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louetta's review against another edition
3.0
Thanks to the Publishers/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for a honest review
A nurse at the local boys boarding school is murdered an there is no shortage of suspects! A cozy mystery, this is a republishing of the book first written in the 1960s. I wasn't aware but apparently this is the second in a series. The story was well written and the characters well developed.
If you like the older style mysteries, this is the one for you. A little slower paced than I'm use to, but not a bad read. 3 stars.
A nurse at the local boys boarding school is murdered an there is no shortage of suspects! A cozy mystery, this is a republishing of the book first written in the 1960s. I wasn't aware but apparently this is the second in a series. The story was well written and the characters well developed.
If you like the older style mysteries, this is the one for you. A little slower paced than I'm use to, but not a bad read. 3 stars.
cj_mo_2222's review against another edition
4.0
Local historian Olivia Strode fills in when the school nurse, Sister Joan Roach, fails to report to work at the Affacombe Priory School. It is soon determined that Sister Roach was murdered and her "sideline" of blackmail could be the motive. After the local police investigate for two days, DI Tom Pollard and his partner DS Toye from Scotland Yard are called in to find the murderer.
"The Affacombe Affair" was originally written in 1968 and has been recently released again. It's part of a long-running series and is still relevant today. I've read the first in the series, but that's not necessary to enjoy this book. I was surprised that detectives Pollard and Toye don't get involved in the investigation until two-thirds of the way into the book. Most of the detecting at the beginning of the book is done by Inspector Dart, a brusque but clever detective, or by Olivia Strode. Fortunately, I really enjoyed the character of Olivia. She is smart, sensible, and kind. These traits make people in the village trust her and confide n her, allowing her to provide quite a few clues to Dart and later Pollard. I was entertained by Olivia's contributions to the investigation. She reminds me of one of my favorite amateur sleuths, Hazel Holt's Mrs. Malory.
The first couple of chapters of the book move a bit slow, but once Olivia gets involved in the case, the book maintains an even leisurely pace. Once Pollard gets involved, things really start falling into place and getting even more interesting. Pollard has a way to quickly get to the bottom of things and is able to sort through a complicated motive and series of events. The solution is unexpected and definitely surprised me. Readers don't get to know Pollard as well in this book as in the first installment, but he is still a likable main character. I've enjoyed getting to know Pollard and becoming familiar with this classic series that I hadn't had a chance to read before this.
I received this book through the courtesy of Sapere Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
"The Affacombe Affair" was originally written in 1968 and has been recently released again. It's part of a long-running series and is still relevant today. I've read the first in the series, but that's not necessary to enjoy this book. I was surprised that detectives Pollard and Toye don't get involved in the investigation until two-thirds of the way into the book. Most of the detecting at the beginning of the book is done by Inspector Dart, a brusque but clever detective, or by Olivia Strode. Fortunately, I really enjoyed the character of Olivia. She is smart, sensible, and kind. These traits make people in the village trust her and confide n her, allowing her to provide quite a few clues to Dart and later Pollard. I was entertained by Olivia's contributions to the investigation. She reminds me of one of my favorite amateur sleuths, Hazel Holt's Mrs. Malory.
The first couple of chapters of the book move a bit slow, but once Olivia gets involved in the case, the book maintains an even leisurely pace. Once Pollard gets involved, things really start falling into place and getting even more interesting. Pollard has a way to quickly get to the bottom of things and is able to sort through a complicated motive and series of events. The solution is unexpected and definitely surprised me. Readers don't get to know Pollard as well in this book as in the first installment, but he is still a likable main character. I've enjoyed getting to know Pollard and becoming familiar with this classic series that I hadn't had a chance to read before this.
I received this book through the courtesy of Sapere Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
4.0
According to legend, Monk's Leap is a site near Affacombe where one of the Priory's brethern had leapt over the edge, hotly pursued by the Devil in the guise of a beautiful woman. The monk was said to have landed safely on a rock midstream in the River Sinnel below. Years later, no such miracle happens for Sister Roach, a nurse at the school which now makes up most of the Priory's building and grounds. The nurse goes missing one afternoon during a Games Day and her body is discovered at the bottom of the cliff. Investigation by the local police reveals the nurse to have been an experienced blackmailer and it would seem that she got hold of the wrong end of a blackmailing stick. Maybe more than one stick--for they soon find that Sister Roach had several victims on her blackmail list. The only trouble is they all either have unshakeable alibis or there is no proof that they were on the spot when the nurse was pushed.
When Chief Detective Inspector Tom Pollard of the Yard is called in, he discovers that her blackmailing ways have, indeed, been the cause of her death....but not in the way his colleagues thought. In one particular case, she thinks she sees one kind of improper behavior going on, but it winds up that what she has seen is a cover-up for another crime. The criminal decides that even though she hasn't spotted the real reason for what she's seen that she must be eliminated before she figures it out. The entire plot is centered on a case of mistaken identity and that mistaken identity--deliberately manufactured by the criminals in aid of an alibi--more than her blackmailing activities cause her death.
In The Affacombe Affair (1968) by Elizabeth Lemarchand, the disguise employed is meant to provide an alibi for those engaged in a completely separate crime. It leads to murder...and finally to another round of make-up artistry (on the part of the police this time) which is used to jolt the villains into giving themselves away. Disguise plays a triple part here--as alibi (for both the initial crimes and the murder), as motive, and finally to facilitate the solution.
It was very interesting to see disguise--or at the very least, identity misdirection--used in more unusual ways. This novel addresses the idea of identity in a manner that allows the author to play with alibis and motives and to add an extra layer of mystification to the plot. Very enjoyable for those looking for a little different twist on the idea of disguise and misdirection. Lemarchand also provides the reader with well-defined characters--from Pollard and his assistant Sergeant Toye to the local detectives to the inhabitants of Affacombe. There is a Miss Marple type--not a spinster, but still an observant widow who seems to be everywhere and to pop up with useful clues whenever Pollard needs a nugget of information. Mrs. Strode may not solve the crime herself, but she certainly provides much of the straw with which Pollard can construct bricks to build his case.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
When Chief Detective Inspector Tom Pollard of the Yard is called in, he discovers that her blackmailing ways have, indeed, been the cause of her death....but not in the way his colleagues thought. In one particular case, she thinks she sees one kind of improper behavior going on, but it winds up that what she has seen is a cover-up for another crime. The criminal decides that even though she hasn't spotted the real reason for what she's seen that she must be eliminated before she figures it out. The entire plot is centered on a case of mistaken identity and that mistaken identity--deliberately manufactured by the criminals in aid of an alibi--more than her blackmailing activities cause her death.
In The Affacombe Affair (1968) by Elizabeth Lemarchand, the disguise employed is meant to provide an alibi for those engaged in a completely separate crime. It leads to murder...and finally to another round of make-up artistry (on the part of the police this time) which is used to jolt the villains into giving themselves away. Disguise plays a triple part here--as alibi (for both the initial crimes and the murder), as motive, and finally to facilitate the solution.
It was very interesting to see disguise--or at the very least, identity misdirection--used in more unusual ways. This novel addresses the idea of identity in a manner that allows the author to play with alibis and motives and to add an extra layer of mystification to the plot. Very enjoyable for those looking for a little different twist on the idea of disguise and misdirection. Lemarchand also provides the reader with well-defined characters--from Pollard and his assistant Sergeant Toye to the local detectives to the inhabitants of Affacombe. There is a Miss Marple type--not a spinster, but still an observant widow who seems to be everywhere and to pop up with useful clues whenever Pollard needs a nugget of information. Mrs. Strode may not solve the crime herself, but she certainly provides much of the straw with which Pollard can construct bricks to build his case.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
annarella's review against another edition
4.0
A nice traditional mystery, it aged well and it's quite entertaining.
It was slower than the first one but enjoyable.
I loved the characters and the setting. The mystery was good.
I look forward to reading other instalment in this series.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Sapere Books and Netgalley for this ARC
It was slower than the first one but enjoyable.
I loved the characters and the setting. The mystery was good.
I look forward to reading other instalment in this series.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Sapere Books and Netgalley for this ARC
vesper1931's review against another edition
4.0
While working at the school in Affacombe Priory Sister Roach disappears and later a body is discovered. The local police investigate but are unable to discover the guilty party. Therefore they call in Scotland Yard to Affacombe village.
A slow paced mystery set and written in the 1960's where Pollard and Toye don't appear to half way through the book.
An enjoyable story that kept me interested with its plot and characters.
A slow paced mystery set and written in the 1960's where Pollard and Toye don't appear to half way through the book.
An enjoyable story that kept me interested with its plot and characters.
missjenniferlowe's review against another edition
3.0
The Affacombe Affair is the second in the Pollard and Toye series by Elizabeth Lemarchand. When the body of Sister Roach, nurse at the local boys boarding school, it doesn’t take long to discover that several people may have had very good reasons to want her out of the way. Mrs. Olivia Strode, local historian, just wants to work on her book in peace and bask in the joy of her son’s engagement. Somehow, though, she continues to find herself caught up in the mystery of Sister Roach’s death.
As much as I love a good country house murder, an English village murder is just as good. This is a pretty solid example of this genre of mystery. The characters are well established with the reader before the crime is committed and it takes longer still for the series’ detectives, Pollard and Toye, to arrive on the scene. I know for some readers that can give the book a feeling of moving slowly, but I love it.
I am so pleased that Sapere Books are republishing the Pollard and Toye series. I read the entire series years ago and enjoyed it greatly. The books have become increasingly difficult to find over the years, however. Readers who enjoy Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh will greatly enjoy this series. Although written a bit after the Golden Age of Detection, it captures the pacing and style of those wonderful mysteries.
As much as I love a good country house murder, an English village murder is just as good. This is a pretty solid example of this genre of mystery. The characters are well established with the reader before the crime is committed and it takes longer still for the series’ detectives, Pollard and Toye, to arrive on the scene. I know for some readers that can give the book a feeling of moving slowly, but I love it.
I am so pleased that Sapere Books are republishing the Pollard and Toye series. I read the entire series years ago and enjoyed it greatly. The books have become increasingly difficult to find over the years, however. Readers who enjoy Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh will greatly enjoy this series. Although written a bit after the Golden Age of Detection, it captures the pacing and style of those wonderful mysteries.
annarella's review
4.0
A nice traditional mystery, it aged well and it's quite entertaining.
It was slower than the first one but enjoyable.
I loved the characters and the setting. The mystery was good.
I look forward to reading other instalment in this series.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Sapere Books and Netgalley for this ARC
It was slower than the first one but enjoyable.
I loved the characters and the setting. The mystery was good.
I look forward to reading other instalment in this series.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Sapere Books and Netgalley for this ARC
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