MURDER ON TYNESIDE - Book review

 

Murder on Tyneside is the first in the Agnes Lockwood mystery series by Eileen Thornton; published in 2016. The fourth has recently been released.

Agnes Lockwood, 55, recently widowed from husband Jim almost a year ago, decided to visit the north east and the place of her birth. Her adult life had been hectic and well-travelled and this was the first opportunity she had to visit. While staying at a modern new hotel on the Tyne Quayside, she overheard a couple arguing about some missing jewellery. She thinks nothing of it – until the theft is reported.

A detective chief inspector arrives to head the investigation: Alan Johnson. It transpires that he recognises her from their shared childhood, when she’d gone under the surname Harrison. This instant rapport grows as the investigation ensues; there is another jewellery theft at the hotel. And then, on returning from an evening meal at a nearby restaurant, Agnes and Alan encounter a dead body in the gutter!

The enquiries have transformed into a murder investigation now. And as Agnes was a witness to the body’s discovery, she inveigles her way into the case, despite Alan’s misgivings. ‘But since meeting Agnes, his mind hadn’t been focused on the job. He was enjoying their friendship – perhaps he was enjoying it a little more than he should.’ (p71). Alan’s sergeant , Andrews, is against Agnes’s involvement, and yet he grudgingly admits that her contributions regarding theories about the case are valid, and indeed valued.

As with the majority of amateur sleuth stories, getting the amateur seriously involved in the investigation is quite unrealistic. Yet for decades it has been a common feature of books, TV and movies; so, suspend disbelief and enjoy the tale. Agnes has a habit of not letting Alan get a word in; she argues, ‘I know you aren’t supposed to discuss a crime, case, investigation or whatever it is you want to call it with a member of the public. But I’m not any old member of the public. I was there with you when the body was found!’ (p59).

The problem is that the more that Agnes interferes, the more danger she appears to be in…

Agnes is a fine creation: plucky, crafty, stubborn, inquisitive and meddling while being endearing. I suspect that Alan and Agnes will become an unofficial team for subsequent outings. An interesting cosy mystery with more than a few potential suspects.

Agnes Lockwood has already accrued a devoted readership in the hundreds. The other three books in the series so far are: Death on Tyneside, Vengeance on Tyneside, and A Mystery on Tyneside.

Editorial comment:

Writers are told not to use character names beginning with the same letter; it might confuse the reader. It rarely does, though it depends on the names chosen. Here, we have Agnes, Alan, Alice, Andrews, April, Anderson and Achmed.  One way round this is to build a character list; I always do this – but even I slip up some of the time. In The Magnificent Mendozas I had three characters with names beginning with ‘J’ – granted, they were all Mexican, but that’s no excuse…