A Fatal Night
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- Create Date：2021-11-12 21:21:02
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Faith Martin
- ISBN：B08XV4FNFB
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
G
，
Marvelous book in the continuing series of Ryder & Loveday。 Hard to wait for the next in the series to see what happens with Dr。 Ryder's condition and his son and Trudy。 Faith Martin never disappoints！ Marvelous book in the continuing series of Ryder & Loveday。 Hard to wait for the next in the series to see what happens with Dr。 Ryder's condition and his son and Trudy。 Faith Martin never disappoints！ 。。。more
Steven Demonnin
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A very good story。 One of a set。 The set seems to be heading to a close。 And I will be vey disappointed when it does end。 The stories are exceptional。 This story takes place in the winter of 1962。 A new year’s drunk slams into a tree and dies of hypothermia… or maybe something else。 What makes this one different is a very pretty romance。 I liked that。
Gee
，
Set during the bad winter of 1962， WPC Trudy Loveday has been tasked to deal with a fatal road accident， mainly due to other more qualified officers not being available but also because it’s New Years Day。 She decides to enlist the help of her mentor， Clement Ryder， who’s also the coroner， who she has worked with before。 Not only is she fairly new to the station， she is also a woman， which was a big deal in the 60’s， with a lot of the male officers not believing Policing was a suitable job for a Set during the bad winter of 1962， WPC Trudy Loveday has been tasked to deal with a fatal road accident， mainly due to other more qualified officers not being available but also because it’s New Years Day。 She decides to enlist the help of her mentor， Clement Ryder， who’s also the coroner， who she has worked with before。 Not only is she fairly new to the station， she is also a woman， which was a big deal in the 60’s， with a lot of the male officers not believing Policing was a suitable job for a woman。 I hadn’t read any of the previous books in this series， an error I’ll soon correct， but it is very much a stand alone book。 I really like Trudys’ character - determined， honest， intelligent and really likeable， except if you’re the murderer or have something to hide。 She reminds me a bit of a young Jane Tennyson， or Agatha Christie’s Tuppence， but is definitely not just a copy of either of them。 The coroner is a nice sidekick for her， not afraid of working with a woman， and not just doing it because she is a woman。 It could have come across as a bit patronising， but is nicely handled。 The baddies are well written too。 Enough leads to make you think you know the identity of the killer， until the end， when you realise you were totally wrong。 A satisfying read。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Dave Wheeler
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Loved this， A Fatal Night。New Years Eve 1962 the big freeze continues as in lots of snow 3ft banks of snow line the streets and paths of Oxford。 Also the guests arrive to a party to be remembered， the roads restricted who went where etc。 The host of our party is ready and hoping to see the New Year in engaged to a man 10 years her junior more common now than in the 60's。 But we have a thriller so obviously it isn't to end without drama and Faith does not disappoint。There are some great character Loved this， A Fatal Night。New Years Eve 1962 the big freeze continues as in lots of snow 3ft banks of snow line the streets and paths of Oxford。 Also the guests arrive to a party to be remembered， the roads restricted who went where etc。 The host of our party is ready and hoping to see the New Year in engaged to a man 10 years her junior more common now than in the 60's。 But we have a thriller so obviously it isn't to end without drama and Faith does not disappoint。There are some great characters that make this special there is our Hero WPC Trudy loveday and her sidekick the （older just an observation） coroner Dr Clement and his son Vincent （younger）。 With the staff at the station this is my first of this series so I'm assuming the staff are the usual including Inspector G Jennings。 （I put in the G its for Grumpy 😠）。 The guests for this time are the host Millie Vander and her twins Juliet and Jasper， Terry the one Millie was hoping would provide a ring， a gate crasher （female） Katherine Morton a local celebrity an Artist， and Patsy a guest of the twins。 And Geoffrey Parker Terry's business partner。 There are others but these are the ones to watch as in they stuck out to me for various reasons none badly even if they were bad people。 I'm saying they helped make this a great read。 It will keep you guessing and we'll I just loved the whole story （thriller） it entertained gripped and as such I really didn't want to put it down。 I mentioned that this is my 1st read in the series but this didn't happer or disappoint， it has made me keen to read others from Faith Specifically about WPC Trudy。 It is easy to read as a standalone but may not be standalone soon afterwards。 I hope you enjoy it as much as I have a great escape from life for a while。 。。。more
Steve Capel
，
Thank You to the publishers and Net Galley for an advance copy。This is the seventh book in a series I think but the first one I have read。 It made a refreshing change from the normal crime books that I read and would I think it comfortably in the "cozy" genre。 The book is set in Oxford， in the hard winter of 1963， which I remember well being a teenager at the time。 It is far more an old-fashioned whodunnit than a modern police procedural but none the worse for that。 The plot involves a seemingly Thank You to the publishers and Net Galley for an advance copy。This is the seventh book in a series I think but the first one I have read。 It made a refreshing change from the normal crime books that I read and would I think it comfortably in the "cozy" genre。 The book is set in Oxford， in the hard winter of 1963， which I remember well being a teenager at the time。 It is far more an old-fashioned whodunnit than a modern police procedural but none the worse for that。 The plot involves a seemingly straightforward car accident but when investigated by WPC Loveday and the local coroner seems suspicious。 Their subsequent investigation has many twists and turns before reaching its conclusion。 The writing is good and is of a style that befits the era of the story。 。。。more
Amanda
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I have been a fan of Faith’s work for a while now。 I have pretty much read and loved everything that she has written to date。 I am a huge fan of the series featuring Hilary Greene but I also love the series featuring WPC Trudy Loveday and Coroner Clement Ryder。 ‘A Fatal Night’ is the seventh book in the Loveday and Ryder series and what a book it is。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘A Fatal Night’ but more about that in a bit。I was drawn to this book by the synopsis alone and the story within the c I have been a fan of Faith’s work for a while now。 I have pretty much read and loved everything that she has written to date。 I am a huge fan of the series featuring Hilary Greene but I also love the series featuring WPC Trudy Loveday and Coroner Clement Ryder。 ‘A Fatal Night’ is the seventh book in the Loveday and Ryder series and what a book it is。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘A Fatal Night’ but more about that in a bit。I was drawn to this book by the synopsis alone and the story within the covers of the book sealed the deal as it were。 ‘A Fatal Night’ seemed to develop a hold over me and it was a hold that I wasn’t willing to break。 This ‘hold’ lasted until the moment I read the very last word on the very last page。 To say that reading ‘ A Fatal Night’ became addictive is a bit of an understatement。 I picked this book up only intending to read a couple of chapters to say that I had started the book but I became so wrapped up in the story that I ended up reading about a third of the story in one go。 The more of this book I read， the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn。 I became desperate to find out if Loveday and Ryder solved the case。 All too quickly I reached the end of the story and I had to say farewell to Loveday and Ryder。‘A Fatal Night’ is superbly written but then I have found that to be true of all of Faith’s books that I have had the pleasure of reading。 Faith certainly knows how to grab your attention and draw you into what proves to be one hell of a read。 For me， the story hit the ground running and maintained a fast pace throughout。 This series achieves the impossible as each new book in the series is better than the previous one。 I love the very vivid and realistic way in which Faith narrates the story and she makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story themselves and at the heart of the action。In short， I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘A Fatal Night’ and I would recommend it to other readers。 I will certainly be reading more of Faith’s work in the future。 The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*。 。。。more
Michelle
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The winter freeze of 1962/3 set in Oxford WPC Loveday has a murder on her hands。 With the help of Dr Clement Ryder they set to finding the killer。This is a very enjoyable murder/mystery。 Although this is a series it can be read as a stand alone。 I have not read any of the previous ones。What I really liked about this is there is not the violence of today。 Just straight forward good old fashion policing。A great mix if characters。 The arrogant self serving twins。 The widow Millie and an artist。Than The winter freeze of 1962/3 set in Oxford WPC Loveday has a murder on her hands。 With the help of Dr Clement Ryder they set to finding the killer。This is a very enjoyable murder/mystery。 Although this is a series it can be read as a stand alone。 I have not read any of the previous ones。What I really liked about this is there is not the violence of today。 Just straight forward good old fashion policing。A great mix if characters。 The arrogant self serving twins。 The widow Millie and an artist。Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Deb
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A new author & a new crime duo for me。 This is the seventh in the Ryder & Loveday mysteries but is ok to read as a standalone。A traditional cosy mystery， set in the 1960s & will keep your brain cells ticking over nicely。The winter of 1962-3 was freezing for a significant period of time。 The descriptive passages of the harsh conditions & restrictions placed on the population are very well written。Murder is in the plot， of course， along with red herrings aplenty。 The language of the time makes you A new author & a new crime duo for me。 This is the seventh in the Ryder & Loveday mysteries but is ok to read as a standalone。A traditional cosy mystery， set in the 1960s & will keep your brain cells ticking over nicely。The winter of 1962-3 was freezing for a significant period of time。 The descriptive passages of the harsh conditions & restrictions placed on the population are very well written。Murder is in the plot， of course， along with red herrings aplenty。 The language of the time makes you think in washed out tones， almost watching a cine film （ask your parents！）。Beautifully written & a solid plot。 I’ll have to find the other books now & also look forward to book 8。 Recommended。Thank you to Netgalley， HQ Digital & the author for an arc copy of the book， which enabled me to write this unbiased review。 。。。more
Janet
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New Year’s Eve， 1962 As a snowstorm rages outside， Oxford high society gathers to ring in the New Year at the city’s most exclusive party。 This is a soiree no one will forget not least because a guest is found dead in his car the next morning。 It seems the young man tragically froze to death overnight after crashing into a snowdrift – but when WPC Trudy Loveday and coroner Clement Ryder are called in to investigate， they discover a tangled web of secrets that plainly points to murder。With everyo New Year’s Eve， 1962 As a snowstorm rages outside， Oxford high society gathers to ring in the New Year at the city’s most exclusive party。 This is a soiree no one will forget not least because a guest is found dead in his car the next morning。 It seems the young man tragically froze to death overnight after crashing into a snowdrift – but when WPC Trudy Loveday and coroner Clement Ryder are called in to investigate， they discover a tangled web of secrets that plainly points to murder。With everyone telling different stories about that fateful night， only one thing is clear: several people had reason to want the victim dead。This is the seventh book in the series but it could easily be read on its own。 I loved the relationship between Trudy & Clement & how its developed。 Once again there are plenty of suspects， plenty of red herrings as well as twists & turns。 I also liked the picture painted of life in the early 60’s。 Another well written murder mystery which I thoroughly enjoyed。 I did guess who the murderer was but no way did I work out whyMy honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read 。。。more
Javier
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Review published in: https://diagnosisbookaholic。blogspot。。。。How is it already book 7 in the Ryder and Loveday Mystery Series？ It must be true that saying that says time flies when you’re having fun！ And that’s exactly what I’m doing with this series。 I’m enjoying it so， so much！ I love both main characters and the cozy mysteries are always entertaining。It is Christmas， 1962， when temperatures remained below zero in the UK for several months and snow was the daily companion in British people liv Review published in: https://diagnosisbookaholic。blogspot。。。。How is it already book 7 in the Ryder and Loveday Mystery Series？ It must be true that saying that says time flies when you’re having fun！ And that’s exactly what I’m doing with this series。 I’m enjoying it so， so much！ I love both main characters and the cozy mysteries are always entertaining。It is Christmas， 1962， when temperatures remained below zero in the UK for several months and snow was the daily companion in British people lives。 When after a New Year’s Eve party a man is found dead in his car it seems a clear case of an accident due to the weather conditions， but soon Dr。 Ryder and WPC Loveday suspect the death is not as clear cut as it seems。I love how the characters are developing as the series progresses。 Trudy is still up against her mysoginist colleagues， but step by step she’s gaining some new allies in the police force thanks to her impecable job。Dr。 Ryder’s health seems to have taken a turn for the worse， so it will be interesting to see how Trudy and everyone else in his life react when he can no longer hide his ailment。The mystery was a really good one and all the vivid descriptions about the weather and how they dealt with it helped me to immerse myself in the story。Is that a new love interest in Trudy’s life I detect？ Please， let it be！ Vincent really grew on me as the story progressed and I can’t wait to see him get himself involved in another of his father and Trudy’s cases。Another winner in this lovely series。 Now I just need for book 8 to be released soon！Thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Helen
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Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review A Fatal Night。 All opinions are my own。A New Year’s Eve party proves deadly in A Fatal Night， the latest in the Ryder and Loveday series by Faith Martin （the 7th book， to be exact）。 The city coroner （Clement Ryder） and probationary policewoman （Trudy Loveday） in 1960s Oxford will find their hands full with this one。They’re called to the scene of a fatal traffic accident; seems the de Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review A Fatal Night。 All opinions are my own。A New Year’s Eve party proves deadly in A Fatal Night， the latest in the Ryder and Loveday series by Faith Martin （the 7th book， to be exact）。 The city coroner （Clement Ryder） and probationary policewoman （Trudy Loveday） in 1960s Oxford will find their hands full with this one。They’re called to the scene of a fatal traffic accident; seems the deceased was at "that" party。 Too much toasting in the New Year， perhaps？ Seems cut and dried enough， but Ryder’s not convinced。 Local Lover Boy was in the car， and his much-older-than-he-is rich paramour’s got children that would be very happy to see him out of the picture permanently。 Turns out they have indeed cooked up something， and it’s up to our two quasi-detectives to ferret it all out， as long as Trudy’s stuffy superior will let her stay on the case （a constant theme through the books）。 Of course， there’s a twist or two -- there’s the Other Woman， and the dear departed was definitely not as pure as the driven snow。 But that murderer？ Credit the author with making a case for surprising us all （well， at least me）。 Maybe a tad out of the blue， but who's counting。We even get some movement on the personal front， which has been developing as slow as molasses。 Ryder’s son has come to visit for the holidays and finds out that’s something’s up with his father’s health。 And he has met Trudy -- competition for the smarmy newspaper reporter has arrived。 And now that Trudy’s been given the opportunity to actually do some investigation on her own， as she does in A Fatal Night， one can only hope that bodes well for future books。 Fingers crossed。 。。。more
Joo
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I'd not read any of the previous books in this series。 This book read as a stand-alone and was very enjoyable。 I liked reading about the policing of the past and enjoyed the fond relationship between Trudy and Clement。 I'd not read any of the previous books in this series。 This book read as a stand-alone and was very enjoyable。 I liked reading about the policing of the past and enjoyed the fond relationship between Trudy and Clement。 。。。more
Kitty McIntosh
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‘A Fatal Night’ by Faith Martin is the second book I’ve read in this series， and I’m growing very fond of WPC Trudy Loveday and Coroner Dr Clement Ryder。 The young police officer and elderly county coroner make an interesting pair， and their methods and investigations make for fascinating reading。 This story is set over Christmas and New Year of 1962， when a ‘big freeze’ stopped Britain in its tracks。 Snow and ice blocked the roads and many died。 And it is one of these deaths that Trudy and Clem ‘A Fatal Night’ by Faith Martin is the second book I’ve read in this series， and I’m growing very fond of WPC Trudy Loveday and Coroner Dr Clement Ryder。 The young police officer and elderly county coroner make an interesting pair， and their methods and investigations make for fascinating reading。 This story is set over Christmas and New Year of 1962， when a ‘big freeze’ stopped Britain in its tracks。 Snow and ice blocked the roads and many died。 And it is one of these deaths that Trudy and Clement seek to investigate。 As with any investigation， lies abound， and it is up to them to get to the truth and find the killer。 I really like the dynamic between the two characters。 The blend of youthful enthusiasm and a determination to learn， with the experience and wisdom of someone who has seen it all， really works。 The setting of 1960s Oxford is also very appealing， as it gives an insight into the time， as well as the problems faced by a young woman in the police force back then。 I enjoyed the story immensely， and it is exactly the kind of cosy mystery I want to read in these times。 However unsettled it may seem for us in real life， you can always count on a cosy mystery。 I was given this ARC for review。 。。。more
Heather Hughes
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This was my first time reading one of the books from this series and had no problem with reading as a stand alone novel。I felt as though there was an unusual mix of British and American English， as well as terms from the time period that are no longer on use， but it didn't much hinder the telling of the story。I had a hatred for Duncan Gillingham as soon as he was introduced。 He gave me creepy man vibes， and very well written。The large turn of events after the half way point was brilliant。 I love This was my first time reading one of the books from this series and had no problem with reading as a stand alone novel。I felt as though there was an unusual mix of British and American English， as well as terms from the time period that are no longer on use， but it didn't much hinder the telling of the story。I had a hatred for Duncan Gillingham as soon as he was introduced。 He gave me creepy man vibes， and very well written。The large turn of events after the half way point was brilliant。 I loved everything happening at once， it really pulled me in even further。The sudden on sort of information at the end to reveal the murderer before they confessed made me feel as though there was more to the story。 I'd love to read more cases of PC Loveday and Dr Ryder。 。。。more
Margaret McCulloch-Keeble
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Thoroughly enjoyable！ Never a dull moment， where the bad weather is almost a character。 Easy to read， easy to follow， great fun。
Claire
，
A Fatal Night is the seventh book in the Ryder and Loveday Mystery series。 Although I haven’t read the previous six books， I found this didn’t detract from this novel。It’s New Years Eve 1962 in Oxford and a snow storm is raging outside。 People from high society are attending an exclusive gathering to ring in the new year。 It’s a party no one will forget as the next morning one of the guests is found dead in his car。 When WPC Loveday and Dr Ryder are called to investigate， they quickly discover t A Fatal Night is the seventh book in the Ryder and Loveday Mystery series。 Although I haven’t read the previous six books， I found this didn’t detract from this novel。It’s New Years Eve 1962 in Oxford and a snow storm is raging outside。 People from high society are attending an exclusive gathering to ring in the new year。 It’s a party no one will forget as the next morning one of the guests is found dead in his car。 When WPC Loveday and Dr Ryder are called to investigate， they quickly discover there is more to this case。 I enjoyed this book and the interaction between the two main characters as the plot unfolds。 I would rate this book 3。5 stars。 Thank you to NetGalley， HQ and the author for the advanced review copy。 。。。more
Chrissie
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This is the seventh book in the series and I had not read any previously but it didn't matter as this book is a good standalone 。Set in 1962 during The Big Freeze when temperatures were below zero for 3 months this is a lovely cosy， old fashioned， Police Procedural 。A man has died in a car crash but was it murder ？ Loveday and Ryder are a wonderful team I really enjoyed their characters and I did not guess who dunnit ！ A really enjoyable read though I found the ending a little abrupt 。I would lo This is the seventh book in the series and I had not read any previously but it didn't matter as this book is a good standalone 。Set in 1962 during The Big Freeze when temperatures were below zero for 3 months this is a lovely cosy， old fashioned， Police Procedural 。A man has died in a car crash but was it murder ？ Loveday and Ryder are a wonderful team I really enjoyed their characters and I did not guess who dunnit ！ A really enjoyable read though I found the ending a little abrupt 。I would love to see these books brought to life on the TV screen 。Many thanks to the Publisher ，the Author and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review 。 。。。more
Sarah Festa
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This book for me， just did not grip me。 I kept waiting for it to kick it up a notch and it just never came。 It was slow but with no burn， and it just didn't make me care who the killer was。 And the things that came to light didn't make me shocked or hungry for more。I did like it being set in the 60's before technology in crime solving became advanced。 I did like the WPC fighting for her chance to be considered equal and be able to handle a case of a higher magnitude for herself， and taking advan This book for me， just did not grip me。 I kept waiting for it to kick it up a notch and it just never came。 It was slow but with no burn， and it just didn't make me care who the killer was。 And the things that came to light didn't make me shocked or hungry for more。I did like it being set in the 60's before technology in crime solving became advanced。 I did like the WPC fighting for her chance to be considered equal and be able to handle a case of a higher magnitude for herself， and taking advantage of the snowfall and restricted staff to further herself。I just didn't connect with the characters or the story。 。。。more
Denise Forrest
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When a man is found dead in his car in a snowdrift after a New Year’s Eve party and the police force are short staffed during the harsh winter of 1963， WPC Trudy and her friend the coroner are called upon to investigate。This is one of a series of books involving these characters but this can also be read as a stand alone novel。 I found it interesting to read about police procedure during the 1960s and I suppose it was probably unusual to have women in the police force， let alone acting as detect When a man is found dead in his car in a snowdrift after a New Year’s Eve party and the police force are short staffed during the harsh winter of 1963， WPC Trudy and her friend the coroner are called upon to investigate。This is one of a series of books involving these characters but this can also be read as a stand alone novel。 I found it interesting to read about police procedure during the 1960s and I suppose it was probably unusual to have women in the police force， let alone acting as detectives。 The suspects were all those who attended the party and this provides us with a cast of colourful characters， all of whom have their own agenda and secrets to hide。There are no nail biting twists or edge of the seat moments， but all in all， a good whodunnit， which proceeds at a steady pace。I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Ricc Eff
，
A Fatal Night， by Faith Martin Teaser Oxford is paralysed by the 1962-63 snowstorm just around the beginning of the New Year。 Mrs Millie Vander， an upper-class widow， is excited about her New Year’s Eve party – not only because the guest list was rather exclusive， but also because Terry Parker was certainly going to propose。 But not all things go to plan。 Terry will die in a car crash the night after the party。 It’s a simple car crash that Woman Police Constable Loveday is sent to make preli A Fatal Night， by Faith Martin Teaser Oxford is paralysed by the 1962-63 snowstorm just around the beginning of the New Year。 Mrs Millie Vander， an upper-class widow， is excited about her New Year’s Eve party – not only because the guest list was rather exclusive， but also because Terry Parker was certainly going to propose。 But not all things go to plan。 Terry will die in a car crash the night after the party。 It’s a simple car crash that Woman Police Constable Loveday is sent to make preliminary inquiries。 “Preliminary inquiries” stressed her boss。 He didn’t want her to get too excited what looked like a case of drunk driving。 An open and shut case。 I won’t surprise anyone by saying that things are not as simple as they first look， and that WPC Loveday， with the help of her mentor and friend coroner Clement Ryder， will go beyond mere “preliminary inquiries”。 Review This is a cosy mystery with a simple， linear timeline and one single plot thread。 It is enjoyable to read and hits all the features of the genre。 It is the seventh book of the Ryder and Loveday series， but it works perfectly as a standalone too。 It is short and flows away quickly。 However， there are a few points I did not like about this book。 Simple plot As I mentioned above， the storyline is simple。 There is no change of timeline， no substantial parallel investigation。 They only sort of subplot that went on， was barely investigated by WPC Loveday until the very end， and more by accident than by wit。 This is a two-sided blade。 Some readers will enjoy the simplicity of the plot。 Others， like me， will find it boring and will miss the entertainment。 The only interesting theme across the book， which is sometimes hinted， sometimes made it plain， is the sexism of the sixties。 Just the title Woman Police Constable – a title officially used up to 1999， believe it or not – made my bile stir。 The plot offers plenty of red herrings， but I found them obvious most of the times。 I have never been engaged in the mystery。 I ended up not really caring about solving it。 Beside bringing the killer to justice， there was no other motivation。 Nobody was suffering from the consequences of Terry’s death。 Even Millie seemed to have shrugged his death away。 If nobody cared， why should I？ Simple characters Related to the point above is the simplicity of characters。 Everyone is well constructed: they have their goals， their motivations， and they are all linked to one another in some way。 However， nobody really moves from their original position。 There is little character development。 This is perfectly fine for characters more on the side-lines， like suspects and Loveday’s boss。 But Loveday herself does not change at all throughout the book。 Even Dr Ryder’s change is slow， and more dictated by his illness than anything else。 Disorienting points of view One thing I found very annoying is the sudden changes in points of view。 The narrative would follow the actions and thoughts of one character， say Loveday。 Within the same chapter， the point of view changes and go to Dr Ryder。 A few sentences after， we move to Vincent， Dr Ryder’s son。 There is no aid to that change。 No punctuation， no change of chapter， nothing。 Right up until the end of the book， I found this technique disorienting。 Twist or no twist The entire mystery is。。。you guessed it。。。simple。 Since the very beginning， it is pretty clear what is happening。 We know who did it， we know why。 That still leaves how exactly they have done it and how Loveday will discover them。 But that’s not worth the hassle， is it？ So， mid-way through the book I find myself wondering: should I read this book until the end？ Because it can go one of two ways: it is either as simple as it looks， or there is a huge twist at the end which means that the author played with me until now。 Whichever way it goes （I am not going to spoil it here）， the result is surely irritating。 Overall I enjoyed A Fatal Night。 It is a simple read that can be enjoyed in a couple of days。 It makes it a good break from other， more intense， reads。 But I would not recommend it to anyone who loves a thrill or the possibility to guess a high-stake mystery。 ***Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advance copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion。*** 。。。more
Heather Trevis
，
This whodunnit follows the investigation of a fatal car crash that occurs just after a New Year’s Eve party held by wealthy Millicent Vander， attractive widow and mother to a pair of seriously obnoxious twins。 There are quite a few murder suspects， leaving the reader guessing as to who committed the crime， and a variety of characters are interviewed by protagonist WPC Trudy Loveday。 It is an entertaining read for lovers of crime dramas and， although part of a series， the novel can be enjoyed as This whodunnit follows the investigation of a fatal car crash that occurs just after a New Year’s Eve party held by wealthy Millicent Vander， attractive widow and mother to a pair of seriously obnoxious twins。 There are quite a few murder suspects， leaving the reader guessing as to who committed the crime， and a variety of characters are interviewed by protagonist WPC Trudy Loveday。 It is an entertaining read for lovers of crime dramas and， although part of a series， the novel can be enjoyed as standalone。 However， I found the characters overly superficial and felt the novel lacked historical detail， or any of the atmosphere or mood of the 1960s。 To be honest， while reading it I kept forgetting it wasn't set in contemporary Britain。 The plot I think would have worked well as a TV adaptation。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Scilla
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This is a very good classic British crime novel， the seventh in the series。 London has been having heavy snow， and many streets are unplowed。 Millie Vander， a very wealthy widow is hosting a New Years Eve party at her home。 She is hoping Terry （a man at least 10 years younger） will propose to her。 Her twin son and daughter would like to prevent that。 At the party， there is one uninvited guest， and Millie sees this stranger in an embrace with Terry。 PC Trudy Loveday is waked early to go to work b This is a very good classic British crime novel， the seventh in the series。 London has been having heavy snow， and many streets are unplowed。 Millie Vander， a very wealthy widow is hosting a New Years Eve party at her home。 She is hoping Terry （a man at least 10 years younger） will propose to her。 Her twin son and daughter would like to prevent that。 At the party， there is one uninvited guest， and Millie sees this stranger in an embrace with Terry。 PC Trudy Loveday is waked early to go to work because a dead man has been found in his car in the snow。 She goes to Clement Ryder， the coroner， to certify the death， and finds his son Vincent is visiting。 At first， Vincent is very annoyed with the obvious friendship between Trudy and his father， but he definitely warms up and joins in the investigation in the course of the book。 They finally find out that the dead man is Terry， and get a list of all at the party and begin talking to them。 Because of the snow， the police are very busy and as long as it appears to be a traffic accident， they let Trudy and Clement continue to investigate。 There are many suspects of possible murder， including Terry's partner in automobile sales， Millie's twins， the unknown woman at the party are just a few。 It is almost the end of the book when Trudy reads something Vincent found in the library while helping them， and she has a moment of enlightenment。 Trudy and Clement are a great team， and even better with Vincent's help。 。。。more
Gail C。
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It’s 1963， and between an outbreak of the flu and the unprecedented snow storm that has paralyzed roads across the country， Britain has come close to a standstill。 Despite the freezing cold， when WPC Trudy Loveday is called into her superior’s office and assigned the task of identifying a dead body found in a car， she is thrilled。 Sure， it’s probably nothing， if the inspector suspected there was more to it he would never assign Trudy。 True to the era， he believes women have no business on the po It’s 1963， and between an outbreak of the flu and the unprecedented snow storm that has paralyzed roads across the country， Britain has come close to a standstill。 Despite the freezing cold， when WPC Trudy Loveday is called into her superior’s office and assigned the task of identifying a dead body found in a car， she is thrilled。 Sure， it’s probably nothing， if the inspector suspected there was more to it he would never assign Trudy。 True to the era， he believes women have no business on the police force and spends most of his time trying to dissuade Trudy from her chosen career。For her part， Trudy sees it as an opportunity to finally do something a little more than paperwork。 She also suggests Dr。 Ryder accompany her in order to pronounce the dead body， hoping he will be agreeable to go out in the dreadful weather。 Of course， Dr。 Ryder welcomes the opportunity to work with Trudy and they both head out in the cold， despite the misgivings of Dr。 Ryder’s visiting son。So begins the seventh in the Ryder and Loveday series by Faith Martin。 As the reader probably expects， the death is not a simple car crash victim or a result of the weather; but something much more serious。 Dr。 Ryder is almost immediately suspicious after examining the victim’s eyes。 Now the problem for Ryder and Trudy is how to prevent the inspector from removing them from the case。With that in mind when definite information of foul play is discovered they decide to place the report on the inspector’s desk。 They just happen to place it under some additional piles of paperwork， hoping Trudy doesn’t run into the inspector and she can delay reporting to him for a while longer。Dr。 Ryder’s son Vincent who is home for a visit， also gets drawn in and after some initial misgivings becomes as fully engaged as Trudy and the elder Ryder。 Dr。 Ryder is pleased to see the change in his son’s attitude。 The only problem he has now is trying to keep his growing symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease a secret。 So far he has been successful， but his tremors and unsteady gait are getting more difficult to disguise。As to the murder， the victim is a young man who has been romancing a slightly older widow who is convinced he is a man of good breeding， when in truth， he is from a much lower social status。 Her twin children， a girl and a boy， have seen through him and recognize he’s interested in marrying their mother for her money。 They are determined to prevent that occurrence since it would lessen the amount of their own inheritance。Additional suspects include the young man’s business partner who has recently learned he has been stealing from their company。 Then there’s his wife， who he left behind along with their child。 She’s spent some time searching for him， not because she wants him back but because she wants to blackmail him for a piece of his expected pie。While this series has had a well plotted mystery in each book， a major part of the story has also been Ryder’s struggle with his worsening Parkinson’s while keeping it from Trudy and this book is no exception。 From beginning to end it’s classic Martin and starting the book is like sitting down with an old friend。 The reader is swept along with the investigation and intrigued with the side relationships that offer occasional glimpses into the pair’s personal lives。 As in the previous books， there are still questions regarding these personal issues that will whet the curiosity of those who are invested in the series。While the mystery is self-contained， many readers will find this more enjoyable reading it as part of the series， beginning with the first book and reading them in order。 In addition to good mysteries and engaging personal relationship developments， this series also offers an excellent picture of what life was like in the 1960’s for women in the police force in England。 I read an advance copy of the book for this review。 The opinions stated here are entirely my own。 。。。more
Sarah
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I jumped straight into this cosy mystery， made all the more cosier by the heavy blankets of snow。 Despite being part of a lengthy series， I was relieved at how easy I fell into the narrative， not noticing that several books had already come previously。I really liked the time period of this story; it made a change to the crime thrillers that I usually read。 In this way， I think this made it more of a cosy mystery because it was a gentle investigation， bodies were not piling up and it was more of I jumped straight into this cosy mystery， made all the more cosier by the heavy blankets of snow。 Despite being part of a lengthy series， I was relieved at how easy I fell into the narrative， not noticing that several books had already come previously。I really liked the time period of this story; it made a change to the crime thrillers that I usually read。 In this way， I think this made it more of a cosy mystery because it was a gentle investigation， bodies were not piling up and it was more of a case of ‘who dunnit？’， rather than anything else。 The simplicity of the time period and the fact that a huge freeze across the country means that Loveday and Ryder are having to conduct many of the investigations themselves due to a police shortage and roads being impassable。 They make a great duo with age and wisdom complementing youth and enthusiasm。Martin quickly establishes the crime scene and I felt like I was reading a game of ‘Cluedo’！ As the story progresses， there are plenty of suspects who could be involved in the death of Trevor。 Even Loveday and Ryder have suspicions but these are not progressing any time soon because each round of questioning just creates more leads。 I liked the variety of characters in this book: not only was it easy to distinguish between the different identities， I think it helped establish a broad range of motives for what initially appeared to be a tragic， chilling accident。As a sub-plot， it is clear that there is some love interest surrounding Loveday。 It does not dominate the story but I was intrigued to see there is a past with the reporter， plus a new， potential connection with Ryder’s son。 It was a sweet development and I think this added to the appeal of the story， again not making it a gritty crime thriller。The portrayal of how people coped with such awful weather conditioners are subtly explored in this narrative。 I think this added to the quaintness of the Oxfordshire setting， especially as there is no reference to the academia that we come to associate with such a place today。 The resilience during this big freeze is reflected in Ryder’s personal challenges and I found this part of the story quite emotive and saddening。 Even though there seems to be a resolution by the end of the book， I would be interested to see how the writer explores this element of the plot further。This was a great read that had me guessing throughout。 I never correctly predicted the outcome and enjoyed the charm of old fashioned policing。 Coupled with buckets of snow， I think this is a great non-Christmas， winter read that will have you warmed and guessing throughout the story。With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Elaine O'Brien
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In my view， this fits in nicely with the ‘cosy crime’ genre that is popular at the moment。 A freezing cold winter in Oxford in 1962， around New Year’s Eve。 Snow blankets everything and lends a charming atmosphere to proceedings。 The murder being investigated is of a slimy gold digger， and there is zero gore or violence。 There are hot chocolates and warm snugs with fires blazing。 There is a lovely friendship between the young WPC Trudy Loveday and the pathologist Clement， an older widower。 I love In my view， this fits in nicely with the ‘cosy crime’ genre that is popular at the moment。 A freezing cold winter in Oxford in 1962， around New Year’s Eve。 Snow blankets everything and lends a charming atmosphere to proceedings。 The murder being investigated is of a slimy gold digger， and there is zero gore or violence。 There are hot chocolates and warm snugs with fires blazing。 There is a lovely friendship between the young WPC Trudy Loveday and the pathologist Clement， an older widower。 I loved some of the characters， such as the boozy artist， but I found many lacked depth， particularly the villainous twins。 I really enjoyed the setting and the atmosphere， but I found I wasn’t really gripped by the whodunnit。 This is part of a series， but it can definitely be read as a standalone。 I would recommend this if you want a cosy winter/Christmas read with some mild intrigue。 I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Elaine Tomasso
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I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of A Fatal Night， the seventh novel to feature WPC Trudy Loveday and Coroner Dr Clement Ryder， set in Oxford。On New Year’s Day 1963 Trudy is asked to do the “preliminaries” on a road traffic accident， but when she and Dr Ryder look closer they’re not so sure it was an accident。 Their investigation shows that the victim was at a party the night before and that several attendees had no love for him。 I thoroughly enjoyed A Fatal Night， whic I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of A Fatal Night， the seventh novel to feature WPC Trudy Loveday and Coroner Dr Clement Ryder， set in Oxford。On New Year’s Day 1963 Trudy is asked to do the “preliminaries” on a road traffic accident， but when she and Dr Ryder look closer they’re not so sure it was an accident。 Their investigation shows that the victim was at a party the night before and that several attendees had no love for him。 I thoroughly enjoyed A Fatal Night， which is a light read with a dash of humour and a good mystery。 It is told from various points of view but the star of the show is Trudy。 She might be young and inexperienced in life， but this is the novel where she directs the investigation and solves the case， with little prompting needed。 Now all she needs is for Inspector Jennings to recognise her ability。I followed all the investigating and clues and still had no idea of the perpetrator。 To be fair （to myself obviously） this is not a crime the reader could solve as the vital information is not revealed before the denouement。 Still， it was fun to watch them investigate and speculate alongside them。 This is not a profound novel and doesn’t pretend to be， but it’s good at what it does， providing a murder investigation in a light， cheery tone and easy entertainment。 I found myself turning the pages avidly to see what was coming next。I don’t think the novel is particularly strong on period detail， apart from the reigning attitude in the police that women are inferior and not cut out for the rigours of the job and the setting of the big freeze which brought inconvenient and snow for months。A Fatal Night is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending。 。。。more
Jill
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Firstly my thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review。To be honest， I’m not really into Crime Thrillers， but reading Faith Martin’s novel has gone some way to converting me。 It’s well written in good clear English， humorous and entertaining。 Her heros’ are charming characters and using a female police officer in the key role makes for a more modern type of thriller。 Agatha Christie eat your heart out - you now have some serious competition in th Firstly my thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review。To be honest， I’m not really into Crime Thrillers， but reading Faith Martin’s novel has gone some way to converting me。 It’s well written in good clear English， humorous and entertaining。 Her heros’ are charming characters and using a female police officer in the key role makes for a more modern type of thriller。 Agatha Christie eat your heart out - you now have some serious competition in this genre！ 。。。more
Alan Cotterell
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My thanks to HQ Digital， the author and NetGalley for an advanced copy for review。 The opinions expressed here are entirely my own。This is the 7th in the series， set in the 1960’s， with WPC Trudy Loveday and the coroner Clement Ryder。 Another cosy， but good simple， mystery， that will keep you guessing until the very end。 This one is set in the winter of 1962-63， duing which temperatures remained below zero for about 3 months。 The descriptions of the weather conditions and how people coped and th My thanks to HQ Digital， the author and NetGalley for an advanced copy for review。 The opinions expressed here are entirely my own。This is the 7th in the series， set in the 1960’s， with WPC Trudy Loveday and the coroner Clement Ryder。 Another cosy， but good simple， mystery， that will keep you guessing until the very end。 This one is set in the winter of 1962-63， duing which temperatures remained below zero for about 3 months。 The descriptions of the weather conditions and how people coped and the restrictions， created a perfect setting for this book。The main characters are developing nicely。 Even the misogynistic ones， are becoming likeable as they are more a product of their time， rather than being deliberately annoying。 Loveday and Ryder have a fantastic working relationship， considering their different upbringing， ages and expectations。As always an enticing case for Loveday and Ryder， lots of red herrings， beautifully written as always in language of the time。 Book 8 please and soon 。。。more
Helen
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This is the first book I have read by Faith Martin and I don't normally like boots set in the past BUT I throughly enjoyed the tale。 The setting， the characters and the time period came to life vividly for me。 I felt as if WPC Laura Loveday was a good friend。 Her friendship with the coroner and his family， rounded out the team。 DI Jennings and his grumpy manner made me smile。 The twist was perfect just when I thought it was all done。 This is the first book I have read by Faith Martin and I don't normally like boots set in the past BUT I throughly enjoyed the tale。 The setting， the characters and the time period came to life vividly for me。 I felt as if WPC Laura Loveday was a good friend。 Her friendship with the coroner and his family， rounded out the team。 DI Jennings and his grumpy manner made me smile。 The twist was perfect just when I thought it was all done。 。。。more
Neville Townsend
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