1928 and Cissie Rowe is an up and coming actress in the world of Shoreham film studio. That is until she is found dead by her neighbour. DCI Henry Johnstone and DS Mickey Hitchens are sent to investigate.
An enjoyable old-fashioned English murder mystery, lots of suspects, some well-developed characters in this well-written tale. Although the second in the series I didn't feel that I missed out on any of the main characters background by not reading the first book.

Death Scene’s biggest flaw is that it lacks the feel of the 1920’s. While technically correct, it doesn't capture the romance and mystery of the silent film industry as I had hoped. Instead, Death Scene is pretty much a standard police procedural that could be set anytime pre-1970. It isn’t a bad mystery but from the description and the cover I expected more film industry involvement. As a police procedural, it is solidly written with a strong focus on character - particularly that of the lead, DCI Henry Johnstone. Much of the novel is devoted to his memories of his and his sister’s difficult youth with their uncaring father and his memories of WWI. His DS is supportive, having been in the war alongside Johnstone and being the one individual other than his sister who knows his background. Jane Adams puts a lot of effort into character development, even that of peripheral characters. The people are realistic, a characteristic I definitely admire. If you are looking for the romance of a film industry murder, there are better choices, but if you consider Death Scene as part of a larger procedural series, you will definitely enjoy it.
4 / 5


I received a copy of Death Scene from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House for an advance copy of Death Scene, the second novel to feature DCI Henry Johnstone and DS Mickey Hitchens, set mostly in Shoreham in 1928.

The novel opens with the murder of Cissie Rowe, an up and coming actress at the Shoreham studios. When the body is discovered the doctor calls it a suicide but the local PC isn't so sure and calls in Henry to investigate.

I thoroughly enjoyed Death Scene. It is a good, old fashioned murder mystery in the Golden Age vein with numerous red herrings, a victim with secrets, suspects aplenty and some smart, methodical detective work.

I have not read the previous novel in the series, The Murder Book, but I didn't feel the loss as Henry's backstory is more than adequately covered, in fact this novel feels like the first in a series with its detailed information.

The plotting is well done. I had no idea of who the perpetrator was or why, except that Cissie can't keep a secret - what secret? As there are no switches to the modern phenomenon of giving the reader glimpses of the killer and their thoughts it is a straightforward third person narrative from Henry's point of view and all the more intriguing for it. The reader knows as much as the police and I thoroughly enjoyed the, in my case, fruitless guessing.

I don't know much about this era but the historical background seems authentic with only minor modern sensibilities creeping in, e.g. don't think "people person" was a phrase much used in the 20s.

The characterisation is good. Henry is a good, smart detective with a troubled past. He is a silent loner with poor interpersonal skills but his sergeant, Mickey Hitchens makes up for it, being Henry's "people person". He is a bit more stereotypical being the man who has refused promotion and is content to remain a sergeant, although now vastly over qualified and experienced for the role.

Death Scene is a very good read for its clever plotting, plausible characterisation and authentic setting so I have no hesitation in recommending it.

4 and 1 / 2 stars

The year is 1928 and silent screen star Cissie Rowe is found dead.

DCI Henry Johnstone and DS Mickey Hitchens are investigating the murder. They make a very good team. We learn enough background on the two men to satisfy us, but not so much that the story gets boring. When they arrive at the scene of the crime, they ascertain that it was murder. Luckily an astute PC Prentice had called them in or the case would have been ruled an accident or suicide.

When Johnstone and Hitchens go to interview two men who were known to Cissie, they find another body – and another murder. Then Cissie’s house gets ransacked.

What they uncover is a puzzle. They go about interviewing potential suspects, people who knew Cissie and her friends and acquaintances. Cissie is not who she was believed to be, nor is anyone else connected to the case. She had secrets, perhaps secrets that could be misconstrued or harmful.

The murderer was a bit of a surprise, but I had them in the back of my mind from the start. The journey getting to the unveiling, however, was fun and exciting.

A fair bit of research went into this book. Ms. Adams is a fine writer. The plotting is well done and the pacing was very good. Every sentence was relevant to the story; no wasted words. This is my first Jane Adams novel, but it certainly won’t be my last. I loved it!

I want to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for forwarding to me a copy of this most delightful mystery.