The last thing Penny Carmichael expected when she joined the local bellringing group was for her debut to be thwarted by the discovery of a body just yards from the belfry door. As her husband and his loyal team painstakingly sift through the evidence and delve deep into the dead man's past, it's clear that solving Peter Mackenzie's murder may prove a challenge, even for someone with DCI Carmichael's renowned detective prowess.
What was a man who'd lived for decades in North London doing in Moulton Bank? Was his chequered past a factor?
And what about the other members of Penny's bellringing group. Did any of them have a reason to do Peter harm?
As the case unfolds, DCI Carmichael and his trusty team seek answers to a complex puzzle which leads them along various paths and, at times, way outside the comfort zone of their rural Lancashire surroundings.
This fast-paced, cleverly crafted whodunit is the eleventh murder mystery in the gripping Carmichael series from the pen of Ian McFadyen.
What did I think?
The Corpse Bell is the eleventh book in the DCI Carmichael series but it's my first and I thoroughly enjoyed it, so it can definitely be read as a standalone.
The village of Moulton Bank is a dangerous place to live when there's a killer on the loose. As it's the first book I have read in the series, I was suspicious of everyone but I wasn't even close to guessing who it actually was.
There's a bit of a powerplay among the bellringers as only one person is allowed to ring the corpse bell at funerals. This puts all of the bellringers under suspicion as they all have motive, although DCI Carmichael should be able to rule out Penny, the newest addition to the bellringing team, as he is married to her.
I loved the inclusion of the police lists which made me feel like I was part of the investigative team. It was great to see things being crossed off the lists and new items being added and I thought it would have felt a bit repetitive but it gave me the chance to run through the clues again. Not that I was even remotely pointing in the right direction of course! Well played, Mr McFadyen!
Entertaining, intriguing and immersive, The Corpse Bell is a brilliant murder mystery that makes the reader feel like they are part of the police team. I will definitely be looking to read the earlier books in the series as I loved this one.
I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the Rachel's Random Resources blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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About the author:
Ian McFadyen was born in Liverpool and enjoyed a successful career in marketing before becoming a writer. Ian’s titles are available in Italian and Czech and, although the author isn’t totally convinced it’s true, he’s been favourably compared with Wilkie Collins and Colin Dexter. He lives in Hertfordshire with his wife but spends a great deal of his time writing in his bolthole retreat on the Norfolk / Suffolk border. The Corpse Bell is the eleventh in his series featuring DCI Carmichael.
Social Media Links –
Facebook: Facebook.com/ianmcfadyenauthor
Twitter / X : @ianMcFadyen1
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Website: https://www.ianmcfadyenauthor.com/
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