A Place of Safety - Caroline Graham > Reviews > Safe as houses?

Author's product rating:   

Would you listen to it again?	Absolutely
Story	Outstanding
Characters	Outstanding
Listenability	Once you start it, you won't be able to switch it off!
How does it compare to similar audio books?	Excellent
How does it compare to audio works by the same author?	Excellent

Advantages:	Couldn't put it down
Disadvantages:	None for me

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Lionel Lawrence gives up his position as a vicar to open up his home to ex-convicts who need to be kept on the straight and narrow. Unfortunately, his wife, Ann, is not quite so understanding, particularly because the place that Lionel calls home was actually left to Ann by her father. When some expensive jewellery goes missing, she knows exactly who has taken it - a young girl with a previous conviction for shoplifting. However, when Ann challenges her, the girl flees, only to disappear into the nearby river, presumed drowned. Then someone claims that they saw Ann push the girl into the river, and blackmails her to keep quiet. When a body is later found, foul play is suspected, and DCI Barnaby and his colleague, Sergeant Troy, are called in to solve the mystery. But appearances are deceptive...will they be able to trawl through all the evidence and work out the truth?

Although I am very familiar with Midsomer Murders and DCI Barnaby as a character and knew that the TV series was based on books by Caroline Graham, this is the first time that I have read any of them and I was a little unsure what I should expect. I needn't have worried. From the moment I picked up the book, I found it really hard to put it down and devoured it within 24 hours. Much as I enjoy watching Midsomer Murders on the television, I found the book much more thrilling.

Having already got a very good idea of Chief Inspector Barnaby from the TV series, I didn't really expect to find out much more about him from the book, and indeed, all his little foibles - his snappy nature when things aren't going his way, his slightly patronising treatment of Troy, his 'my job comes first' attitude towards his wife - are clearly there. However, I got much more of an insight into his thought processes and so his less than attractive characteristics are more understandable. He came over as being a much softer character with a deep love for his wife and I enjoyed reading about him. Even his attitude towards Troy is less annoying and his sharp wit comes aross as being funnier than in the series.

A great deal of time is spent describing Ann and her feelings at the beginning of the book, which set the scene very effectively. Ann is a lonely woman without much self-esteem, who married her husband simply because it seemed the best thing to do at the time. She is clearly deeply depressed, which makes her attitude towards the girl's disappearance and the subsequent blackmail demands all the more clearer - although I dare say that someone who hasn't suffered from the debilitating effects of depression would find it hard to understand. I personally thought that it was her characterisation that really made the book for me, because I came to care deeply about what happened to her.

The plot is strong and the pacing never wavers throughout - even the chapters that are about Barnaby and his home life are filled with emotional drama. Exactly the right amount of time was spent on each mini drama, so that I didn't get bored before the next drama happened. The writing is taut, creating tension where it is needed, and the tone is simple and straightforward, without sounding as if it was written for a ten year old.

Despite having read many hundreds of books of this style, this one really stood out for me - I think it is the combination of a well-known character (reading about Barnaby was a bit like putting on a pair of old fluffy slippers!) and a well-described sub-character, along with a strong plot that made the book so enjoyable. Of course, this type of crime fiction is of the traditional 'cozy' type - a modern version of Agatha Christie's work, for example, so if you like violent, modern, gritty American-style thrillers, you are probably not going to like this. However, if you enjoy well-written fiction with a very English, country cottage feel, then you'll love this. Highly recommended.

I paid £1.99 for this book from my local Co-op. It is also available from play.com from £2.49. Published by Headline Publishing Group, it has 277 pages. ISBN: 9780747249719.

Please ignore the criteria for audio books below - ciao have still not changed this - I am reviewing the printed book.