Crime fiction, especially cosy mysteries, aren’t my thing, but I read this one because it was written by Richard Osman. Whatever he’s on, he comes across as a genuinely caring, intelligent and funny chap, and these attributes made it onto the pages too – the writing is flowing, witty and often contains charming turns of phrases. The diary entries are a good example of that.
The characters were all sensitively handled, few stereotypes, and the plot clever (sometimes a bit too much). Some scenes didn’t quite work, such as Elizabeth interviewing the priest, but given this is his first book, that can all be forgiven. This is clearly setup to be a series, I’m not sure the characters and the location have the legs for it, but I’m sure fans of Mrs Marple would disagree.
A charming book, well written, and an excellent debut. A solid 4* holiday read.