The Torso in the Town

"God made the country; man made the town; and the Devil made the little country town" -- old proverb.

This sums up the little country town of Fedborough, on the River Fether, with its prevailing snobbish attitudes to class and social status, and penchant for gossip that is both malicious and otherwise.

The latest Fethering Mystery by Simon Brett opens with a dinner party at Pelling House, one of the larger residences, given by Grant and Kim Roxby, newcomers to the Fedborough scene.

With the hope of many return visits they have invited the mainstays of the community -- the doctor, local architect and thin wives, the vicar, and also Jude, an old friend who lives in the neighbouring village of Fethering.

Unfortunately, pleasantries are interrupted when Harry, the Roxby's 15-year-old son, discovers part of a body in the cellar.

Jude soon co-opts Carole Seddon into playing amateur sleuth and trying to discover both the identity of the body and the murderer.

These two middle aged single women are old hands at detection, and quickly set about questioning various leading lights, such as the town guide, Jimmy Lister, interior designer and a previous occupant of Pelling House, Debbie Carlton, and Robert Hargreaves, an alcoholic businessman who was also a previous owner of the house.

Readers who remember with affection the sitcom After Henry, or have the other Fethering Mysteries, will appreciate Simon Brett's understanding of the female character, his superb storytelling and his humour.

I enjoyed the book, which is published by Macmillan at £16.99. It is a good easy read, which was not without a twist in its tail.

Beryl Simister