A case shrouded in secrets.
It’s just before Christmas, 1953. Grasby and Juggers are investigating a puzzling murder in the remote village of Uthley’s Bay. A fisherman has been found dead on the beach, with a stocking wound tight round his throat.
A festive mystery for one and all.
Hundreds of pairs of stockings, in neat cellophane bags, soon wash up on the shore. A blizzard cuts off Grasby and Juggers from help, and the local innkeeper is murdered. Any remaining Christmas cheer goes up in smoke as the villagers refuse to talk, leaving the two detectives chasing false leads in the snow.
A winter wonderland with no escape.
To make matters worse, Grasby can’t stop thinking about stockings. Why does everyone seem to be enjoying strangely high standards of hosiery, even beneath their oilskins? Who is the sinister bespectacled man snooping around their hotel? And how can they solve the murder when everyone in the village is a suspect?
I am delighted to be hosting the blog tour for The Christmas Stocking Murders by Denzil Meyrick today. Many thanks to Penguin Random House and Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me and for my advance digital copy of the novel.
The Christmas Stocking Murders is the second book in Denzil Meyrick’s Frank Grasby series. I haven't yet read Murder at Holly House but will definitely be adding it to my Christmas list because I loved this engaging, witty historical mystery.
Frank Grasby might be an inspector but is still treated as a rather gauche individual by others, particularly his father, the Reverend Grasby and his boss, Superintendent Arthur Juggers. It’s not entirely fair – he is intuitive and more experienced than they often give him credit for. However, it is also fair to say that despite his confidence following his adventure the previous Christmas, plans often go awry for poor Frank. He is summoned to Juggers' office the day after the CID Christmas do and is feeling rather fragile. After an awkward few minutes when his antics the previous evening come back to him, he is relieved to learn of a murder in the quiet fishing village of Uthley Bay and even more grateful to discover he is being sent there to investigate and so will miss a miserable Christmas at home with his father. It does come as a surprise to learn Juggers will be accompanying him and there's a brief warning as to the travails they will face when he realises that Juggers looks scared.
This will be described as a cosy mystery and in many ways that's true; the village setting, colourful characters and rich vein of humour which runs throughout the book means I'd perhaps describe it as Endeavour meets Hot Fuzz but there is a dark side to the novel too. For a start, the murder of a fisherman isn't the only tragedy to take place in Uthley Bay and with some very dangerous people about, it quickly becomes clear that Grasby and Juggers are out of their depth.
Grasby, at least recognises the jeopardy they are in, however, Juggers is irascible and up for a fight. Although Frank Grasby is a superbly layered protagonist, Juggers is a scene stealer and despite his blunt rudeness, it's impossible not to love him. Meanwhile, the various villagers are a memorable bunch who frequently prove to be more of a hindrance than a help to our hapless heroes. To complicate matters still further, the hotel they are staying in is also the bolthole for some guests whose actions leave Grasby feeling more uncomfortable than ever.
The cleverly developed plot is often farcical and there are some hilarious, laugh-out-loud moments but Denzil Meyrick also writes with a razor-sharp wit and the dry, observant humour is hugely impressive too. However, the period in which the book is set also lends itself to more poignant moments, particularly when Frank recalls his war years. A warm memory will often come to a devastating conclusion and this is a painful reminder of the weight carried by people during the postwar years and beyond.
The sense of time is excellent throughout, from the difficulties still posed by ongoing rationing to Frank's confident yet often inaccurate predictions for the future, and Denzil Meyrick captures the speech and attitudes of the period perfectly. The atmospheric descriptions of a snowbound Uthley Bay add further depth to proceedings and as circumstances spiral wildly out of Grasby's control, there are plenty of perilous twists and turns alongside the comedy. The exciting climax is genuinely nerve-racking and is followed by a fittingly Agatha Christie-like scene where the villain is finally revealed.
The Christmas Stocking Murders is a joy to read from start to finish; this festive historical mystery is packed with laughs, pathos and drama. It's one of my favourite reads of the year and I'm already eagerly anticipating Frank Grasby's next seasonal adventure. Very highly recommended.
The Christmas Stocking Murders will be published by Bantam on 7th November, purchasing links can be found here.
Follow the blog tour, details are below.
About the Author
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Denzil lives on Loch Lomondside in Scotland with his wife Fiona and cats.
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