Author: Caroline
Graham
Published By: Adler & Adler Publishers
Date Published: January 1, 1988
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 264
Recommended Age: Adult
Reviewed By: Me
Rating: A/5
I borrowed this book from the library.
Summary:
Miss Emily Simpson is an 81 year old spinster whom everyone
likes in the small English village of Badger’s Drift, so why did someone kill
her? That is what Chief Inspector Tom
Barnaby intends to find out, and in the process he finds out everyone’s sordid
affairs.
My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book.
I have been watching the series Midsomer Murders, portraying Chief
Inspector Tom Barnaby and his bumbling immature and very handsome Sergeant Gavin Troy on
A&E for many years now, and one of my favorite episodes is The Killings at
Badger’s Drift. I knew the series were
based on the mystery novels by Caroline Graham and recently decided to read her
novels. They did a great job with the
television series. If they had not, I probably would never have decided to pick
up the books.
The Killings at Badger’s Drift is the first
novel in the Chief Inspector Barnaby Mysteries.
I am glad I decided to read Graham’s book series. Graham was able to embody that small-town
English village ambiance made popular by Agatha Christie while throwing in
modern touches; for example, more violence and sexual deviances.
Graham is very descriptive in her
details about the village and the people living in it. The way she described some of the village
people made this one reader laugh. I also love how Graham allows the reader to
know what Sergeant Gavin Troy is thinking, although he is
not the one solving the crimes, but is just assisting Chief Inspector
Tom Barnaby. Knowing what goes on in
Troy’s mind with his truly immature thoughts makes the reader laugh, while
Barnaby keeps the reader serious and focused on the task at hand.
There was one occasion when Troy
was checking out his reflection in the car’s mirror and fixing his hair. His
thoughts at that moment let the reader know that he knew he was cute, and the
way Graham described his reddish curls made this reader what to reach inside
the book and touch his curls just to see if they were really soft.
Graham, writing Chief Inspector
Barnaby and Sergeant Troy as complete opposites made the whole partnership
believable and interesting. Furthermore, allowing the reader to have the back
story on some of the village people and their secret resentments of each other
helped make the village people seem more real and three dimensional to the
reader. Therefore, I had no choice but to give The Killings at Badger’s Drift
five stars and a grade of an A. I believe it to be an excellent read. If you like mysteries, especially ones set in
English villages, I recommend The Killings at Badger’s Drift and the rest of
the Chief Inspector Barnaby Mysteries by Caroline Graham. Read them and you will be transported in
different scenic English villages, and you may even develop a soft spot for Sergeant Gavin Troy.
Parents:
Language: Some strong language
Adult Content: Sex scenes, Alcohol use, Adult Subject
Matter, Heavy topics
Violence: Murder
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