This book sounds good in theory: set in a sleepy Shropshire village in 1940 that seems far removed from the realities of the war, DI Tom Tyler investigates the murder of a Land Army girl. Suspicion immediately falls on the German nationals in a nearby internment camp, but Tom feels the answer lies closer to home.
I’m finding it hard to pinpoint what is wrong with this book, but it just doesn’t feel ‘right’. Perhaps the characters reactions are not in keeping with the times? Certainly I found Tom Tyler’s behaviour unappealing - his marriage is struggling and we’re given a perfunctory explanation for this, but expected to sympathise with Tom when he easily falls into an affair with his ex-lover, who also is married (apparently unhappily, so that’s ok!). It didn’t sit right with me, or ring true for that matter.
There is also a rush at the end to tie up the loose ends, with characters dying unexpectedly (and unnecessarily in my view) just to move the plot forward.
Ultimately, this was an unsatisfying read for me.