In The Dead Ringer, the bell-ringers get ready for the visit of the dashing Bishop Peter Salver-Hinkley.
Meanwhile, Agatha convinces one of the bell-ringers, the charming lawyer Julian Brody, to hire her to investigate the mystery of the Bishop’s ex-fiancée: a local heiress, Jennifer Toynby, who went missing years ago.
Meanwhile, the bodies in the village just keep on piling up. The corpse of Larry Jensen, a local policeman, is discovered in the crypt. Someone kills Millicent Dupin, one of a pair of bell-ringing identical twins, near the church. And Terry Fletcher, a journalist and (briefly) Agatha’s lover, is found dead in her sitting room! Agatha widens her investigation and very soon her main suspect is the handsome Bishop himself. But could he really be behind this series of violent killings, or is it someone who wants to bring him—and his reputation—down?
Our Take:
This title is the 29th installment in the series. As the characters age and go through different phases of their adult life, it is only natural to see their behavior evolve. Agatha Raisin is no exception and in this novel we see a more outspoken and snarky version of her.
The author has done a great job of developing an intriguing plot. Having said that, at times the story feels a bit disjointed.
Overall, this is a fun title and will appeal to the fans of Sue Ann Jaffarian and Mary Daheim.
Our Rating: 3.0
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