Cosy crime is a genre I dip my toe into occasionally. I've not read the biggest hitter in this area, Richard Osman, but I would hazard a guess that this very healthy market is being aimed at with this, UK author Susan Fletcher's ninth novel. This Whitbread First novel award-winning author who made a big impact with her debut "Eve Green" back in 2004 should, by right, have good commercial success with this, especially when it arrives in paperback.
The setting is Babbington Hall Residential Home and Assisted Living and main character 87 year old Florrie is negotiating life in her wheelchair access apartment as a recent arrival after having to have part of her leg amputated. She looks back to a life full of adventures and forward to more in her new home. Throughout her life she lived with a dark secret, which no-one now living knows about. Can she finally get to grips with this in what is likely to be her last place of residence?
Florrie is a sparky character with a strength and determination not apparent from her outer appearance and finds herself in the centre of things when a tragedy occurs at Babbington Hall. She, alongside retired teacher Stanhope Jones start sleuthing to investigate events. There's a good set of characters including a couple of gossipy sisters-in-law, a Polish Goth carer, Magda, and an unconventional vicar all with their part to play. I'm always a little resistant to being pulled into the fictional worlds in this type of crime novel but it did happen and the combination of potential crime at the Home alongside Florrie's reviewing of her life up to that point is well balanced and works effectively. Information is discovered at just the right pace to allow the characters, especially Florrie, who is very much the star of the piece to shine through. I'd imagine this is different in tone and style to the type of novels the author has published before but she should certainly win converts to her writing.
The Night In Question is published in hardback by Bantam, an imprint of Transworld/Penguin Books on 18th April. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance review copy.
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