Not an easy task, I might add, with so many suspects whose motives are slowly unraveled throughout the story. When a dastardly man turns up dead in Agios Mamas, followed by the suicide of another man, a budding writer turns super sleuth and tries to solve the mystery. The cast of characters is truly unique, each providing a piece to the puzzle. Set in small Cypriot village, the author paints an intensely vivid picture with incredible authenticity. overall, there is a lot to commend in this manuscript.ĥ stars Murder Mystery Done Right!, JBy Lia Fairchild (Author of In Search of Lucy) (Murrieta) - Amazon Verified Purchase This review is from: The Assassins' Village (Paperback) I love a good old fashion murder mystery and had a great time trying to figure out whodunit in Faith Mortimer's Assassin's Village.

There are many motifs centred on the play Macbeth – the suggestions of occult activities, the play being put on by the villagers, the quotes prefacing each chapter, the relationship between Antigone and Mr Leslie, and Mr Leslie’s endearing side in general, the political history, and the parallels of Diana’s writing to the unfolding of the broader plot are all strong – these are all interesting themes…

It is, clear that you are capable of presenting the clues very well, and I particularly liked the way you used Diana’s sketching to map out the facts and unlock the possibilities.įrom here I would consider the relevance of everything in the plot. …I should say that, I really like the way you subverted normal linear chronology to lay out the events. It illustrates all of the strengths of the writing, the prose is obviously impeccably researched, and brings in a political element that raises the calibre of the story the setting is evocative and the characterisation is strong and feels fresh… Indeed, the sequence of chapter seven, where Antigone watches her brother hunting, is by far the strongest in the novel so far. Particularly endearing is the relationship between Antigone and Mr Leslie. We are already interested in the character, knowing from the prologue that he is to be our victim, and the author cleverly throws our judgment of him with every new perspective. I was particularly engaged by the different perceptions of Mr Leslie. The prose is easy to follow, and dramatic in duly regular intervals.

The prose is brought up-to-date with the fairly explicit themes of sexual liberation and exploitation.Īs a thrilling read, ‘The Assassin’s Village’ certainly fits the bill. It is a novel written very much in the style of Agatha Christie: a classic who-done-it, in a small, gossiping, rural village. It centres on the brutal murder of Mr Leslie, an expatriate whose Lothario ways, military past and cavalier demeanour have earned him no shortage of enemies among the villagers. ‘The Assassin’s Village’ is a traditional murder mystery, set in Cyprus.

In search of lucy by lia fairchild