The Wounded Snake

April 15, 2019
Sampson’s stately sequel to 2015’s The Wounded Thorn featuring retired school teacher (and know-it-all) Hilary Masters and her widowed friend, Veronica Taylor, starts off slowly as a colorful cast composed mainly of wannabe mystery writers gathers for a workshop weekend at 14th-century Morland Abbey near the Devon town of Totnes. The event is organized by Gavin Standforth, whose fame rests on his one bestselling novel. The real draw for the weekend is the 92-year-old queen of crime, Dinah Halsgrove, who each year turns out a mega-hit. While the other participants are enjoying a boat trip down the River Dart, Dinah remains behind in her room at the abbey. She’s later discovered unconscious and rushed to the hospital. Was it a heart attack or something more sinister? The fervent minds of the fledgling crime writers start spinning likely scenarios. Then Hilary discovers a body of someone who was clearly murdered, and the speculation takes a serious turn. Those who value chills and thrills will have to look elsewhere, but readers interested in the history of Devon will find plenty to like.

April 1, 2019
A master class in crime writing unintentionally offers a real murder to solve. Gavin Standforth is using his reputation, based on one highly successful mystery novel, The Long Crippler, to run a weekendlong class at historic Morland Abbey in Devon, England, now a posh hotel. Hilary Masters, a retired teacher with a love for history, and her recently widowed friend, Veronica Taylor, have signed up. As an added attraction, there is an opening session with 92-year-old Dinah Halsgrove, the reigning queen of crime writing. A mixed bag of attendees enjoys Halsgrove's lecture and the next day's boat trip on the River Dart, which Halsgrove does not attend for the very good reason that she has been found collapsed. That night, Hilary is disturbed by someone attempting to enter her room; it turns out to be Gavin's helper, Melissa, who he claims was sleepwalking. Gavin has divided the wannabe authors into three groups--the Toads, the Snakes, and the Slowworms--and he offers a prize to the person who can explain the derivation. He challenges the group to start off their stories with a strong sense of place, and, to that end, they scatter, looking for inspiration. Hilary visits nearby Totnes and follows the mysterious Leechwell Street to three basins served by three springs that a passer-by tells her have healing powers and are called the Toad, the Snake, and the Long Crippler--which is another name for a slowworm. Some students think Halsgrove's illness is part of a stunt to make the class more interesting, but that idea is quashed when the police arrive asking questions. Hilary and Veronica walk to Totnes to see the well only to find Melissa, who it turns out is Gavin's wife, lying in the Long Crippler. Hilary's CPR attempts fail, and this time the police have no doubts it was murder but are not interested in Hilary and Veronica's theories. Hilary is quite determined to solve the case, but how can she know what might motivate anyone in the disparate group of mystery mavens to kill? The second (The Wounded Thorn, 2015) in a new series could benefit from some pruning but offers plenty of suspects and does not make it easy to winkle out the killer.

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May 1, 2019
British writer Sampson (Beneath the Soil, 2014) introduces a new series featuring retired friends Hilary Masters and Veronica Taylor. The two have decided to try their hand at writing crime novels, so they enroll in a workshop at Morland Abbey, a fourteenth-century estate. Dinah Halsgrove, the 92-year-old queen of crime fiction, is the keynote speaker. She keels over while giving her speech, leading the attendees to wonder whether it is all part of the program. When she remains in the hospital, everyone becomes suspicious. After a body turns up, more sinister events ensue, prompting Hilary and Veronica to investigate, despite police orders not to interfere. Sampson pays homage to Agatha Christie with this entertaining story. The plot twists will keep readers guessing as they turn the pages.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)