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A review by weaselweader
The Deepest Grave by Harry Bingham
3.0
“I wait four hundred and fifty-three days, then up pops a beauty”
DS Fiona Griffiths was fairly blasted from her languid disheartening ennui. This was not an ordinary murder. This was a decapitation and a ceremonial execution straight out of the dark ages using genuine weapons of antiquity. But Fiona Griffiths is no ordinary detective and her demonstrably out-of-the-box thinking lead her to the heart of a crime involving priceless antiquities, internet fraud, multiple murders, and the potential solutions to puzzles surrounding King Arthur that historians had sought for centuries. The trouble is, her superiors don’t seem to be willing to buy into her logic and her solution.
No doubt about it. Fiona Griffiths is a serious copper with a serious attitude and a serious dislike of administration, orders and the rule book. But here’s the problem … THE DEEPEST GRAVE is #6 in the series which, to read the other reviews, is wildly successful and wildly popular. So I’ll award a provisional rating of three stars to a workmanlike mystery and police procedural that had moments ranging from exciting and compelling to laugh out loud humour. The side bar essays on British Dark Ages history, weaponry and academia were informative and really quite fascinating. But it’s clear that I’ve got to go back and start at the beginning to become more familiar with the ins and outs, and the whys and wherefores of the development of Griffith’s rather offbeat character.
I’m looking forward to the journey. The debut novel in the series is TALKING TO THE DEAD. (Note to self: Keep in mind the idea that Fiona Griffith’s rather quirky outlook and reactions might be due to her being on the autism spectrum)
Paul Weiss
DS Fiona Griffiths was fairly blasted from her languid disheartening ennui. This was not an ordinary murder. This was a decapitation and a ceremonial execution straight out of the dark ages using genuine weapons of antiquity. But Fiona Griffiths is no ordinary detective and her demonstrably out-of-the-box thinking lead her to the heart of a crime involving priceless antiquities, internet fraud, multiple murders, and the potential solutions to puzzles surrounding King Arthur that historians had sought for centuries. The trouble is, her superiors don’t seem to be willing to buy into her logic and her solution.
No doubt about it. Fiona Griffiths is a serious copper with a serious attitude and a serious dislike of administration, orders and the rule book. But here’s the problem … THE DEEPEST GRAVE is #6 in the series which, to read the other reviews, is wildly successful and wildly popular. So I’ll award a provisional rating of three stars to a workmanlike mystery and police procedural that had moments ranging from exciting and compelling to laugh out loud humour. The side bar essays on British Dark Ages history, weaponry and academia were informative and really quite fascinating. But it’s clear that I’ve got to go back and start at the beginning to become more familiar with the ins and outs, and the whys and wherefores of the development of Griffith’s rather offbeat character.
I’m looking forward to the journey. The debut novel in the series is TALKING TO THE DEAD. (Note to self: Keep in mind the idea that Fiona Griffith’s rather quirky outlook and reactions might be due to her being on the autism spectrum)
Paul Weiss