manages to be both descriptive and fast-paced. The author's love for the area in which the mystery is set shines through, as does her respect for the work of farmers. An enjoyable read.

“Hate is a bad master.”

E. C. R. Lorac’s Fell Murder takes place during WWII in the Lake District. Lorac (Edith Caroline Rivett) deftly juxtaposes the beauty, tranquility and durability of the landscape against the foibles of human passions and the dark days of WWII.

The Garth family live at Garthmere Hall, a rambling building part “medieval in origin, but succeeding generations had altered it again and again. It was in part great house, in part farm house.” The house is ruled by patriarch “grim” Robert Garth but the farm is worked and managed by his middle-aged daughter Marion. The eldest son, Richard, married a woman against his father’s wishes, so he was cast out from the family home 25 years earlier. The woman, Mary Ashwaite, subsequently died in Canada. No one has heard about Richard since. Also living at Garthmere Hall is Charles Garth, the second son who escaped from Malaya and returned home penniless. There’s also Malcolm Garth, a sickly young man from Robert Garth’s second marriage, and Elizabeth Meldon, a distant relative of the Garths. She’s in the Land Army.

Fell Murder

The novel opens with John Staple, the Garth bailiff striding across the Garthmere land and enjoying the view from the hills across the countryside which is “an unchanging certainty in an unstable and changing world” Staple is shocked when he meets the prodigal son Richard also hiking across the hills. Richard is on leave and has chosen to spend the week visiting the land he loves. The Garthmere land, incidentally, is entailed so Richard will inherit. Richard asks Staple to keep his visit secret. He has no intention of seeing his family, and will soon return to sea.

Staple’s conversation with Richard is overheard, and so Richard’s presence in the region is no longer secret. Shortly thereafter, old irascible Robert Garth has an accident with a loaded gun, but luckily no one is hurt. But after a fox hunt, Robert Garth is found murdered in a small shed on Garthmere land.

Local police superintendent Layng is called in to investigate, but he’s not a local (who still talk about the Battle of Flodden Field) and cannot penetrate this closed culture. He is brusque and doesn’t treat some of the landowners politely as their clothes don’t signal their status:

He had forgotten the fact that the farmers hereabouts thought nothing of ancient clothes, dung-laden boots and scarecrow hats.

He’s impatient and sorely underestimates country ways.

Layng had a slightly pompous manner and a tendency to regard the shrewd farming folk as being slow of understanding because they habitually spoke slowly and thought for a long time before they gave vent to speech.

Layng gets nowhere with the case and so Scotland Yard’s Chief Inspector Macdonald arrives, commandeers a bicycle and starts investigating. ….

While I guessed the perp about halfway through, Fell Murder was an entertaining read. Here we are in WWII with petrol rationing, signposts removed (back in place finally), and black marketing of eggs. And now there’s murder, and an inheritance that isn’t exactly ‘fair.’ While these are dark times indeed, Lorac elegantly and descriptively displays a love of the land, and how Macdonald understands these Lake District folk, giving them respect. Lorac shows how a crime that seems impenetrable to one investigator can be solved by someone who takes a different, less hostile approach. Here’s Macdonald and Marion:

“Thanks you very much for being so patient,” replied Macdonald

“You remind me of my dentist a bit.” she answered unexpectedly. “He’s always very polite, but he pulls my tooth out just the same.”

The excellent introduction from Martin Edwards discusses the “sub-genre of crime fiction, the ‘return of the prodigal’ story.” That had not occurred to me before, so as always Martin Edwards continues to illuminates this well-loved genre.

Review copy

Fell Murder was first published in 1944 and features ECR Lorac’s series detective, Chief Inspector MacDonald, investigating the death of old Robert Garth in Lunesdale. The author, whose real name was Edith Caroline Rivett, had moved to Lunesdale shortly before writing the novel. She was half-way through her publishing career which ran from 1931 to 1959, with the last novel being published just after she died.

John Staple, the bailiff for Robert Garth, is surprised to encounter Robert’s estranged son, Richard, when out of the fells. Richard is on the Atlantic convoys and has a week’s leave between voyages. He wanted to see the land of his youth again. Richard makes Staple promise not to tell anyone about their encounter, but they have been overheard.

Two days later, Robert Garth’s body is found – he was shot. The local police in the shape of Inspector Layng get nowhere because he rushes in and hassles people. The Acting Chief Constable calls in the CID and Chief Inspector Macdonald is despatched. Being a countryman, although a Scot rather than English, he handles the local folk far better than Layng and soon finds the murderer.

Macdonald doesn’t appear until just over half-way through the book (Chapter Nine out of sixteen) so there is a lot of scene-setting and exposition. I initially wondered “When is it all going to get started?” However, Lorac has deliberately chosen the pace to emphasise how Macdonald must be patient if he’s to make any progress. Once he starts the investigation, I think he identifies the murderer in a staggeringly short time without apparently rushing anything.

This is a lovely book – well-crafted with great attention paid to the environment as well as the main characters. The latter are well delineated.. However, I think the exposition was a little too long at 50% of the book, so I’m docking a star.

There is also a short story by Lorac – Live Wire – which is truly excellent.

The Garths, an old farming family in the North Country who own a large house which has been there since before Flodden Field, are a 'rum lot'. The old Squire is a curmudgeon who controls the family and has disputes with all of his children. Richard, the heir, fell out with him when he married and left for Canada, but he has come back after several years although he is keeping a low profile. Malcolm, sensitive and nervy, hates farming and writes poetry as well as keeping bees. Charles, his half-brother, has come back from Malaya. He hates farming too, being used to lots of servants. Marion, the single daughter, wants to modernize the farm and is arguing with her father. Elizabeth is in the Land Army and staying at the home. Her name is often shortened to 'Lisa'.

When the old father is murdered, suspicion falls on several people, including the mentally-challenged boy who works for him, and a farmer who has a dispute with him. Sensible Inspector MacDonald arrives to solve the dilemma, but finds that getting anywhere with most of this tough and hardened North Country crowd is like getting blood out of a stone...

This was enthralling reading which kept me awake until the small hours. The characters were all interesting and the description of the country was do detailed that I felt as if I was actually there! I also liked the old-fashioned British words like 'gey' and 'trigg'. The Kindle dictionary helped here! I would like to read all of this writer's books.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Edith Caroline Rivett ,who wrote under the pseudonym E.C.R. Lorac, had a long running series with Inspector McDonald. The Author penned this during the War Years in 1944, and it has strong touches of all the hardships Britain went through. The story is set among the fells and downs of rural England, centered around a Family named Garth. They are Farmers now, but in times past- they had great wealth. They still live in the Manor House, with part of the rooms shut up, and large portions of land. The 82 year old Father is a harsh man- some say fair, but he is hot-tempered and at times cruel. The eldest son, Richard, married Mary, the Daughter of Ashthwaite, and fought with his Father over it. Twenty five years later and Richard is back hiking the countryside he loved. His wife Mary, died due to a lack of funds when something went wrong with the baby. Richard has never forgiven his Father, but, is it just coincidence that his Father is murdered after he reaches England?

He is not the only one back. Charles, who hates farming, is back from Malaya ,with no funds and bitterly resentful. Malcolm, the child of the second wife has a bad heart and is a poet and hated his Father for making fun of it. The only one who really loves farming is the only daughter and she cannot inherit the entailed land. Elizabeth is also staying there to help on the farm as a Land Girl.

E.C.R. Lorac writes a tightly- woven, mystery.The Garth's are an old family in rural England with many ties to the farming people around them. The Author has a way of making them come alive. Some are likeable- others not as much, but their lives revolve around the weather, bringing in the crops, and helping their neighbors. The land is as much a character as the people and Lorac does not hesitate to use its beauty for both opportunity to develop characters and for murder. The story progressed in a slow- pace...building... and I had no idea where all the red herrings would lead. But as the tension simmered I began to wonder... would this be the only murder? I am giving it five stars because I love this type of English Mystery.
My thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press

This is my favorite of the British Library Crime Classic offerings I have read. It's the story of a murder committed during WW2 in the countryside of northeastern Britain near Lancaster. It's so well written it takes my breath away.

E.C.R. Lorac has matched the measured pace of rural life with the measured pace of the book. Truths and insights come, but at their own time. The characters are very well drawn.

For readers who like mysteries from this period, surely this is one of the best.

This book felt like a breath of fresh air. I know that this is an extremely odd way to begin the review of a book that is at its core a murder mystery. The descriptions of the people, the land (as the preface very obligingly points out) and the interactions between these two main focuses. It was a surprisingly quick read, at least for me.

We are introduced to a hard-working family, the primary landowners in the area. Even before we meet the Patriarch, we meet the prodigal son who has come back just to feast his eyes on the land that would technically pass on to him. He says some very profound things like the use of the word 'owning' that land and it sets the tone for the rest of the book. The murder occurs well into the narrative almost as an afterthought, and we are given a view into two different types of police enquiries and what each method brings forth. We have the leisure to get a feel for every character and meander through the tale. This does not mean that the story itself consisted of lying about or slow anything. There was back-breaking work described in impressive detail to keep the farms going. Since we all have to eat and farming is losing the land it needs all over the world, these kinds of stories might actually inspire people who have the capacity or the chance to work with land directly.

This edition also had a short story that was very brief but mildly entertaining. This is not for those who want a graphic mystery with a lot of things happening but for all other types of mystery readers, this will be a treat.

One of my favourite dialogues 

"You remind me of my dentists a bit" (in speaking of the Chief Inspector)she answered unexpectedly, "He's always very polite but he pulls my tooth out just the same"

I received an ARC of the reprint thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but this review is entirely based on my own reading experience and my love of the beauty of outdoors.

The Garths of Garthmere have been farmers for generations. The head of the family Robert, is a hard man, but in his eighties still a working man. But after twenty-five years Richard, the eldest son has returned but not to visit his family just the land. When Robert is discovered murdered, Chief Inspector Macdonald is called in to investigate.
An enjoyable and well-written though slow-paced mystery, with its delightful description of the locale, and its characters.
Originally written in 1944

I loved this mystery! This is the second classic crime that I've read from this author and the writing is just so rich and descriptive that I just feel like I'm there on the farm with the characters. And the Garth family is a fascinating group of personalities. This is a shorter book than the mysteries we get today but it really packs a punch and lacks not at all in twists and turns. The villain is not immediately obvious and the means of murder are vicious. This story has everything a good mystery should have and I highly recommend it. If you've never tried a classic crime novel E.C.R. Lorac is a great place to start.

Fell Murder is a re-release of a classic golden age mystery by E.C.R. Lorac published in the British Library Crime Classics series by Poisoned Pen Press it's 240 pages and due out 6th Jan 2020 (ebook format available now).

I have really enjoyed this gem of an author. I also haven't got a 'stinker' yet in the crime classics series.

For fans of classic British golden age mysteries this one is gently written and charming. The characters are well written with a touch of wry humour. I absolutely love golden age British mysteries. This isn't gritty. I found myself giving up trying to figure out 'whodunnit' (although I did guess correctly, as it turned out), and just really enjoying the read.

I enjoyed the diverting plot, and the utter sense of place. The pacing was a trifle slow compared to 'modern' procedurals and gritty crime novels, but perfectly within acceptable parameters considering the time period. It's a book to be enjoyed and, yes, savored a bit.

Inspector MacDonald is a gem and this is a wonderful addition to the series. I enjoyed it very much.

Available in ebook and paperback in this edition (also hardbound originals, apparently).

Four and a half stars. Enjoyed it enough that I'm making an effort to locate and read her other works- high praise indeed from me since my TBR pile is neverending.

This is an intriguing whodunit murder mystery set in the English countryside in the waning years of WW2. An elderly farmer is found shot to death in a shed on his property. After a cursory initial inquiry, the local police call in Scotland Yard and Chief Inspector Macdonald is dispatched to the scene. His inquiry is marked by a calm and deliberate series of interviews of the members of the dead man's household and the local farmers. His Scottish roots have equipped him well to deal with the northern farm folk: they share the same clannishness and suspicion of strangers.
Macdonald is a diligent sleuth. His first step is to study the Ordinance Survey maps of the area to familiarize himself with the geography. In the same way, he has keen powers of observation to combine with his background knowledge of rural life. Macdonald brings this suspenseful mystery to a satisfactory conclusion with an exciting finale. Lorac captures the feel of the English countryside and its farming life creating a pleasant atmosphere against which to tell the story.

The book's Introduction by Golden Age expert Martin Edwards is especially comprehensive about the story and Lorac's writings. It is not to be missed. I have read several of Lorac's British Library Crime Classic books and enjoyed each one, to varying degrees. This one is the best of the five books I've read. There is a Lorac short story about a train robbery at the end of "Fell Murder" as a bonus read.

This is an excellent detective story, enjoyable and easy-to-read.

I received an advance reading copy of this British Library Crime Classics book from Poisoned Pen Press, via Netgalley. The comments about it are my own.

Prodigal son and heir Richard returns to his hometown in rural 1944 England in the Fell Murder.

Richard’s argumentative father Robert had forced him from the family land when he married a local farmer’s daughter. Richard wants to tramp across the land of his childhood but has no intention of speaking to his family ever again. But when his old, but still cantankerous, father is found dead, he is the number one suspect.

Bucolic rural England is the best part of this slow-moving whodunit. You can almost smell the wet earth and cow dung while you are reading the Fell Murder. Robert has enemies everywhere—both within and outside his family—making the mystery a challenge to solve for armchair detectives. The slow pace, while increasing the atmosphere, made this book only a so-so read for me. 3 stars.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book from Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
E. C. R. Lorax is an author from the Golden Age Mystery group of writers. This Chief Inspector MacDonald series edition was originally written in 1944. It includes a short story entitled, " The Live Wire". Written at the height of her power, it's a fine balance of intrigue, setting and plot; with well established and likable characters. There is a noticeable love for rural English farm life and against this background a dastardly mystery unfolds. The Inspector is called in when local police are stymied by the murder of one of their local estate owners. The list of suspects is long and empath at a minimum. MacDonald uses his experience and expertise, his long-standing community values to find the killer among them. Great addition to this fine collection of British Crime Classics and one not likely forgotten any time soon. Enjoyable and entertaining book.

Apart from the Classic Crime bit which I love, the cover drew me in so much. It seemed to epitomise all the characters in this story. The farmers, the victims, the victim's children, the by standers, even the publican. All aloof, all minding their own business, insular and very much closed to "outsiders".

A leading farmer found shot dead after a fox hunt. Hardly any suspects around and the detectives put in charge of the case are being stone walled. It is not easy to understand the laconic attitude of the people and you need a special man to get to grips with the problem. Chief Inspector MacDonald is ideal. He is trusted by the locals very fast, and quietly goes about unraveling what is a seemingly impossible task. One and then a second victim much later with no possible suspects.

This was a particularly good class crime one, definitely well above many of the others I've read.

I received a free electronic copy of this historical British police procedural from Netgalley, E.C.R. Lorac, and Poisoned Pen Press. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition and this review reflects my personal, honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend this work to friends and family. Fell Murder is an exquisite miniature of life in small-town Britain just after the war.

Fell Murder was first published in 1944 by Collins Crime Club, we have a perfect spotlight on life in the hills of Lancaster following WWII - life and livelihood isolated by distance and lifestyle. The protagonists are well rounded, their personalities fully formed, and the mystery all-encompassing. I have encountered Lorac before, but this novel has me firmly in her thrall. Fell Murder was the first book featuring Bobby Macdonald. I will have to dig out my other Macdonald who-done-its and try to fill in the blanks. Though a perfect stand-alone, this is a book to get you addicted to the genre.

I've been looking forward to reading Fell Murder since I requested it on Net Galley. I've read one or two of her novels before and really enjoyed them, but more importantly, I have a huge soft spot for the part of the country that this book is set in. It may have been fifty years after the time of this book that I lived in Lancaster and knew the lune valley, but I could still recognise the landscape that appears in the pages.
The murder mystery comes about after the return of a son who has long been away from the area. Although he doesn't visit his family, it soon becomes clear that a number of people in the area know of his arrival. It's not clear at first how his arrival causes the murder to take place, but the fact that he's suddenly there is the spark for the events that follow.
I enjoyed this murder mystery, I did guess the murderer right before the end of the book, but it was a guess and I wasn't completely sure that I was right.
I really enjoyed the book, both because of the mystery element but also because of the obvious great love for the area that the author had. If I wasn't on the other side of the world, I have no doubt it would be enough to send me on a visit back to Lancaster and the surrounding area as soon as possible.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Fell Murder is another Chief Inspector Macdonald mystery from classic crime novelist E. C. R. Lorac. The Garths of Garthmere may have had their land since before Flodden Field in the 16th century, but they are farmers, not idle gentry. Robert Garth is eighty-two and a hard man, he rules his family, riding them hard. His tenants know he’s tough, but they respect him and he will show up to help them, working as hard as they do. But he is the perfect murder victim with a long list of potential suspects.

The local police officer is not respectful of the farmer. He doesn’t understand that speaking slowly doesn’t say anything about how they think. Luckily, his boss calls in Scotland Yard right away and Macdonald shows up, demonstrating from the beginning that he has a feel for the place and the people. He thinks the murder can only be solved by understanding the epopele and place and treads carefully, interviewing people with respect.

And wow, there are suspects. His estranged son showed up right before the murder and has disappeared. The daughter is tired of waiting to modernize the farm. The second son is kept cash-poor and dependent. The youngest son is berated as weak and inept. Then there is the farmer he evicted. And that’s just the short list.



I enjoyed Fell Murder a lot. Lorac is scupulous in spreading around the suspicion. She also creates a powerful sense of place, the land is as much a character as the people and understanding the land is how Macdonald hopes to solve the crime. How people move on the land is a critical element to understanding the mysteryl Lorac is fair, every clue is there for us in order to solve the mystery along with Macdonald. I love the character development as well. These are not simple people and while the story is a simple mystery, it has a complex view of people and the land.

Fell Murder will be released on January 9th. I received an e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley.

Fell Murder at Poisoned Pen Press
E. C. R. Lorac at Wikipedia
Murder in the Mill-Race by E. C. R. Lorac
Murder by Matchlight by E. C. R. Lorac

An excellent Detective short novel set in the Lake district in 1944 although other than mentions of the blackout the war is not mentioned.I had never read anything by E?C.R Lorac or her detective Chief Inspector MacDonald before but was impressed the best thing was the obvious love she shows for the area and the farm life and also of course a good detective yarn!
The story is one in which any of the suspects/family could have done the murder and the culprit did suprise me .
All in all a book I enjoyed not too taxing and a quick read. I will try some of the authors other books.
Also included is a rare humorous short story (very short!) Livewire about a clever robber who makes just the one mistake in his plans with disastrous results. I did enjoy this little tale also
4/5

2 Stars

Sorry this isn't really my thing. I tried to get through the book but I suppose the language is outdated for me, and the dialogue very dense and I didn't feel a sense of thrill. I struggled to get through the book and finished a third of the way through. Perhaps better suited for fans of classic mysteries?

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for this free ARC for a review.