Today it's my turn on the BlogTour The Wrong Boy by Cathy Ace. There is a focus on the relationships between the female characters and not just on the murder, which is an effective alternative when it comes to #crimefiction.
About the Author
This is the 13th novel from Cathy Ace. Her criminal psychologist, overindulgent-foodie sleuth, Cait Morgan, has stumbled upon Corpses with a Silver Tongue, Golden Nose, Diamond Hand, Garnet Face, an Emerald Thumb, Platinum Hair and Ruby Lips during her globetrotting. Ace’s WISE Enquiries Agency series features four softly-boiled female PIs who solve quintessentially British cases from their stately home-based office in rural Wales, where Cathy was born and raised. Shortlisted for the Bony Blithe Award for Best Light Mystery by a Canadian three times in four years, winning in 2015, she was also shortlisted for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Short Story in 2017.
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Buy The Wrong Boy
About the book
Perched on a Welsh clifftop, the ancient, picturesque hamlet of Rhosddraig has its peaceful façade ripped apart when human remains are discovered under a pile of stones. The village pub, The Dragon's Head, run by three generations of women, becomes the focal point for those interested in the grisly find, and it’s where layers of deceit are peeled away to expose old secrets, and deep wounds. The police need to establish who died, how, and why, but DI Evan Glover knows he can’t be involved in the investigation, because he's just two days away from retirement. However, as the case develops in unexpected ways, it becomes irrevocably woven into his life, and the lives of local families, leading to disturbing revelations – and deadly consequences . . .
This story has multiple threads, all of which link together eventually. You have the complicated relationships of a multi-generational family, the retired police officer who won't let it go and the secrets hidden in plain sight.
The reader meets DI Evan Glover, a police officer at the end of his long career. He finds it difficult to let go of his daily routine and most importantly the mysteries behind the crimes. After being part of the initial investigation Glover just can't get rid of the gut instinct that his colleagues have got the wrong culprit, and he doesn't want to let it go, despite his wife being infuriated by his obsession with the truth and his old job.
What the author does really well is the realistic description of life in an isolated rural Welsh village and the majority of roles and personality types women embody. Just take Nan, Helen and Sadie for example, three generations of one family and each one of them represents a different era and way of life.
Nan is old school. She is also controlling and opinionated , which she believes also gives her the right to determine and plan the lives of others. Helen is more or less an unpaid skivvy, who is still trying to get over an abusive relationship and earn the respect her mother denies her. Sadie on the other hand, is trying to break free of both mother and grandmother to live her own life.The three of them run a pub, the core of the small village. There isn't anything these women don't find out or pass on, especially Nan.
I am not giving any indication of who did what to whom and/or why. Ace turns and points the reader in multiple directions, so they can pick up clues and slowly realise the implications of those clues. It's a slow burner, but one that allows for insights into each character, as the plot winds in and out of the murder storyline. The strength is in the dialogue and inner dialogues of the women, especially the women in the pub.
Buy The Wrong Boy at Amazon Uk (Paperback)or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.
Hardcover, Kindle
Publisher: Four Tails Publishing Ltd (January 9th 2019)
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