The Reaper by
Peter Lovesey
hbk out May 00
Published by Little,Brown
at £16.99
In the quiet Wiltshire village of Foxford a murderer is at work. The body
of the bishop is discovered and at first he appears to have killed himself;
he is found at the bottom of a quarry and in his car are a suicide note, a
copy of Men Only and a Bible with a passage underlined about living with
harlots. The bishop's last phone call was to a Madame Swish.
Otis Joy, the charming young Foxford rector, was the last person to see the
bishop alive. It was not a happy meeting, the bishop accused Otis Joy of
embezzling funds in his previous parish. The prospect of losing his
position and livelihood leads Joy to swift and deadly action, carefully
carried out to avoid detection. The rector enjoys immense popularity in the
parish, particularly among the women some of whom set out to court him.
However not everyone has faith in the young man. When further deaths occur
whispers and rumours begin to circulate and Otis Joy is drawn ever closer to
exposure and ruin.
Peter Lovesey gives us a traditional English village mystery with a dark
centre. The Reaper is a well-written and enjoyable story with skilful
twists and turns and ironies along the way. We know from the outset
whodunit, the interest lies in seeing whether he will get away with it or
whether a combination of suspicion, coincidence and sheer chance will lead
to his downfall. A joy to read.
Manchester Evening News 26/5/00
(
Cath Staincliffe
- Author of the highly acclaimed Sal Kilkenny Mysteries set on the Mean Streets of Manchester)
The Reaper by
Peter Lovesey