Fell Murder

Fell Murder is set in 1943-44 wartime Britain. Those working in agricultural settings in Lancashire are hemmed about by a lack of manpower, government regulations, rationing, and bureaucratic oversight of how all resources are being used. The work is both essential and hard, but those used to it understand the cyclical nature of weather and livestock. They understand the need for neighbors to work cooperatively and not just as part of the war effort. Lorac saw both the beauty of the Lancashire landscape as well as the quality of the people living there. Her respect and affection come across in her prose.

We begin in a physical setting that is “half great house, half farmhouse”, owned by an unpleasantly obdurate man of 80 who is still show more in command of his senses and who runs his land and tenants as he’s always done. He battles with his 45 year old daughter, Marian, who is eager to try new methods; they’re both devoted to the country life. Also in the house is one son who was driven out of his Asian business by the war in the Pacific and a much younger son – an underweight teenage boy who writes poetry. Both sons appear to be under-valued by the father. Also in the house is a Land Girl, Elizabeth, working hard on the farm. She’s as practical and as intelligent as Marian. Elsewhere is the eldest son, Richard, heir to it all. In the immediate vicinity of the house, Garthmere, are villagers and tenants, each of whom carry long memories of individual grievances.

One of these individuals is murdered. The local constabulary is buried under wartime concerns and, for a variety of reasons, the case requires a diplomatic skill lacking in the current force. Scotland Yard is encouraged to become involved, hence the arrival of Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald. Once he arrives, the action picks up as Macdonald studies who of the available suspects would be most likely to kill.

What makes this Golden Age mystery most enjoyable in my view are the descriptions Lorac includes of the landscape, the daily chores and of the family hearth. She clearly watched those working the land during wartime and sympathized with the effort needed in keeping livestock and harvesting crops amidst the vagaries of the weather and war. A reader will pick up on the loyalty of the local populace and how that populace appears when seen through the eyes of those who deemed as outsiders. show less

This is a well plotted murder mystery set on a fell farm in Lancashire, just south of the Lake District. An elderly curmudgeonly farmer is killed with a shotgun on his own farm and the local police call in Inspector Macdonald from CID. Although an outsider, his Scottish background and understanding of farming enable him to penetrate the locals' reticence. I liked the author's writing style and, while inevitably feeling slightly dated as it was published in 1944, came across to me as quite fresh in the hands of this author compared to some other golden age crime writers, helped by the timeless farming setting. I will seek out more by this author. (The book also includes a short story Live Wire, about a criminal whose cunning robbery show more backfires on him). show less

The great thing about this is the sense of place. MacDonald is up from London,. but he has an almost instinctive sense of how to approach the people and landscape that he finds himself called into on this occasion. Mr Garth of Garthmere house is an unpleasant old man, ruling his house, family and most of the district by sheer strength of will. When he turns up dead no reader of detective fiction finds themselves terribly surprised, he was set up to be the victim from the first - no-one can be that unpopular and survive in fiction! The problem now is which of the many people with some kind of grudge did the deed. The picture is further compromised by the presence of his eldest son (and heir) who is back in the vicinity some 25 years show more after arguing with his father and leaving for good. And so the scene is set.
The landscape is as much a character as are the people that populate it, and they come to life, with all their strengths and foibles. The murderer doesn't exactly come as a surprise, but the ending is not exactly what one might call "to the book". It is the right ending, however. show less

The title of E.C.R. Lorac’s 23rd book in a series featuring Chief Inspector Robert MacDonald refers both to fells (hills in the dialect of Northern England) and fell, meaning “deadly, or destructive.” The novel proves as clever as the title.

After 25 years away, Richard Garth comes back to the fells of the Lake Country, but certainly not to be greeted as the returning prodigal son. The Garth son and heir left England behind when he quarreled with his father Robert, now 82, over the younger Garth’s choice of a wife. Richard Garth just wants to see his native region again — but certainly not his father nor any other member of his family. But when the stubborn, curmudgeonly old hothead Robert Garth is killed, MacDonald comes down show more from Scotland Yard to check out whether the murder is all in the family.

First released in 1944, Fell Murder begins a bit slowly; it isn’t until the old man’s dead, that the novel really takes off. Yet, after that, the novel makes up for it with suspense keeps a reader glued to the pages. The novel’s set in the Lune Valley of England’s Lancashire, where Lorac went to live with her sister, and readers can see her devotion to the land and to gracefully blending the old and the new.

In the interest of complete disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, British Library and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for rereleasing this delightful series; I’ve devoured each one! show less

This is the bestof the British Library Crime Classic offerings I have read. It's the story of a murder committed during WW2 in the countryside of northeastern England 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 ranks as one of the best.

I received a review copy of "Fell Murder" by E.C.R. Lorac from Poisoned Pen Press and the British Library Crime Classic series through NetGalley.com.

Lorac portrays the Lancashire landscape beautifully in this mystery set in a farming community during WWII. Characters are well-developed and described just as skillfully. The victim was unsurprising, and although there were a number of suspects to choose from, the murderer was not unexpected and made for a satisfying conclusion. Written in 1944 this is one of the better Golden Age mysteries.

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 show more 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

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2019/12/16/9781492699590/ show less