I really enjoy this series. I especially enjoy how important the geography and history of the area is highlighted throughout the series. The mystery is complex and hard to figure and I didn't guess most of it. Characterizations are well done, as well. ( )

I enjoyed the mystery, and mostly enjoyed the characters. However, these books, while a series, are obviously meant to stand alone, but there are many allusions scattered throughout to some incidence with Cooper & Fry in the past, without any explanation of what it is, which is quite frustrating. It took me a bit to get into, but overall pretty good. ( )

Police procedural set in England? Check.
Ties to an incident in WW2? Check.
Ties to an incident in WW2 that involves a plane crash? Check.

This book ticks a lot of boxes for me, and for my first foray into the Cooper and Fry series I liked it pretty well. It was a bonus that a Canadian character showed up, and I loved the description of Eden Valley Books. Used bookstores in fiction are almost as fun as the real thing. I liked the sense of place in this book, and the contrast between local boy Cooper and import Fry. I would pick up another in the series. ( )

As usual, a solid police procedural with plenty of descriptive detail about the Peak District. There are deaths in the cold winter, and links to a WW2 crashed aeroplane, Competently told but the (lack of) chemistry between Fry and Cooper is irritating. ( )

It took me a while to pick up this third book in the Cooper and Fry series, and I'm glad I finally did. Blood on the Tongue is an excellent blend of old crime and new. Many threads in the story go all the way back to World War II when a bomber crashed on Irontongue Hill, and-- rumor has it-- the Canadian pilot walked away with a very large shipment of money they were transporting to another airbase. It's a complex and very gratifying plot that Booth has created, and I certainly enjoyed trying to piece together all the clues.

I continue to have mixed reactions to the author's dynamic duo of Fry and Cooper. Ben Cooper is the kind of man everyone seems to like and to go to for help. He's nice, he's easy-going, and he has some good intuitive skills that are handy in police work. Him I like, although I should probably be ashamed of falling for him so easily. I'm normally not such a pushover.

On the other hand, Fry continues to rub my fur the wrong way, even though I know what happened in the past to help turn her into a person who acts more like a starving pit bull with toothache. I find that I quickly become exasperated with her when she's on the scene. Fortunately she's seldom in the spotlight in Blood on the Tongue, so I never wanted to throw the book at the wall.

Even though it has little to do with the actual merits of this book, I think my reading enjoyment was enhanced by a trip to the UK last year in which I experienced blizzard-like conditions, road closures and the like in the Peak District. I found myself being able to picture the countryside, feel the bite of the wind, and hear the crunch of the snow under my feet. Even without my "insider's" knowledge of the weather, I think any reader can and will appreciate those outdoor scenes.

Now that I've thawed out enough to share my opinion of this book, I find myself looking forward to reading the next in the series. If only I could find some way not to react so strongly to Diane Fry! ( )