Judith Cutler

When I think of the best crime fiction series that combine British police procedurals with the domestic lives of a wonderful cast of characters, Judith Cutler's Fran Harman series is one of the first two that come to mind. (The other is Deborah Crombie's Kincaid and James series.) If you're the type of reader who likes all the plot threads to be knotted and tied off by book's end, you may want to give Fran Harman a pass. Since her life is every bit as important as the cases she solves, some show more of those plot threads can take two or three books to resolve themselves. But if you're like me and love to bury yourselves in marvelous, nuanced characters and their lives-- as well as solve intriguing mysteries-- you're going to love this series. (It would be a good idea to read them in order, too.)

Fran's fiance Mark has retired from the police force, and one of the ways he's found to decompress and get some exercise is by joining the local tennis club. His expertise is badly needed when the little girl goes missing. For Fran, this case is of primary importance, and she purposely sets the case of the possible serial killer on the back burner while all stops are pulled to find the little girl before it's too late. One of the most interesting points made in Double Fault is how Mark's presence is both blessing and curse because, since he's retired, some of the officers on the force consider him some sort of traitor. (Oh, that wonderful office politics!) There's a sense of urgency and foreboding in the little girl's disappearance that really increases the suspense and makes the pages turn faster and faster.

Of course Fran gives all her considerable talents to both cases, which have become mired in those budget cuts, staffing problems, and wranglings for promotion. Cutler does an excellent job of showing how the odds are increasingly stacked against officers who want to keep people safe. Many crime fiction authors who write police procedurals seem to stick with obnoxious superiors and leave the difficulties at that, but Cutler digs much deeper to show readers what all the problems are-- without once bogging down the plot.

From Fran, who can bring you out of your chair with one brusk command, make you laugh with one of her observations, freeze you with an icy glare, or wrap you in a hug; to Mark, who's dealing with family issues and the problems of the newly retired; to the women like Caffy Tyler who renovated their cottage and became honorary family; and on to suspenseful and absorbing investigations, I was completely wrapped up in this book. I can't wait to get my hands on the next one. show less

I've fallen for Lina Townend. Author Judith Cutler has created a flawed and charming young woman that I would love to mother, and that's something to write home about, since my maternal instincts normally only kick in with the furred and feathered. Passed around from one foster home to another "like a parcel" as she puts it, Lina is fighting against low self esteem and a tendency to self harm. A miracle occurred when she and Griff, an older gay man met. Griff took the time to see how show more valuable this young woman is, and he's taken her under his wing. He's teaching her everything he knows about dealing in and restoring antiques. He's working with her to better herself and to increase her vocabulary, and he's definitely working on Lina's low opinion of herself. Under his care, Lina is beginning to blossom, and it truly is wonderful to see.

The book is written in Lina's voice, and I can find myself engrossed in her investigation of the mystery, laughing at her turn of phrase, or wanting to wrap her up in a big hug. Watching the policeman slowly realize what a treasure she is is worth reading the entire book, but there's much more to Silver Guilt than that. Lina is the illegitimate daughter of the totally eccentric and almost completely batty Lord Elham who's given over his stately mansion to a trust to run, provided that he gets to live in one wing of the house. And if you won't tell anyone that he squirreled away loads of priceless antiques from the rest of the house into his wing, I won't either.

As you can see, I love the characters-- which isn't all that unusual for me when reading a book written by Judith Cutler-- but the mystery is top notch as well. In trying to deduce what's happening to the silver pieces disappearing from Elham's house to trying to keep an eye on Lina's new boyfriend, there's plenty of skullduggery going on... and more than a few pearls of wisdom about antiques to be found, too. If you love antiques, intriguing mysteries, and excellent characterization, I'd love for you to meet Lina Townend. show less

I know there had to be SOME people, men even, who thought of women as more than mere baby machines and servants, but the liberalism here is laid on a bit thick. It's more in line with how we think in the 21st century (at least many of us) than it was in the 19th. Having Matthew basically a women's libber and other men (gasp) considering that laws and social mores may not be fair to women is nice, but wasn't so widespread I don't think. At least men didn't probably talk about it so openly. show more Hell, even now men barely blink at their gender's wholesale degradation and oppression of women when they encounter it either in reality or in fiction, so I doubt that Victorian men did so like they do in this novel. A wish-fulfillment vehicle mostly. show less

The only parts of Judith Cutler's second Jane Cowan mystery, Head Count, that might not set well with American readers are the scenes in which Jane is an umpire for cricket matches. Fortunately, they are few and serve more to spotlight Jane's people skills (which she has in abundance) than anything else. Good thing, too, because the only part of cricket I like is the bit where fans sit out in the sunshine in that green and pleasant land.

Jane probably has more highly developed people skills show more than most because she was the victim of domestic violence for years. She's had more than her share of dealing with unreasonable humans. Although the man who abused her is now in prison, she still tries to fly beneath the radar (no Twitter or Facebook for her) because he has many loyal friends on the outside and retaliation is a definite possibility. Jane is an intelligent, capable woman who's a brilliant teacher and administrator, and when she's embroiled in something like human trafficking, she knows enough to let the police do their job.

Some readers may not think there's much of a mystery to Head Count because it percolates beneath the surface while Jane lives her peripatetic life, going from school to school and cricket match to cricket match while trying to deal with her house. Most readers of crime fiction are used to the main character conducting their own investigation and putting themselves in danger. With Jane's life experience, she's learned to trust the police to do what they're trained to do, so anytime she learns something, she hands it over to them. This makes a great deal of sense, and although it may sound boring, it's not-- because Cutler has created a very real sense of danger from her ex-husband's friends. Readers never know which bad guy will be sneaking up on this caring head teacher.

Readers familiar with Cutler's mysteries (and I wish there were a lot more of us here in the US) may come across a familiar name or two as they read. The author mentions one of my favorite characters, Fran Harman, and brings in Caffy Tyler and the formidable group of women known as PACT from Scar Tissue. Judith Cutler has created a wonderful group of intelligent, strong, "in charge" women characters throughout her career. Jane Cowan-- the woman who should be afraid of her own shadow but isn't-- is the latest and a prime example of why I think Cutler's books should be much better known in this country. show less