The Playing Fields

February 26, 2018
In British author Cameron’s solid fifth Alex Duggins mystery (after 2017’s Lies that Bind), Alex, the owner of the Black Dog pub in Folly-on-Weir, decides to take a look at a new housing development that’s creating a lot of gossip in the Cotswolds village. She arrives to find the construction site trailer ablaze and a man in flames—who turns out to be Bob Hill, the developer of the project. Her quick thinking saves Bob’s life, but the charred remains of another man are discovered in the trailer. After a second death occurs, Alex gets caught up in a web of lies and intrigue with roots in her own past. Newcomers should be prepared for a mix that is three parts soap opera to one part mystery, a blend sure to satisfy established fans, for whom other matters—whether the new breakfast cook at the Black Dog will work out and whether Alex and the local veterinarian, Tony Harrison, will take their romance a tiny step forward—are as important as whodunit. Agent: Liza Dawson, Liza Dawson Associates.

April 1, 2018

Alex Duggins's (Lies That Bind) curiosity about a new housing development in the Cotswold village of Folly-on-Weir takes her there just in time to rescue the owner before a work trailer goes up in flames, leaving one person dead. That simple act drags her into a dangerous firestorm of lies, deception, and murder. It isn't enough that Alex becomes involved in another murder investigation. Even the customers at Alex's pub, the Black Dog, notice that her mother, Lily, has become grim and appears to be hiding from someone. Could her strange behavior be connected to the phone calls she is receiving? While the police hunt for a vicious killer, Alex realizes her reckless behavior and her mother's secrets have endangered them and their friends. VERDICT This traditional English mystery revolves around the secrets and deceptions that can crack the bonds of a small community. However, it may take time for series newcomers to sort out the characters and their histories. Readers are advised to start with the first book, Folly.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2018
Her determination to solve a murder on a nearby construction site threatens the life and well-being of a Folly-on-Weir bar owner.Coincidence brings Alex Duggins to the site of a burning building while she explores the new development close to her Cotswolds home. That coincidence turns out to be pure luck for developer Robert Hill, who narrowly escapes being burned in the fire, at least partly because Alex has the presence of mind to call fire and ambulance crews to the scene. Rescuers discover that project architect Lance Pullinger wasn't so lucky when they recover his body from the wreckage, and police ask whether the fire was accidental or meant to kill either Bob or the seemingly easygoing Lance. For his part, Bob, who's grateful to Alex, spends increasing amounts of time at her pub, The Black Dog. He learns more about her and even introduces her to his wife and son. Though nosy neighbors think Alex's longtime boyfriend, Tony Harrison, should be concerned about Bob's dogged presence in her life, Tony knows that his relationship with Alex is more dependable than small-town gossip. Bob's curiosity is echoed by Alex's own informal investigation into the fire and its fallout. After all, she loves a mystery and welcomes an excuse to poke about a bit, even if it gets her into trouble. Her mother, Lily, is more worried about Alex's interest in the case than in past mysteries (Lies That Bind, 2017, etc.), perhaps because Lily's hiding her own secret from Alex. Before Lily can do much digging, another body is found, and its lack of any obvious connection to the fire suggests that there may be something larger at work. Does Lily's secret hold the key?Cameron skillfully ties her mystery to her ongoing character arcs, providing a more compelling back story for the series.

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2021
Pub owner and amateur sleuth Alex Duggins and her boyfriend, Tony Harrison, return in another keep-'em-guessing mystery, set in the Cotswold village of Folly on Weir. Two brutal and strikingly similar murders have taken place near the village, and DCI Dan O'Reilly is assigned to the case. He's under intense pressure to solve the murders ASAP, and he's also received orders to keep Alex from involving herself the way she's done with Dan's cases in the past. But Alex has other things to think about. Tony has proposed and wants to marry as soon as possible, and, while Alex wants that, too, she's also worried that Tony's first wife, Penny, who disappeared seven years ago, could be back (Tony has received a threatening email from her--or someone purporting to be her). But when the killer targets someone close to Alex, she finds herself involved in Dan's case after all, whether his bosses like it or not. An engaging, expertly plotted tale.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.