Should you mix murder with your family?
This week, I look at the relatives of fictional detectives and review A Halloween Murder by Mary Grand.
After reading this week's review book, A Halloween Murder, I thought about the relatives of detectives who appear in stories.
The question on mind was, what do the family members add to these stories?
In A Halloween Murder, it's the amateur detective's daughter. She's a friend of the victim and does a fair bit of sleuthing herself, although she's also a suspect.
Perhaps the most well-known relative to appear in crime fiction is Sherlock's sibling, Mycroft.
He has his eccentricities and his character definitely brings conflict into the Sherlock Holmes stories. The rivalry between the two can seem like an attempt to bring Sherlock down to size.
Another family member who seems to be mentioned more than they appear in a story is Miss Marple's nephew, Raymond West. While he seems to dote on his aunt, his character doesn't reveal much about her.
In modern crime fiction, there's Jimmy Perez and his blended family.
Last week, I reviewed the book that sees Perez return, The Killing Stones. His partner Willow has a major role in the story, both as his lover and as his boss in the Police service.
As a result, Willow brings as much to the story and the murder investigation as Jimmy. She's the most 'involved' relative I can recall in a recent book.
Their relationship is threaded through the story and she's a strong character in her own right.
Finally, I couldn't finish an article about murders and family members without mentioning Benjamin Stevenson's Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone.
The title says it all.
Subtle isn't a word I'd use to describe this book. Funny, original and immensely twisty are words I'd use though.
Ernest Cunningham's relatives have whole chapters devoted to them and, erm, who they killed. They're more than a unique hook for the book as they give different perspectives to Ernest's story.
Which detective's relatives have you come across and what do they bring to the story?
Review of A Halloween Murder by Mary Grand
A well-plotted dark murder mystery on the Isle of Wight with amateur detective Susan Flynn. It's a good, modern page-turner in a historic location.
Story snapshot
Isle of Wight amateur detective Susan Flynn and her daughter Zoe are drawn into a murder on Halloween.
Spooky setting
The story's set in 2017 and so feels modern and relevant.
Zoe and her friends take a ghost walk at Carisbrooke Castle, a good, spooky setting for the murder. With its history and dark atmosphere, the different parts of the castle all had a place in the story.
Characters
There's diversity among the characters, both the key players and supporting cast, which was great to see.
Susan's character is well-rounded, as are those of her daughter Zoe and her friend Robert. They're believable and the relationships between them are well-written.
However, Zoe's friends didn't work as well. They showed little friendliness to each other. Even with the murder and the investigation, I would have expected a bit of light along with the dark.
Also, some of their dialogue was too formal for a group of 30-something friends.
Catching the murderer
The plot's been carefully crafted with clues pointing at different suspects to keep you guessing. The story kept me gripped throughout although the ending felt a bit 'scooby doo'.
This book was my first time reading about Susan's investigations. As I liked her character and the plot, I'd read more stories in the series.
Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions are my own.
