This series has an excellent sense of place and time, with a vibrant 1960s Oxford setting. A suspicious death after a glamorous New Years Eve party looks like a tragic accident, but when Trudy and Clement investigate, murder seems likely. This investigation in this story is complete, so it reads well as a standalone. However, to grasp the nuances of Ryder and Loveday's partnership, I recommend reading all books in the series.

Misogyny still prevails amongst Loveday's colleagues, but her obvious detective skills win her support from some. Deduction and observation skills were paramount in an era without forensics and technology.

The sensory imagery used and vivid descriptions reflect 1962s extreme winter weather and are central to the story. This is an engaging classic style murder mystery with relatable characters and a believably written cast of suspects.

I received a copy of this book from HQ via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I jumped straight into this cosy mystery, made all the more cosier by the heavy blankets of snow. Despite being part of a lengthy series, I was relieved at how easy I fell into the narrative, not noticing that several books had already come previously.

I really liked the time period of this story; it made a change to the crime thrillers that I usually read. In this way, I think this made it more of a cosy mystery because it was a gentle investigation, bodies were not piling up and it was more of a case of ‘who dunnit?’, rather than anything else. The simplicity of the time period and the fact that a huge freeze across the country means that Loveday and Ryder are having to conduct many of the investigations themselves due to a police shortage and roads being impassable. They make a great duo with age and wisdom complementing youth and enthusiasm.

Martin quickly establishes the crime scene and I felt like I was reading a game of ‘Cluedo’! As the story progresses, there are plenty of suspects who could be involved in the death of Trevor. Even Loveday and Ryder have suspicions but these are not progressing any time soon because each round of questioning just creates more leads. I liked the variety of characters in this book: not only was it easy to distinguish between the different identities, I think it helped establish a broad range of motives for what initially appeared to be a tragic, chilling accident.

As a sub-plot, it is clear that there is some love interest surrounding Loveday. It does not dominate the story but I was intrigued to see there is a past with the reporter, plus a new, potential connection with Ryder’s son. It was a sweet development and I think this added to the appeal of the story, again not making it a gritty crime thriller.

The portrayal of how people coped with such awful weather conditioners are subtly explored in this narrative. I think this added to the quaintness of the Oxfordshire setting, especially as there is no reference to the academia that we come to associate with such a place today. The resilience during this big freeze is reflected in Ryder’s personal challenges and I found this part of the story quite emotive and saddening. Even though there seems to be a resolution by the end of the book, I would be interested to see how the writer explores this element of the plot further.

This was a great read that had me guessing throughout. I never correctly predicted the outcome and enjoyed the charm of old fashioned policing. Coupled with buckets of snow, I think this is a great non-Christmas, winter read that will have you warmed and guessing throughout the story.

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re a fan of cosy crime mysteries, then this novel will perfectly fit the bill. Set in chilly Oxford during the severe winter of 1962-3, it warms the heart with a colourful cast of likeable characters. It’s also a refreshing change to witness how crimes were solved long before modern technology became commonplace.

WPC Trudy Loveday and coroner Clement Ryder might be very different people in many respects but they make a great team who work together well. Their friendship, unofficial professional partnership, and complementary skills aid them in solving crimes others fail to.

Although this is the first novel I’ve read in the Loveday/Ryder series, of which this is the seventh, it hasn’t proved to be a deterrent at all because it succeeds in being read as a stand-alone story, and makes me want to check out the earlier novels.

The inclement weather is almost a character in its own right, making an impact right from the start. On New Year’s Eve, a heavily snowbound car is found. What initially looks like an accident for the deceased driver soon proves to be far more sinister than it appears, especially as he’s a guest from a high profile party that had taken place.

Trudy’s dogged persistence, coupled with the unexpected freedom she has to lead this seemingly innocuous case her superior officer feels able to trust her with, reveals how hard it was then for female police officers to prove their worth. A well written, rattling good read and just the thing to snuggle up with over Christmas or new year. Grateful thanks to HQ Digital, Faith Martin and NetGalley for the ARC.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review “A Fatal Night.” All opinions and comments are my own.

A New Year’s Eve party proves deadly in “A Fatal Night,” the latest in the Ryder and Loveday series by Faith Martin (the 7th book, to be exact). The city coroner (Clement Ryder) and probationary policewoman (Trudy Loveday) in 1960s Oxford will find their hands full with this one.

They’re called to the scene of a fatal traffic accident; seems the deceased was at "that" party. Too much toasting in the New Year, perhaps? Seems cut and dried enough, but Ryder’s not convinced. Local Lover Boy was in the car, and his much-older-than-he-is rich paramour’s got children that would be very happy to see him out of the picture permanently. Turns out they have indeed cooked up something, and it’s up to our two quasi-detectives to ferret it all out, as long as Trudy’s stuffy superior will let her stay on the case (a constant theme through the books).

Of course, there’s a twist or two -- there’s the Other Woman, and the dear departed was definitely not as pure as the driven snow. But that murderer? Credit the author with making a case for surprising us all (well, at least me). Maybe a tad out of the blue, but who's counting.

We even get some movement on the personal front, which has been developing as slow as molasses. Ryder’s son has come to visit for the holidays and finds out that’s something’s up with his father’s health. And he has met Trudy – competition for the smarmy newspaper reporter has arrived. And now that Trudy’s been given the opportunity to actually do some investigation on her own, as she does in “A Fatal Night,” one can only hope that bodes well for future books. Fingers crossed.

How is it already book 7 in the Ryder and Loveday Mystery Series? It must be true that saying that says time flies when you’re having fun! And that’s exactly what I’m doing with this series. I’m enjoying it so, so much! I love both main characters and the cozy mysteries are always entertaining.

It is Christmas, 1962, when temperatures remained below zero in the UK for several months and snow was the daily companion in British people lives. When after a New Year’s Eve party a man is found dead in his car it seems a clear case of an accident due to the weather conditions, but soon Dr. Ryder and WPC Loveday suspect the death is not as clear cut as it seems.

I love how the characters are developing as the series progresses. Trudy is still up against her mysoginist colleagues, but step by step she’s gaining some new allies in the police force thanks to her impecable job.

Dr. Ryder’s health seems to have taken a turn for the worse, so it will be interesting to see how Trudy and everyone else in his life react when he can no longer hide his ailment.

The mystery was a really good one and all the vivid descriptions about the weather and how they dealt with it helped me to immerse myself in the story.

Is that a new love interest in Trudy’s life I detect? Please, let it be! Vincent really grew on me as the story progressed and I can’t wait to see him get himself involved in another of his father and Trudy’s cases.

Another winner in this lovely series. Now I just need for book 8 to be released soon!

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a fan of Faith’s work for a while now. I have pretty much read and loved everything that she has written to date. I am a huge fan of the series featuring Hilary Greene but I also love the series featuring WPC Trudy Loveday and Coroner Clement Ryder. ‘A Fatal Night’ is the seventh book in the Loveday and Ryder series and what a book it is. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘A Fatal Night’ but more about that in a bit.
I was drawn to this book by the synopsis alone and the story within the covers of the book sealed the deal as it were. ‘A Fatal Night’ seemed to develop a hold over me and it was a hold that I wasn’t willing to break. This ‘hold’ lasted until the moment I read the very last word on the very last page. To say that reading ‘ A Fatal Night’ became addictive is a bit of an understatement. I picked this book up only intending to read a couple of chapters to say that I had started the book but I became so wrapped up in the story that I ended up reading about a third of the story in one go. The more of this book I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. I became desperate to find out if Loveday and Ryder solved the case. All too quickly I reached the end of the story and I had to say farewell to Loveday and Ryder.
‘A Fatal Night’ is superbly written but then I have found that to be true of all of Faith’s books that I have had the pleasure of reading. Faith certainly knows how to grab your attention and draw you into what proves to be one hell of a read. For me, the story hit the ground running and maintained a fast pace throughout. This series achieves the impossible as each new book in the series is better than the previous one. I love the very vivid and realistic way in which Faith narrates the story and she makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story themselves and at the heart of the action.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘A Fatal Night’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Faith’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

The winter freeze of 1962/3 set in Oxford WPC Loveday has a murder on her hands. With the help of Dr Clement Ryder they set to finding the killer.
This is a very enjoyable murder/mystery. Although this is a series it can be read as a stand alone. I have not read any of the previous ones.
What I really liked about this is there is not the violence of today. Just straight forward good old fashion policing.
A great mix if characters. The arrogant self serving twins. The widow Millie and an artist.
Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC in return for an honest review.

A new author & a new crime duo for me. This is the seventh in the Ryder & Loveday mysteries but is ok to read as a standalone.

A traditional cosy mystery, set in the 1960s & will keep your brain cells ticking over nicely.
The winter of 1962-3 was freezing for a significant period of time. The descriptive passages of the harsh conditions & restrictions placed on the population are very well written.
Murder is in the plot, of course, along with red herrings aplenty. The language of the time makes you think in washed out tones, almost watching a cine film (ask your parents!).
Beautifully written & a solid plot. I’ll have to find the other books now & also look forward to book 8. Recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley, HQ Digital & the author for an arc copy of the book, which enabled me to write this unbiased review.

I am a firm fan of Faith Martin’s crime novels and have read all 19 of her DI Hillary Greene series as well as 7 Jenny Starling and 3 Monica Noble.

However my favourite of her stories are the exploits of WPC Loveday and Oxford Coroner and retired surgeon, Clement Ryder. A Fatal Night is the 7th outing of this team. For those who remember it, this series realistically evokes memories of the early 1960’s and particularly how WPC’s were regarded as being tea makers and typists in possession of little intelligence or practical use in policing! It also serves to remind us of the advances in science and technology - younger readers will be wondering how they managed without mobile phones, computers, forensic science investigators, DNA testing, etc.

This book involves Ryder and Loveday in the investigation of a road accident in the snow following a New Year’s Eve party, which they suspect may not have been accidental at all. A desperately short staffed DCI Jennings, who is no fan of the couple, has no alternative but to let them investigate until he has staff to take over, and by the time he has they have virtually tied up the case.

Whereas this book can be read and enjoyed as a ‘stand alone’ I think many readers will wish to go back and read the series from the beginning either before or after reading this one.

A lovely period crime story.

Reviewed from a pre-publication draft obtained through Net Galley.

Personally I felt that this was the best so far in the Loveday and Ryder series of books! The characters were as enjoyable as ever - being both well written and believable. The plot moved along at a good rate and the ending was a surprise. I'm looking forward to the next book about this twosome from Faith Martin.
.

New Year’s Eve, 1962 As a snowstorm rages outside, Oxford high society gathers to ring in the New Year at the city’s most exclusive party. This is a soiree no one will forget not least because a guest is found dead in his car the next morning. It seems the young man tragically froze to death overnight after crashing into a snowdrift – but when WPC Trudy Loveday and coroner Clement Ryder are called in to investigate, they discover a tangled web of secrets that plainly points to murder.
With everyone telling different stories about that fateful night, only one thing is clear: several people had reason to want the victim dead.
This is the seventh book in the series but it could easily be read on its own. I loved the relationship between Trudy & Clement & how its developed. Once again there are plenty of suspects, plenty of red herrings as well as twists & turns. I also liked the picture painted of life in the early 60’s. Another well written murder mystery which I thoroughly enjoyed. I did guess who the murderer was but no way did I work out why
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Read this on NetGalley. I really do enjoy Faith Martin's mysteries. In this one Trudy and Clement are looking at a man who was found in his car dead. Was it an accident or murder? Trudy has the case for now and she is going to go as far as she can before the case is taken away to be continued by someone with more authority. The doctor's son is interested in helping them too. Who was in the car during the accident? Did the accident kill him? Too many questions and not enough answers.

A Fatal Night.

This is the first of Faith Martin’s books I’ve read. It’s part of a series (book 7 I believe) but don’t be put off by this as it’s definitely a series you can jump into. Trudy is a WPC in 1960s Oxford so this novel gave me definite Morse vibes. I love Endeavour and this really helped me picture the scene. As was typical in the 60s Trudy has to work extra hard to gain the respect of her peers in the police force - not always successfully. Fortunately city coroner Doctor Clement Ryder recognises Trudy’s talent and skill as a detective and the pair of them team up to solve crimes that may not even had been recognised as crimes by the police force. In this book we investigate the death of Terrence Parker. It’s an interesting thriller that I did quite enjoy. I would definitely read more of Faith Martin’s books in future. A nice pleasant thriller.

I received an early copy of this book for my independent honest review. Thank you.
This is the first book I have read by this author and although it forms part of a series, it wasn't spoilt by my not having read the previous titles and stood as a standalone read.
I found it to be enjoyable, well written and well paced to keep my attention. It had a cosy crime feel to it, the mystery not too complicated and engaging. Also the main characters were believable and likeable. Would make a great holiday read

I felt like I was back in my early childhood reading this book, I so remember the big freeze of 1962, trudging to school with snow coming over the top of my wellington boots. My baby sister had just been born, we didn’t have central heating at home, just an Arga for heat and hot water, and at school, we had a centrally located wood burner at school, so we ended up wearing our coats, hats, gloves and scarves all day, it was grim.
Into this time zone, comes a New Years Eve party in Oxford. Mrs. Millie Vander is the hostess, an upper class widow, and she is sure that her boyfriend, Terry Parker, is going to propose, much to the disgust of her two spoilt children, Jasper and Juliet. But, this never happens , as Terry is found dead the next day. The Police force is short of male Constables, due to this cold snap, illness, and sheer problems in driving vehicles around, so WPC Trudy Loveday is allocated the case to do ‘ preliminary enquiries’, much to her delight. Dr Clement Ryder, her mentor gets involved, and together they have a grand old time solving the case.
I like these books, they are set in a time I understand, things were simpler and you had to employ the brain and walk many a mile in this job. The term WPC is sexist to modern eyes, but as a group they did valued work for the Police Force, dealing with family issues, Children going missing , truanting, stealing and abuse. They also helped women in abusive relationships, runaways and street walkers. Admittedly they were seen as tea ladies, secretaries and a ‘ bit of skirt’, but it was a taste of responsibility and excitement that appealed, until you got married and had to leave!
I like the way that Trudy and Clement work together, her interview technique is improving and her confidence is growing, she is becoming more assertive at work also. However, it is apparent that the Parkinson’s disease is causing problems for Clement, it is such a cruel disease.
This is the second book in this series ,that I have reviewed and I am loving them! I am searching out the previous ones , they are cosy Murder mysteries, and they show how far females have travelled over these decades to have the right to have an interesting job, and how they have fought against sexism.
Many thanks to Netgalley and HQ Digital for my digital copy in exchange for my honest, unbiased review, freely given. I have given this a five star read. I will post reviews to Goodreads and other outlets later.

I love Agatha Christie and this was so like her writing that I now love this author too. It was an easy read. Well written and lovely to read. The main characters are easy to like and the story just flows.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this title in exchange for a fair and honest review**

I requested this title not knowing anything about the author or realising that it was part of a series. Being reassured by other reviewers saying it stood well by itself, I decided to give it a go. A mystery story set in my Oxford is very much my kind of thing so I was optimistic.

A body is found in a car that has crashed into a snowdrift. The local Police are stretched by the extreme weather conditions and so a young policewoman is given the case. She works alongside a coroner to try and work out what has happened - is it an accident or something more sinister?

Meanwhile a wealthy widow is considering her future with a younger businessman. Her spoiled and pampered children are not amused by this potential change in their circumstances.

Havening not read any of the earlier books in the series, I did feel like some of the complexities of the relationship between the policewoman and coroner were lost on me. There were small references every now and then to their previous cases and I felt like I'd jumped into their friendship part-way and was struggling to catch up.

The mystery part of the story was well-enough written but it felt like it took ages to get anywhere near a conclusion (thanks to comments about "lustrous hair") and then it all wrapped up very quickly. I certainly didn't work out who the guilty party was, but that's largely because I felt like I'd didn't know them well enough to suspect their motives. Will the plotline continue into another book? I'm not sure I'm motivated enough to find out.

If you're a fan of this series, then you'll probably love this book. If you're just starting out then I'd recommend beginning with book 1 and not making the same mistake I did.

Never read any 'Faith Martin', always put off by the 'cosy' description. Anyway, this has certainly changed my mind regarding the 'Loveday & Ryder' series. Having started with this book, now I am looking forward to going back to the beginning. Know Oxford quite well too and I always love reading this genre when they are set in places I know well; even though Oxford is a fairly well-trod location for crime, much like my home town of Brighton. Thanks to Netgalley.

A Fateful Night by Faith Martin
Pub Date 11 Nov 2021
The Ryder and Loveday Series
Book 1: A FATAL OBSESSION
Book 2: A FATAL MISTAKE
Book 3: A FATAL FLAW
Book 4: A FATAL SECRET
Book 5: A FATAL TRUTH
Book 6: A FATAL AFFAIR
Book 7: A FATAL NIGHT
As a snowstorm rages outside, Oxford high society gathers to ring in the new year at the city's most exclusive party. This is a soiree no one will forget… not least because a guest is found dead in his car the next morning.
It seems the young man tragically froze to death overnight after crashing into a snowdrift – but when WPC Trudy Loveday and coroner Clement Ryder are called in to investigate, they discover a tangled web of secrets that plainly points to murder.
With everyone telling different stories about that fateful night, only one thing is clear: several people had reason to want the victim dead.
And if Trudy and Clement don't find the cracks in each lie, the killer will get away with the perfect crime…
This book is the 7th in the series; it can be read as a stand-alone, although some readers may find it more enjoyable to read it in order as there is a back story running through them. There is plenty of deception and some emotional moments throughout.
A Fateful Night is a cosy mystery whodunit.
I want to thank NetGalley, HQ Digital and Faith Martin for a pre-publication copy to read.

Very readable traditional cop duo mystery. Great characters - I will looking for the earlier books in the series.