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Death on the Downs (Fethering Mystery) [Hardcover]


3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

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THE BONES DIDN'T look old, but then what did Carole Seddon know about bones? Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

3.3 out of 5 stars
6 reviews
3.3 out of 5 stars
Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars BOTH OF THE FETHERING SERIES ARE GOOD April 27 2002
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
I ENJOYED BOTH OF THIS NEW SERIES, AND WAIT FOR BRETTS NEXT BOOK TO COME OUT ESPECIALLY THE CHARLES PARIS, AND MRS PARGETER, I FIND HIM TO BE A PLEASENT WRITER WITH LOTS OF WIT, I HAVE READ ABOUT EVERY THING HE HAS OUT NOW, WHATS COMING UP? HOPE ITS SOON . A GA READER
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2.0 out of 5 stars A Step Below... April 24 2002
By S. Wheeler
Format:Hardcover
This was such a disappointing book for a Simon Brett fan like myself I was left wondering why he'd put his name on it. The likeable, if flawed, characters of Mrs. Partager and Charles Paris are what makes those books so winning. Here, the characters are not only unlikeable, they are shallow, wooden and one-dimensional. Instead of showing us personalities by "action", he "describes" what people are like. These are not direct quotes, but examples of writing style--"Jude is a very outgoing person who is attractive to many people, including most men" or "Carole is a rather shy, diffident person who likes to be around Jude and is curious about her free and easy lifestyle"). Thank you for telling me, but I'd rather figure that out myself from the character's behavior.

Usually, Brett's writing is witty and urbane. It was hard to swallow stuff like..."Jude was thinking about the man in London she'd had a relationship with"...hmm. Wouldn't she be thinking about him by name? Or, after a description of Brian Helling..."He was very dangerous." Show me.

Also, the book was very poorly edited. In the copy I read, at the climax of the action Brian Helling was called "Nick Helling".
So, I guess you can see I was disappointed! I hope if this series continues Brett will try a lot harder to make it worthy of his talent.

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3.0 out of 5 stars I miss Brett's usual wit Jan 10 2002
By Stefanie N
Format:Hardcover
I'm a huge fan of Simon Brett's "Charles Paris" series, a moderate fan of his "Mrs.Pargeter" series. In his mysteries I always enjoy his wit and sense of irony particularly as regards his characters' (both principal and minor) lack of self-knowledge. In "Death on the Downs" Carol Seddons inadvertantly discovers a dismembered skeleton in a village near her town. Carol, a button-down (or at least a Burberry raincoat) type teams up with her free-spirited neighbor Jude to solve the case. What ensues is an exploration of the village's history and the interdynamics of its residents. Brett describes the gentrifying of the village, including the takeover of the local pub by a countrywide hospitality chain. Humble cottages become yuppie showplaces and skyrocketing property values make living in the village out of reach for working class people who were born and raised there. This class distinction is one of the causes of the action that follows and makes for amusing moments. Of one of the new homes Brett wonders whether it really needed both a turret and a belltower.

The situation is ripe for satire and yet Brett's storyline is grim, quite possibly due to the focus on Carol who really is quite dour. My sense is that Brett relishes characters with quirks and neither Jude nor Carol have many. I found the mystery itself dissatisfying and can only recommend it for Brett's talent for description of the village and some of the peripheral characters.

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