REVIEW: UNDER A SILENT MOON, BY ELIZABETH HAYNES

 

 

 

The first call they received was about a murder; the second one involved what might be suicide, but could be more. And both incidents were in Morden, where not many such events happen. Could the episodes be linked?

DI Louisa Smith (Lou), from the Briarstone station, is in charge of the team. The victims were Polly Leuchars and Barbara Fletcher-Norman, living on neighboring compounds.

Over the next few days, the team conducted interviews, gathered evidence, and just when they thought they had it figured out, a new discovery complicated it all. Would they now be back to Square One?

Immersed in the investigations and the detectives in charge, the reader soon learns that Lou and one of her team, Andy Hamilton, were once involved, and feelings between them now range from hostile to civil. Meanwhile, an analyst on the team, Jason Mercer, is now very much attracted to Lou, with the feelings being mutual. Will they act on their feelings? How will their relationship change the dynamics of the team?

But the most critical question is: who was Polly Leuchars, and how were her many casual relationships with both men and women connected to the murders? Polly worked as a groom at Hermitage Farm, owned by Nigel Maitland and his wife Felicity. The police have been watching Nigel for years for other crimes, none of which have led to charges. But they are alert.

Polly lived in a cottage on the farm, and seemed to be friends with Flora, the daughter of the Maitlands, who has her own flat…and a studio. She is an artist.

Meanwhile, at the Hayzelden Barn, where the Fletcher-Normans live in close proximity, Brian has been hospitalized for a heart attack he suffered on the crucial night. His daughter Taryn Lewis is estranged from him, but she could know many answers to the questions. Will she be cooperative? She is also friends with Flora…and knew Polly. Another critical question for the team: who is Suzanne Martin, and what, if anything, connects her to events? And how does she compromise one of the detectives on the team?

Such a complex mesh of relationships lead to numerous challenges in the investigations. More will be revealed as we move along, and the fun in Under a Silent Moon: A Novel (Detective Chief Inspector Louisa Smith Book 1) is trying to sort out the relationships while solving the crime(s).

While I enjoyed this story and could not stop reading, there were so many characters and there was so much complexity that I found it hard to keep them all straight. However, I liked the twists and turns, and I had most of it sorted out by the end. 4.0 stars.