Gwen
Moffat has been writing the Melinda Pink series for more years than
it is polite to ask. The bookjacket indicates that Gwen has written
twenty-six novels, so I guess Retribution will mean there have been
around 20 outings for Miss Pink - whether in the English Lake
Districts, the American canyons, or other high spots. I am by no
means a regular reader of her's but I do dip in from time to time,
and am never the worst for the experience. But with the passage of
time I do grow more and more fearful for Miss Pink's safety as she
trudges the hills, and pokes her nose into situations where old gals
should better fear to tread.
In Retribution,
Miss Pink finds an alter-ego in the form of Phoebe Metcalf, a
diminutive walker, despite rising eighty, and suffering from
cataracts and incipient arthritis. But Miss Metcalf disappears while
out of the fells seeking out wild orchids, just before Miss Pink can
make her acquaintance. And that means, of course, that Melinda Pink
is soon engaged in the search for the walker when neighbours report
her missing. By the time Miss Metcalf's body is found, Melinda Pink
has found several candidates in the village of Borascal who might be
less than sorry to see the back of the old girl. They range from the
local farmer, who has been roundly condemned by Miss Metcalf for his
various efforts to pollute the environment, through to the young
village swain working his way through the female villagers,
including, Miss Metcalf believes, some who are underage. And the
females in the population don't escape her attention, some of them
are no better than they ought to be. Especially Isa, the young,
beautiful and bored wife of Walter Lambert, a somewhat lackluster
local government officer who dotes on her to the extent of buying
her a little red sports car, even though she can't drive. Miss
Metcalf gives young Isa, a piece of her tongue. But Isa is soon
crossed off the list of those suspected of Miss Metcalf's murder.
For she too is found dead in her sports car in the river, having
crashed through a stone wall. It's no mere accident, despite the
evidence that she's downed more than the legal limit of whiskey,
because she's also been strangled.
So within days
of arriving in the sleepy village, Miss Pink has not just one, but
two murders to investigate. And, yes, you've guessed, there are
several candidates for Isa's murderer. Her tame, besotted husband is
the prime suspect, having discovered his wife's affairs, and
possible decided to put a permanent stop to her philandering.
There's Martin Blamire, the leader of the local Mountain Rescue team
who's been having an affair with Isa, and might have killed her to
prevent her shopping him to his wife. Enter Jean, who could also
have killed Isa, having found out about her husband's affair.
It doesn't
take Melinda Pink long to unearth all these various goings on, but
finding the killer or killers is no easy matter. It all makes for an
enjoyable trip to the Lake District, and for once it doesn't rain
all the time. Gwen Moffat is in her element describing the bleak and
beautiful surroundings, and the insular and taciturn natives. It's
not a lot unlike the rich vein that Stephen Booth has untapped in
his Peak District series, Those of you who like your surrounded by
what passes for the English highlands could give Miss Pink a visit
while waiting for Mr Booth's next volume. You'll be pleasantly
surprised by the old girl. |
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