Death on the Downs

By: Simon Brett

Narrated by: Geoffrey Howard

Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

It isn't the rain that upsets Carole Seddon during her walk on the West Sussex Downs. It isn't the dilapidated barn in which she is forced to seek shelter. No, what upsets her is the human skeleton she discovers there, neatly packed into two blue fertilizer bags.

So begins the second investigation for strait-laced Carole and her more laid-back neighbor Jude. This time their inquiries take them away from their seaside village of Fethering to the small downland hamlet of Weldisham.

There gossips quickly identify the corpse as Tamsin Lutteridge, a young woman who disappeared from the village months before. Detective Sergeant Baylis will confirm nothing. So why is Tamsin's mother, a friend of Jude's, so certain her daughter is still alive? Why is village elder statesman Graham Forbes suddenly taking an interest in Carole? And why is the decidedly unstable Brian Helling so keen to announce that there is a serial killer on the loose?

As Jude sets out to find Tamsin, either dead or alive, Carole digs deeper into Weldisham's history and the bitter relationships simmering beneath the village's gentle facade.

©2001 Simon Brett (P)2002 Blackstone Audiobooks

Love his series.

This is a interesting cozy mystery. Well written and good performance. I've read the first book as well and am starting the third as soon as I press submit on this review.

So glad I found this series!

These are a cross between “actual” mysteries, and “cozy mysteries. No gratuitous blood and gore and descriptions of violence, but not sugary sweet and silly. Story is solid mystery. Narration is good. Really enjoying the series. On to book three!

Mind Boggling

The story was excellent the plot twist and turns
kept me up i had to finish couldnt go to sleep untill i finished the narrator was excellent i reccomend this book to any mystery buff

Gentle mystery well told.

I like this series because the main characters are so loveable, in spite of their peculiarities. The mystery is well thought out and plausible. Surprise endings but not unbelievable. Fun read.

Predictable.

Formula story with weak characters. Okay for an airplane read. Writing not bad but could be a television script.

I really like this series

I am really enjoying this series. I was looking for something similar to the Cherringham series which I greatly enjoy. Bunburry didn’t do it for me, but this one is very good.

Quirky characters and British satire!

This second Feathering mystery finds "proper" Carole, caught in a downpour while walking on the downs. Taking shelter in a dilapidated and deserted old barn, Carole was shocked to find two fertilizer bags of old human bones. Thus, Carole, and her new-age friend, Judy, begin their second quest for discovering who was murdered in Feathering, and which one of their friends or new acquaintances are responsible for the death.

Brett has once again populated his book with many unique and quirky characters. Family resemblances, and traditions play a large part in this book, as do various types of games. Of course, Carole's game of choice is the cross word puzzle, but another local family is heavily involved in role playing games.

I enjoy Brett's books for their satirical outlook on British county life, and the characters that he develops wonderfully. Added attraction is trying figure out WHO was murdered , as well who did the murdering and why they felt the need to do so.

Bags of Bones in the Barn 😮

The second in the Fethering Village Mysteries is a good one 😊 with cool, calm, collected Carole Seddon seeking shelter from a rain storm in an old run down barn . . . only to find a bunch of bones in some fertilizer bags 😮. Thus begins the next investigation for our sensible Carole and her friend and neighbor, the quirky, unconventional Jude. 😂 These two bring out the best in one another, and occasionally rub off on each other. The town tongues begin to wag and they believe that the bones belong to Tamsin Lutteridge, a young woman who had disappeared months earlier. However, Tamsin's mother, a friend of Jude's, believes she is still alive. As the two women begin their investigation, they soon find that there are more "skeletons in the closet", so to speak. There are lots of secrets and scandals to be unearthed in the little town of Weldisham, where their inquires lead them. This is a great installment into the series, with plenty of wit and stories about the folks that Carole and Jude encounter. Excellent conclusion. I look forward to the next in the series.

lovely mystery

Nice mystery. Had me fooled until close to the end. Great way to spend a few hours.

Potential

I’m not sure why I bought this because I had the same complaint about the first book - and that’s the narrator. He puts no expression into what he reads, it’s almost a monotone. In the end, I couldn’t finish the book because the narration was just so annoying. The actual stories seem to have promise so I may try reading them rather than listening to them.