Severn House
Featuring: James Harding; DCI David Vogel; Delia Day
316 pages ISBN: 1448309352 EAN: 9781448309351 Kindle: B0C3MJ74QN Hardcover / e-Book Add to Wish List
The British police procedural series featuring DCI David Vogel continues with the fifth book, THE DEADLIEST LEGACY. I found the title forgettable as nobody is discussing wills or legacies. I was here for the writers’ festival, and I suspect many readers will be too. That went well, if by well, you consider making world headlines to be good.
Delia Day, a successful romance author, walks us through her arrival at the book festival held in the West Country fishing village of Appledore, North Devon. The tourism attracted by the festival is a massive boost for trade, and fans arrive, including a couple of superfans of Delia’s. The organisers are lively but the other guests are an eclectic mix, including James Harding, a screenwriter, with an editor and a crime novelist. Delia would rather not see several of them, but she fakes being pleased to share a panel. When someone unexpectedly falls dead, the crime novelist, quite in character, declares that the unfortunate person might have been murdered. It’s obvious that a simple heart attack was to blame. But the Devon and Cornwall Police are called anyway, and so enters DCI David Vogel, a family man who would much rather be taking his wife and daughter to lunch. He agrees that it was most likely a heart attack, but when something else traumatic occurs, DCI Vogel declares there’s no such thing as coincidence.
A nice touch is that Vogel and his sidekick, DS Saslow are concerned about the disappearance of cats in the area. As a cat lover, I would be, too, and the unknown fate of Storey, Vogel’s daughter’s pet, hangs over much of the book. The village establishments are not large, so the festival events are being held in tents, but the first day is exceedingly wet, which again is another good local detail. I didn’t know whether to feel sorry for Delia Day or not, but I am sorry for Carolyne Smedley, the organiser. Her book festival is definitely put on the map, but not at all as she would have hoped.
This mystery doesn’t qualify as a cosy village crime story in my view. Having said that, nor is it an adults-only thriller, but THE DEADLIEST LEGACY does feature topics you might see on the main evening news. Hilary Bonner is a British author who spends much time in Somerset, so she knows the lie of the land. THE DEADLIEST LEGACY is a detailed and engaging look at villagers and writers who are probably much nicer in real life. I’ll be back for more.
DCI David Vogel investigates a sudden death at a local book festival in this gripping police procedural: Agatha Christie with an edge!
When Delia Day, the world's most successful living romantic novelist, accepts an invitation to be the headline author at a prestigious book festival, she expects a couple of days engaging with fans, attending panels and visiting the local sights.
She doesn't expect what happens next: sudden, shocking death, right there on the festival's main stage.
DCI David Vogel is called in to investigate, and it soon becomes clear that a lethal presence is lurking in the usually sleepy little village of Appledore. But surrounded by professional authors who spend their days spinning tales - and plotting impossible crimes - can he uncover the truth, or will the killer plant enough real-life red herrings to get away with murder?
The Deadliest Legacy is the fifth book featuring DCI David Vogel by renowned English crime novelist Hilary Bonner. Fans of thrilling police procedurals will love this pacey narrative filled with surprising twists and turns!
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