Elspeth May, a young female journalist who never seems to be in the right place at the right time, suddenly gets her big break only to find that no one will ever believe her story.
When a local woman is found murdered in her own home, slashed viciously across the throat, the police begin a manhunt of the surrounding villages, unsure exactly of who or what they are looking for. Elspeth, accidentally first on the scene, finds her interest piqued, and sets out to investigate the details surrounding the crime. In doing so she finds herself constantly battling against Peter Shaw, a police sergeant working on the case and under suspicion due to a terrible incident that occurred on a previous investigation. More murders follow, each of them adopting a similar pattern. What links the victims? And why are some of the local people trying to cover things up?"
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[She sensed movement, and risked a glance over her shoulder]***
(Titan Books, 12 September 2017, copy provided by the publisher and voluntarily reviewed)
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I really enjoyed Wychwood.
I loved the premise of the novel, a murderer using the myths of the Carrion King as inspiration for how he targets and disposes of his victims. There are some chilling and unsettling moments here, especially towards the end when one victim is murdered during a local play inspired by the legend.
I love mysteries so the mystery elements of the novel were really enjoyable. Who is the killer? Why are the victims laid out like the Carrion King myth? What does this have to do with the play inspired by the old myths? The woods play an important part in the story and they are the perfect setting, creepy and unsettling.
The only thing that spoils the book is the unrealistic relationship between Elspeth and Peter. I found it highly unlikely a cop would give a journalist such free access to the murder scene, interviews and even the eventual arrest. The impression given is this is because they're old friends who eventually form a romantic attachment. I still didn't quite buy this though and it felt like a contrived situation to shoe-horn in some romance.
Unrealistic love story aside though, this is very enjoyable, an easy read and worth a look.
