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and life along the winding road

Friday, November 17, 2017

The Case of the Hidden Flame by Alison Golden

Alison Golden is a prolific writer and very generous with the number of novellas she offers free - The Case of the Hidden Flame was free for Kindle (you can receive more free novellas by e-mail after signing up on her web page).
I liked this story which has been compared to Hercule Poirot in many reviews and it takes place on the island of Jersey (off the coast of France) which is a lovely setting. Maybe I missed something but I'm not sure why is was called the Case of the Hidden Flame.

Detective Inspector David Graham has just arrived on the island of Jersey, taking over a rag tag team of questionable commitment and skill at the Gorey Constabulary, a team that he is supposed to lead and develop into a cohesive investigative unit.

Within minutes, his first challenge presents itself when ex-soldier, Colonel Graves, finds a dead body on the beach. As the military man kneels down, he discovers it is his soon-to-be fiancĂ© half buried in the sand… 

In a small resort like Gorey, this event is monumental, and almost unheard of. The rumors swirl yet it is the new Detective Inspector’s job, with a bag still packed and travel dust on his shoes, to ferret out the clues and solve the case…while bringing his team along to assist. 


Note: The plot wasn't original, as noted on one of the reviews, and was used in a Death in Paradise episode - a great Caribbean series for cozy mystery lovers.