Death Awaits in Durham - Helen Cox

 It’s the cosy crime Queen of Yorkshire’s fourth Kitt Hartley novel. But on this occasion it’s a less than cosy Durham that provides the setting for this dark and complex tale of a student who mysteriously disappeared a year ago.

Fans of the series will welcome another chance to engage with the indomitable Kitt, keen to see if her relationship is still progressing, and happy to reacquaint themselves with Evie and Grace. Evie has much less presence in this tale but the wonderful Grace is in the forefront. Grace was always one of my favourite characters so I was thrilled to find her playing such a prominent role this time. And it’s all I can do not to divulge the conclusion, suffice to say it’s made me very happy for the future of the series.

It’s no spoiler as the blurb confirms that in addition to her role as librarian in York Kitt is now a bona fide Private Investigator! The great thing about recurring characters is that you can launch straight into the story with a depth of previous knowledge that renders the characters, friends almost (or do I need to get out more?! But, hey, I’ m reading this in lockdown!).

‘When librarian and budding private investigator Kitt Hartley visits her ex-assistant Grace Edwards in Durham, she soon learns of an unsolved murder.

A year ago Jodie Perkins, a Mechanics student, disappeared after her student-radio broadcast was cut short with a deafening scream. The police suspect Jodie was murdered although her body was never found.

Keen to be on the front line of one of Kitt's investigations, Grace convinces Kit to use her recent private investigator training to solve the mystery. Can Kitt and Grace uncover the truth?”

As you might expect the plot is complex and the denouement gradual with the dramas unfolding one by one until they reach a crescendo towards the end. There’s some tension, some light hearted moments, but this is less cosy, a tad darker, perhaps, than the previous books but progression is essential to keep an audience on their toes. It’s an art in so called cosy crime to strike the right balance.

This whole series has developed into entertaining reads, not over demanding of the reader but complex enough to send you floundering down several blind alleys and finding yourself wryly chuckling at yourself when the identity of the perpetrator is finally divulged. Sometimes more ‘whodidn’tdoit’ than ‘whodunnit’!

And guess what? Book 5 is on its way, this April! Yay!

My thanks to Ella Patel at Quercus books for a gifted copy of the book and a chance to participate in the social media blast.