Sound Mind Dead Body is something of a departure for Dave Warner, the author of novels such as After the Flood. This is a cosy, historical crime novel rather than the modern police procedurals Warner has produced recently. However, like them, this is fast-moving and absorbing.
In 1929, in England, Julia Pedhurst gathered together the beneficiaries of her husband’s will. Before they can claim their inheritances, Julia must confirm that each is worthy of it. Not surprisingly, this creates a lot of tension; Julia is judgmental and unkind, and many of the beneficiaries need their promised inheritances quite badly.
Before the will can be read and ratified, a sudden death disrupts the gathering. Fred Willets, an Australian pilot turned police officer and guest and potential beneficiary, takes on the responsibility of determining whether or not that death was natural. His task is made more urgent as more nasty surprises erupt.
In some ways, this is a subtle novel; there are nods to events that many readers will know are in the offing (like the stock market crash and the Great Depression). These are woven in as a wink to the reader, implying things about the future of some characters.
On the surface, though, this is a straightforward whodunnit. It’s not a long novel, and so the pace is fast and unrelenting. Willet is limited by the technology of the time, and his intelligence and personal experience are his main weapons. He’s an engaging character, and most readers will quickly empathise with his frustration at being unable to explain the crimes he’s sure are there.
This is very much a crime story in the classic style, and I enjoyed it a great deal. It’s well written and cleverly plotted. Warner respects the tropes of the genre without falling into the trap of writing something too predictable.
I found this entertaining and absorbing. It’s a neat puzzle with strong characters and a good sense of time and place. Readers who prefer cosy crime should enjoy this, and other crime readers may well find themselves seduced as well.
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading Sound Mind Dead Body by Dave Warner. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
I’ve loved books for as long as I can remember, and I love sharing that joy.
I’ve been an avid reader for as long as I can remember, across all genres. There’s not much I won’t at least try. I’ve been an enthusiastic book reviewer for years. I particularly enjoy discovering writers new to me, and sharing good writing with others.
My career has included time spent writing and editing technical documents, but it’s fiction that really moves me. I’ve reviewed for a number of different outlets over the years, and have been a judge in literary competitions.
I’m now raising little bookworms of my own, which brings a whole new kind of joy to sharing books.
More of my reviews can be found on my review blog www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog .