Naked to the Hangman by
Andrew Taylor
hbk out October 06
Published by Hodder
at £16.99
Andrew Taylor is remarkably prolific – it doesn't seem five minutes since his last
stand-alone novel appeared – but what is even more remarkable is that his
productivity does not have the least adverse effect on the quality of his writing. On the
contrary, this latest entry in the excellent Lydmouth series is arguably even stronger
than its predecessor, the admirable 'Call for the Dying'. In this book, Richard
Thornhill comes under pressure as never before when a tragedy from his brief service
as a police officer in Palestine comes back to haunt him. The mystery element of the
story is handled with Taylor's usual skill, and there are a couple of neat twists, but
what I found striking was the way this talented writer made me care a great deal about
such questions as who would accompany whom at the local charity dance. He draws
us completely into the remote world of 1950s rural England and makes what happens
there matter very much. A considerable achievement.
(
Martin Edwards
- author of the highly acclaimed Harry Devlin Mysteries)
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Naked to the Hangman by
Andrew Taylor
