Review of Beckham’s Inspector Skelgill series…
“The Inspector Skelgill Series.” Bruce Beckham, author. As I continue my binge-reading of British-style mysteries, I came to this sixteen-book series (and counting?). Daniel Skelgill prefers fishing and running around the Cumbrian Lake Region of merry olde England to sleuthing, but doesn’t hesitate to travel to London, Scotland, or even Ukraine, to nick criminals who have committed murder most fowl. I identify with him a lot—not because I’m a fit fellow like he is (I have a few years on him), but because I’m an old curmudgeon too! These mystery/crime stories (police procedurals is another name) are well written once you get past the local slang, although the description of the angler’s activities and the Cumbrian countryside can seem a bit overdone at times.
One rather amusing novel, Murder on the Lake, finds Skelgill fishing when a storm pops up and a young woman calls out to him from the shore of the island where he’s heading. A murder has occurred at a retreat for publishers, agents, and writers, established or wannabes. Because of the storm, Skelgill stays the night at the island resort (not your Caribbean resort, mind you—amenities have disappeared because of the storm). Another person dies under mysterious circumstances overnight—Skelgill’s sleuth-senses go into overdrive, especially because is rowboat has been set adrift that same night, trapping all participants and Skelgill on the island. The rest of the novel allows the reader to peek into and understand some of the strange publishing world while the intuitive inspector and his DS team solve the murder cases.
This isn’t the best British-style mystery series I’ve read, but it’s quite entertaining with enough twists and turns in the plots and many interesting characters, including the complex Skelgill and his two DSs who work with him. The many trips from Cumbria to London and Edinburgh, with their characteristic customs and idiomatic expressions, allow one to appreciate the complexity of the small island off the European continent that has had so much historical importance.
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Comments are always welcome.
Sleuthing, British Style. This is my fourth published short story collection (ignoring the ones you can download for free—see my “Free Stuff & Contests” web page). The three stories here involve newly minted DS Logan Blake, who leaves his DC position with Scotland Yard for his new DS position in a police substation west of Oxford, hoping the English countryside will provide a more peaceful policing experience. Unfortunately, he immediately must deal with three different murders. But there’s a romantic perk that makes this hard initiation much more bearable!
Besides the stories, this is an homage to the inimitable Dame Agatha, who started it all; an introduction to the particular vernacular of British-style mysteries (there’s a list of English words and phrases); and a list of series like the one above I’ve binge-read. This little ebook is available most everywhere fine ebooks are sold. (Note to authors: This was an experiment in using Draft2Digital for self-publishing. Like Smashwords, D2D distributes to multiple retailers, but fewer than Smashwords. Unlike Smashwords, distributes to Amazon. Authors now have two choices.)
Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!
