Gil North
1960
4/5 stars
In the Yorkshire village of Gunnarshaw, recently married, middle-aged Amy Snowden is found dead by apparent suicide. Despite the coroner's ruling, Sergeant Cluff, knowing Amy slightly, is not convinced and feels that the husband is somehow to blame. Following his instinct, Cluff takes a holiday from work and uses his own time to further investigate Amy's husband.
Cluff, quiet, determined, and somewhat gruff, is a likable character. North's prose is terse, with not an unnecessary adjective anywhere, and somewhat abrupt. This doesn't detract from the novel, however, as the style fits both Cluff and the countryside. The focus of this short novel isn't on the mystery, but rather on Cluff himself--the way he thinks, acts, deducts. This was the first in a series, I will certainly read more of Cluff's stories.
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