my favorite so far of Lorac's - she is a true pleasure to read
Macdonald makes it better ( )

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss. ( )

Oh boy. Talk about a mixed bag of a book…
A rather taciturn young man leases a farm property after he’s invalided out of active duty in World War II. His devotion and skill in developing the farm and house to their r proper glory soon make him popular in the rather isolated rural community.
And then he’s dead. Really, it’s that sudden and disconcerting, but it somehow fits into the storyline well. How the investigation into his death proceeds forms the core of this mystery.
The good parts: Inspector MacDonald is smart, courteous, and very engaging. Several of the other characters are well-developed and believable. The plot, although intricate, is a good one. Lorac’s deep understanding and obvious love of the Devon countryside maker this, for me, an absorbing yet relaxing read.
The less-good: Some of the language is needlessly outdated, even for the 1940’s. The use of “jolly”, “old chap” and that sort of thing is a bit grating and threw this reader somewhat out of the story. The plot solution is not available to the reader (surprise information at the end), although there are a couple of indirect clues toward the murderer.
So. This wouldn’t be in the premier category of Golden Age mysteries, it’s a pretty good book. Recommended to dedicated mystery lovers interested in the time period, or in the English countryside. Not for the casual reader looking for a really great mystery. ( )

Nicholas Vaughan on being injured takes refuge in Devon by leasing a property called Little Thatch. But in this quite corner of Devon death comes along bringing with it Detective Inspector MacDonald of Scotland Yard.
An enjoyable police procedural story with enough interesting characters to keep the story flowing
A NetGalley Book ( )

There is a really quite noticable sense of place in in Lorac's books, this is set in a WW2 Devon and it has a feeling of the open spaces and undulations of Devon about it. It's set on an estate and concerns the letting of a small holding, Little Thatch. This opens with the letting of Little Thatch to Nicholas Vaughan and sets up the main persons in the vicinity before jumping ahread 4 months the after Little Thatch has been burnt to a cinder and a verdit of accidental death brought in by the coroner. That doesn;t satisfy Commander Wilton, Vaughan's last naval captain, and he tells MacDonald in no uncertain terms. And so we find MacDonald in Devon, poking around for facts in the ash of Little Thatch. He gets a bee in his bonnet about a couple of things that don't fit the picture and seeks a motive. There is one, but it's hidden pretty deeply.
It's inventive enough, although the resolution turns out to be tricksy enough that it needs a fair bit of explaining, with petrol rations and fire and refuelling going on. This is one to read for the setting rather than the solution. ( )