- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books (Jun 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0312261446
- ISBN-13: 978-0312261443
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 14.5 x 2.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 988,191 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
A Dirty Death
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
'The best first crime novel I have read for a long time' Harriet Waugh, THE SPECTATOR
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Product Description
When the unpopular Guy Beardon meets a very dirty death in his own farmyard, no one, even the vicar who officiates at his funeral, is prepared to mourn him - except his daughter, Lilah. She and her young policeman boyfriend suspect foul play but no one is eager to help the investigation.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I only found out about this book because I "met" the author in the UK Forum during a discussion about books. Rebecca told us that she had written a crime novel called "A Dirty Death", so I immediately ordered it from Amazon.
This book is quite reminiscent of Agatha Christie, and I can honestly say that it was difficult to put down. It is set on a dairy farm in Devon and opens with the 22 year old central character, Lilah, finding her father face down in a slurry pit. The original idea that this was an accident is put aside when it turns out to be the first of several murders centred around the farm. There is a strong cast of suspicious characters in the village, including a sinister vicar, a badly treated farm hand and the best friend of Lilah's mother. I suspected nearly everyone at some time during the course of the book, but the ending still came as a surprise.
Rebecca grew up on a farm, and this comes across in her authoritative descriptions of the daily routines which form a backdrop to the story. The characters are well drawn and believable for the most part, with the possible exceptions of the 'townie' couple who are freelance software consultants (the husband spends most of the book in obscurity, before undergoing a strange role reversal towards the end). There is the faint hint of romance between Lilah and the local policeman, and plenty of dramatic moments ("the appalling shock of a gun being fired just outside her window sent her heart thudding with a violence that paralysed her").
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading her latest (just published) called "Dark Undertakings".
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
As the book cover says, "A Dirty Death" is a cunning country crime novel. From the opening sentence ("It had already been a spring laden with mortality"), the reader is drawn into a country pastoral with a less-than-charming underside. The characters in this book are well drawn and believable, and the reader is as interested in them as in "who dunnit." When the mystery is solved, it makes sense, but it's still surprising. A satisfying pageturner that makes me hope Ms. Tope's next book is well on its way!
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I thoroughly enjoyed this pacy, well-written crime novel, which grabbed and held my attention from the start. The farming background has an authentic feel, and I am not surprised to learn that the author has first-hand knowledge. Among the well-rounded characters there are plenty of suspects to keep the reader intrigued, and I was guessing and speculating right through. I agree with the reader who likened Rebecca Tope's style to that of Agatha Christie, but in an up-to-the-minute mode. It is refreshing for the reader not to be up to his knees in 'police procedure'. There are not enough of these 'clean-cut' murder mysteries out there at the moment, and I, for one, wait impatiently for Rebecca Tope's next book.
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