Barbara Schultz's Reviews > A Fatal Affair

3.7 rounded up 4 Stars!
This is Book #6 in the Ryder & Loveday ‘Fatal’ Mystery series.
The setting is Oxford 1961
Our main characters are WPC (Woman Police Constable) Trudy Loveday who is young & bright (and a bit naïve) along with Coroner Dr. Clement Ryder, who is sophisticated, experienced (and a bit crusty).
Trudy is new and on probation ~she is bright and very ambitious but so far has her duties have been filing and making coffee. She has arrested a few pick pocket thieves but hasn’t been given any real cases. Since the story is based in the 1960, we know there were few women in crime fighting, also no helpful tools such as cell phones, or DNA).

Personal Note: I once attend a luncheon where the guest speaker was the first female Chief
of Police in our Country. She told us where she started as a police officer back in the late 60s
she had to wear a women’s uniform ~ skirt and high heels. She asked us …”Can you imagine
chasing down a criminal in a skirt and high heels?”
This story begins when the town’s May Queen, Iris Carmody, is found dead, strangled and wrapped around the may pole with the ribbons hanging from the pole. A few days later, her boyfriend David Finch is found dead hanging in a barn. David is the son of Chief Superintendent, Finch. Fear has it that this might be a murder suicide.
Story kept me interested as to what really happened. Although setting is the 1960 the investigation was normal. The attitude toward Trudy was the only thing different. Perhaps the May Queen was a 60’s thing ~ I actually remember being very young and was asked to be the flower girl for the May Queen. In this case the May Queen procession was a church activity where the Virgin Mary ~ Queen of May was crowned by the May Queen. It was a big deal in my small town.

I love these characters and I actually loved this story... for many reasons but top of my list is that I loved no profanity!!!!
I look forward to the next Faith Martin story!

Want to thank NetGalley and HQ Digital for this uncorrected digital copy granted to me early for a honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for March 4, 2021