The Corfe Castle Murders (Dorset Crime Book 1)

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Find out who lived in luxurious surroundings, who became imprisoned until death, and how the castle was built and ultimately destroyed. After an attempted breakout, they were thrown into a dungeon known as an oubliette – literally, a place where prisoners are forgotten – whereupon 22 of them starved to death. By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Having said this, our DCI hails from Birmingham where crime is probably a very different thing and I accept the pace of life in these here parts is a lot slower in general.

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Detective Constable Johnny Chile is suspected of providing information to Arthur which he uses to play others in his community. I liked the way Lesley sounds out each of her new colleagues which allows us to get to know them too. It was Leila Ford, his young girlfriend who found the body, leaving everybody bewildered since he was supposed to be in London at the time.Before she’s even started her new job, Lesley is dragged into investigating a murder at one of England’s most iconic landmarks, the imposing Corfe Castle. It doesn’t matter too much though, if you want to read Deadly Origins first or at any point in the series, it won’t spoil the other books. I was drawn to it because I recently spent a couple of days at Corfe Castle and I found it hard to imagine anyone getting murdered there. It was a good whodunnit with a new DCI moving from Birmingham to rural Dorset and having to immediately investigate a murder on an archeological dig. Likewise the setting was simply an opportunity to have bodies in inconvenient places and to trot out, and reinforce, well worn stereotypes about the rural/urban divide.

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I have been a fan of Rachel’s work for a while now and when I heard that she was due to release a new series, I knew that I had to read the first book as soon as I possibly could. After being injured in a bomb attack, Lesley is presented with a choice – early retirement, or a period of respite in a calmer location. Corfe Castle is a gorgeous village and the ruined castle that was blown up by the Parliamentarians during the English Civil is a site to behold. I cannot decide who is the least credible character: is it Dennis, the policeman who measures villains by their moral worth, or Patrick, the lecherous, rude and bar-propping-up old man?The Castle Corfe in the book matched the one I'd visited, right down to the names of the pubs and cafés.

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Or could another motive be uncovered… The writing and dialogue are easy to read and feel realistic so it is easy to get involved with the plot and characters. DCI Lesley Calrke is in Birmingham enjoying some good times with her daughter before she’s due to start working for the Dorset Police Major Crimes Investigations Team. Can she get along with her new partner DS Dennis Frampton, a traditionalist who doesn’t appreciate her style? The Corfe Castle Murders’ is the first book in the new Dorset Crime series featuring Detective Chief Inspector Lesley Clarke.He took a shine to the structure and was a regular visitor, using England's finest craftsmen to upgrade many parts of the castle. The main character was absolutely horrible, a foul mouthed manhating, bickering bully, all she seemed to do was argue with and belittle her staff. I like the description of the settings of The Corfe Castle Murders that complemented the book's plot. A murder investigation is set in progress and when she starts her job the next day Lesley is put in charge, with a small team of DS Dennis Frampton, DC Johnny Chiles and DC Mike Legg. So without further ado, I grabbed my Kindle, grabbed a cup of tea and settled down for an interesting afternoon of reading.

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PS If you’re interested in creative writing, then it’s instructive to compare this with Middlemarch (see my review). She’s a straight-talking city copper who doesn’t suffer fools gladly…and she’s been transferred to rural Dorset.I liked the relatively slow reveal of the DCI's back story and how her relationship with her sixteen-year-old daughter was depicted. The basic plot is excellent, but I live in a rural area and I simply didn't believe the Dorset police would be so backward in the 21st century. It did provide me with a distraction from the Taylor Swift fans crowding the train to get downtown Chicago for her concert. Eleanor received presents of saddles and reins, a sign that she must've been allowed some freedom, even as a prisoner. I've loved Rachel McLean's books in the past so I'm disappointed not to have felt the same way about The Corfe Castle Murders.