When a man is found dead in his car in a snowdrift after a New Year’s Eve party and the police force are short staffed during the harsh winter of 1963, WPC Trudy and her friend the coroner are called upon to investigate.

This is one of a series of books involving these characters but this can also be read as a stand alone novel. I found it interesting to read about police procedure during the 1960s and I suppose it was probably unusual to have women in the police force, let alone acting as detectives. The suspects were all those who attended the party and this provides us with a cast of colourful characters, all of whom have their own agenda and secrets to hide.

There are no nail biting twists or edge of the seat moments, but all in all, a good whodunnit, which proceeds at a steady pace.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This whodunnit follows the investigation of a fatal car crash that occurs just after a New Year’s Eve party held by wealthy Millicent Vander, attractive widow and mother to a pair of seriously obnoxious twins. There are quite a few murder suspects, leaving the reader guessing as to who committed the crime, and a variety of characters are interviewed by protagonist WPC Trudy Loveday. It is an entertaining read for lovers of crime dramas and, although part of a series, the novel can be enjoyed as standalone. However, I found the characters overly superficial and felt the novel lacked historical detail, or any of the atmosphere or mood of the 1960s. To be honest, while reading it I kept forgetting it wasn't set in contemporary Britain. The plot I think would have worked well as a TV adaptation. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Apparently this is book number seven in the Ryder and Loveday series but, not having read the previous six, I enjoyed it as a stand-alone.
On New Year's Day 1963, PC Trudy Loveday is given the job of gathering information about an accident involving a car that has hot a tree with a dead man inside of it. On the face of it, there is northing sinister but there are a couple of things that bother Trudy and upon further investigation she and her coroner friend Ryder suspect murder. There are plenty of suspects but whodunnit?
I will certainly search out more books in this series.

This is a very good classic British crime novel, the seventh in the series. London has been having heavy snow, and many streets are unplowed. Millie Vander, a very wealthy widow is hosting a New Years Eve party at her home. She is hoping Terry (a man at least 10 years younger) will propose to her. Her twin son and daughter would like to prevent that. At the party, there is one uninvited guest, and Millie sees this stranger in an embrace with Terry.

PC Trudy Loveday is waked early to go to work because a dead man has been found in his car in the snow. She goes to Clement Ryder, the coroner, to certify the death, and finds his son Vincent is visiting. At first, Vincent is very annoyed with the obvious friendship between Trudy and his father, but he definitely warms up and joins in the investigation in the course of the book. They finally find out that the dead man is Terry, and get a list of all at the party and begin talking to them. Because of the snow, the police are very busy and as long as it appears to be a traffic accident, they let Trudy and Clement continue to investigate.

There are many suspects of possible murder, including Terry's partner in automobile sales, Millie's twins, the unknown woman at the party are just a few. It is almost the end of the book when Trudy reads something Vincent found in the library while helping them, and she has a moment of enlightenment. Trudy and Clement are a great team, and even better with Vincent's help.

This was my introduction to this author, and to WPC Trudi Loveday, and corner Dr Clement Ryder.
This is a very enjoyable, gentle murder mystery, set in the 1960s.
The characters are well drawn, and the plotting keeps the narrative steadily moving forward without flagging. There are a few red herrings along the way, but the final twist was delightfully unexpected.
This has been compared to an Agatha Christie novel but having never been a fan of that author, this would not be my usual genre.
I have therefore been pleasantly surprised, and will look for more from this author.
This is an absorbing, undemanding read, without the blood and gore of so many contemporary murder
mysteries. It is beautifully written in the style of the time it is set in, so the dialogue and settings really do feel authentic.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

I received this book from HQ digital via Netgalley for a review. A good novel set in the 60's, good character's and plot. Would recommend for a nice cosy read.

In my view, this fits in nicely with the ‘cosy crime’ genre that is popular at the moment. A freezing cold winter in Oxford in 1962, around New Year’s Eve. Snow blankets everything and lends a charming atmosphere to proceedings.

The murder being investigated is of a slimy gold digger, and there is zero gore or violence. There are hot chocolates and warm snugs with fires blazing. There is a lovely friendship between the young WPC Trudy Loveday and the pathologist Clement, an older widower.

I loved some of the characters, such as the boozy artist, but I found many lacked depth, particularly the villainous twins. I really enjoyed the setting and the atmosphere, but I found I wasn’t really gripped by the whodunnit.

This is part of a series, but it can definitely be read as a standalone. I would recommend this if you want a cosy winter/Christmas read with some mild intrigue.

I found this book very interesting with a good plot and good characters. It kept me gripped wondering who was the killer and how they executed their plan.
It had quite a few twists and turns which kept me interested and it was a good read. I look forward to reading more from this author

I completely agree with one of the strapline reviewers that this is a modern day Agatha Christie... the death is relatively gentle (as far as murders go!), the investigation is hampered by extreme weather but the police are determined and the suspects are plentiful!
A more slow paced read than many of this genre but I enjoyed the book all the more for it (you can't rush on an icy road!) and the intricately woven plot and despicable characters keep you engaged to the very end!
Definitely one to enjoy on a chilly night with a warm drink.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of A Fatal Night, the seventh novel to feature WPC Trudy Loveday and Coroner Dr Clement Ryder, set in Oxford.

On New Year’s Day 1963 Trudy is asked to do the “preliminaries” on a road traffic accident, but when she and Dr Ryder look closer they’re not so sure it was an accident. Their investigation shows that the victim was at a party the night before and that several attendees had no love for him.

I thoroughly enjoyed A Fatal Night, which is a light read with a dash of humour and a good mystery. It is told from various points of view but the star of the show is Trudy. She might be young and inexperienced in life, but this is the novel where she directs the investigation and solves the case, with little prompting needed. Now all she needs is for Inspector Jennings to recognise her ability.

I followed all the investigating and clues and still had no idea of the perpetrator. To be fair (to myself obviously) this is not a crime the reader could solve as the vital information is not revealed before the denouement. Still, it was fun to watch them investigate and speculate alongside them. This is not a profound novel and doesn’t pretend to be, but it’s good at what it does, providing a murder investigation in a light, cheery tone and easy entertainment. I found myself turning the pages avidly to see what was coming next.

I don’t think the novel is particularly strong on period detail, apart from the reigning attitude in the police that women are inferior and not cut out for the rigours of the job and the setting of the big freeze which brought inconvenient and snow for months.

A Fatal Night is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Firstly my thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

To be honest, I’m not really into Crime Thrillers, but reading Faith Martin’s novel has gone some way to converting me. It’s well written in good clear English, humorous and entertaining. Her heros’ are charming characters and using a female police officer in the key role makes for a more modern type of thriller. Agatha Christie eat your heart out - you now have some serious competition in this genre!

New Years' Eve 1962 and the country is in the grip of the winter of the decade.

Millie Vander is preparing her party that will be the talk of Oxford and expecting a proposal from her young beau Terry.

The next morning and Terry is dead in a car accident and WPC Trudy Loveday is investigating with her mentor Dr Ryder.

There are several suspects in his murder and I was guessing to the end!

Love the latest installment. This is the 7th book in the Ryder and Loveday series.

The story is set on New year's Eve in 1962. With a storm raging outside, Oxford's high society are enjoying an exclusive party, but the next day a guest is found dead. It's up to Trudy and Clement to investigate.

I am really enjoying this series and the way the two main characters (Trudy and Clement) interact with one another.

With a tangled web of secrets to unravel, I think this is the best one in the series yet.

An excellent read.

5 stars *****

Another great book in this series. Loved the plot of this cozy mystery - had some nice twists and turns and an unexpected ending.
When a blizzard and a flu keep half of the department home, Trudy and her trusty friend, Clement, are called to the scene of a fatal car accident. But upon investigation, it doesn't seem as cut and dry as one might think.
Looking forward to the next book in the series.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A great mystery classic with great twists. Each characters are being nicely developed and all have a great motive to murder. A fun and fast paced book I strongly recommend it.

A quirky novel which was different from the norm. Plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing. Would definitely read her next book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

I loved this book. It is a crime one but so gently written.
PC Trudy Loveday didn’t normally get called out to many job, they were given to the senior officers, the men, as the only woman it wasn’t easy to be taken seriously.
The weather was terrible,the snow just hadn’t stopped for days and people were having trouble getting into work, including the other officers so when a call came through to say a body had been found in a car Trudy got called in to go and see, she also called on the coroner, Clement Ryder who she had worked with before but instead of it being a simple traffic accident it became a whole lot more.
Although this is one of a series it is fine just to read on it’s own and I would recommend it as so good.

My thanks to HQ Digital, the author and NetGalley for an advanced copy for review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own

This is the 7th in the series, set in the 1960’s, with WPC Trudy Loveday and the coroner Clement Ryder. Another cosy, but good simple, mystery, that will keep you guessing until the very end.

This one is set in the winter of 1962-63, duing which temperatures remained below zero for about 3 months. The descriptions of the weather conditions and how people coped and the restrictions, created a perfect setting for this book.

The main characters are developing nicely. Even the misogynistic ones, are becoming likeable as they are more a product of their time, rather than being deliberately annoying. Loveday and Ryder have a fantastic working relationship, considering their different upbringing, ages and expectations.
As always an enticing case for Loveday and Ryder, lots of red herrings, beautifully written as always in language of the time. Book 8 please and soon

New Year's Eve 1962, the country is still in the grips of a terrible winter, with lots of snow.

Terry Parker is attending the biggest party of the Oxford social scene hosted by socialite Millie Vander, anyone who is anyone will be there.

Undercurrents abound during the evening, but early the next morning Terry is found dead in his car, which has been found crashed in a snowdrift. Was it just a tragic accident?

Unusually for the times, WPC Loveday is sent to begin the investigation due to staff sickness etc, along with the county coroner Clement Ryder.

I really enjoyed this book and even though I later found out it was the seventh in the series, it did not detract from the story. In fact, quite the opposite, I will be hunting out the rest of the books by the author.

Recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thoroughly enjoyed this story written in the sixties era. Young PC Trudy Loveday and her associate Dr Clement Ryder, the local coroner are called on to solve a mysterious road traffic accident during one of the worst winters of that time! Faith Martin sets the sene beautifully, the participants jump out of the page! I felt the bitterly cold weather and saw the deep snow drifts! The New Year’s Eve party is awash with characters; a celebrated artist, malicious twins, an uninvited guest, a mother’s young lover and the victim himself! Great fun! Yes, the conclusion was a little bit contrived but it didn’t spoil the enjoyment and I will look forward to reading more adventures by this author!