I read this a while ago, and I really enjoyed it. It was well written with lots of description, and I found the book intriguing. I do like the detective duo and find them a good pair to follow along the way to solving the crimes.

Thanks to NetGalley, Peter Turnbull and Severn House Publishers

A baffling case for Detectives Hennessey and Yellich - when a recluse is found shot dead at his home the Detectives soon uncover an unsavoury past and an array of suspects. An enjoyable, well written mystery. This is the twenty fifth book in this long running series although it can be read as a standalone.

When Miles Law reports the death of his employer, Anthony Garrett, DCI Hennessey and DS Yellich are called in to investigate.

Garrett was a reclusive, a shut-in, who kept everyone at a distance. Each of his employees had a different knock when they came to his house ... and no one entered without knocking.

He had one neighbor, an elderly woman who states that the man had company the morning he was shot and killed .... three young women, identical in looks and dress. One of the women entered without knocking ... the other two women stood as sentinels outside, one of each side of the door. Moments later, the one comes out of the house, intertwines arms with the other two and calmly drives away.

Who are these women? How do they know the victim? What do the detectives know of this man's past?

The detectives are soon hunting for a ruthless, efficient killer.

Peter Turnbull is a much respected author of superior crime fiction. This one did not disappoint. I confess I have not read the entire series, but COLD WRATH is easily read as a stand alone.

The book is well written, the mystery builds from the very first page and the ending is almost eerie The characters are finely drawn and true to their natures.

Many thanks to the author / Severn House / Netgalley for the advanced copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Cold Wrath is the twenty-fifth novel in the DCI George Hennessey and DS Somerled Yellich series, set in beautiful York, and here, the team investigate the mysterious execution-style murder of a quiet, reclusive member of the community. Each instalment can be read as standalones. Once again, Turnbull delivers an intriguing and utterly charming mystery. If I'm honest the writing style does take a little getting used to but don't let that put you off as it's well worth your time; I particularly enjoy the trivia the author sprinkles throughout the story as I'm a sucker for learning interesting, oddball information.

It's a well written, quick, easy read, however, it won't be for everyone. These books are rather wordy and descriptive, which suits me, but if you like straightforward, unflowery prose it may not be your bag. All in all, it contains some nicely plotted reveals and twisty surprises. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Many thanks to Severn House Publishers for an ARC.

"Who was Anthony Garrett? The murder of a reclusive local man draws DCI Hennessey and DS Yellich into a baffling new case. On a hot summer morning, Miles Law cycles into the village of Millington in the Vale of York, on his way to a few hours’ work as an under gardener at The Grange. But when he arrives, he finds his employer slumped in an armchair in the drawing room, a bullet wound on his forehead. Miles’ employer was a secretive and reclusive man who kept his employees and neighbours at a distance. Who was Anthony Garrett, and who are the three young, identical-looking blonde women who called at the house a few days before his body was discovered? Detective Chief Inspector George Hennessey and Detective Superintendent Somerled Yellich are soon on the hunt for a ruthless and efficient killer..."

I CAN NOT resist a British murder mystery!

Cold Wrath by Peter Turnbull is #25 in the series featuring Detective Chief Inspector George Hennessey and Detective Superintendent Somerled Yellich. However, it reads well as a standalone. On a summer morning, in the village of Millington, a gardener finds his employer Anthony Garrett shot dead in his home named The Grange. It falls to Hennessey and Yellich to solve the murder of the secretive and reclusive victim. What stood out for me in this murder mystery is the old-fashioned style of writing: the wordiness used to especially describe all characters involved. I found it to be charming and interesting. This being my first experience with this series, I look forward to reading more books by Peter Turnbull. Thank you to Severn House and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The plot of the book was quite interesting but for a contemporary crime novel it had quite an old fashioned feel because of the authors style of writing. He likes to use a dozen words where just a couple would have been sufficient which made the book tedious to read. If I had bought this book rather than receive a review copy I would probably have given up.

In which the gentle reader and our Mr. Hennessey are reminded to never underestimate the devious mind, allusions to “HMS Pinafore” can be made, decisions in life can have very sad consequences, and what’s up with the new guy?

Peter Turnbull has been writing the Hennessey and Yellich series for a long time. He has a particularly singular style that he uses in doing so, one that newer readers may find takes some getting used to. But if you are a new reader with this book, persevere, please. Mr. Turnbull’s descriptive skills are in full force from the very first page. Readers are faced with a victim immediately -- one Anthony Garrett, the mysterious homeowner, found by his self-proclaimed “donkey gardener,” or general labourer who works at the estate. Our Detective Chief Inspector George Hennessey recognizes an old lag when he sees one, and he becomes a suspect. This gardener is the first in a series of unique individuals who populate the pages of “Cold Wrath.”
The victim is found to be a bad ‘un -- and he’s left many victims in his wake. Soon there’s no surfeit of suspects. Even the police aren’t sorry he’s dead. Perhaps too glad? Hennessey and Yellich have to deal with that prospect, because the shooting was cool and professional. Angels and demons both become a possibility in the plot.

Did you know that the word mouth comes from Old High German and gob is of medieval English origin? You will, if you read “Cold Wrath.” Peter Turnbull is renowned for having his characters impart these little tidbits of wisdom. And as in others in the series, we are treated to finding out how to pronounce Detective Sergeant Somerled Yellich’s first name. It’s what makes a Turnbull book feel like it’s passing along information from an old friend. But never forget that you are also getting a lesson in human psychology. It may make you feel a little disconcerted, with many little “wiggle uneasily in your seat” moments. That’s what Turnbull does masterfully, too, taking something straightforward and twisting it to illustrate how easily it is to turn from good to evil, and something in between. Or from evil to good; witness the scenes with Carmen Pharaoh and our “donkey gardener,” as she tries to have him understand that he does not have to see the world in the way he is seeing it. Does she convince him? You’ll have to read the book to find out. These are the stories underlying the main story that make Hennessey and Yellich books so delightful to read.

The finish comes softly, the denouement worthy of an American soap opera. You can’t do this kind of stuff and get away with it, unless you’re Peter Turnbull and your gentle readers love you for the Hennessey and Yellich world you’ve created. So find a comfortable chair, maybe a large dog (or a cat), settle in with a cup of tea topped off with a drop of Laphroaig and follow along as Peter Turnbull explains how a very bad man finds out that you can run, but you can’t hide.

Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for a copy of this book ahead of publication, in exchange for this review.

In the village of Millington in the Vale of York, Miles Law, the under-gardener for The Grange, is hoping to pick up a bit of work before the heat sets in. Miles is a sharp fellow. He notices things. As does the elderly neighbor directly across from The Grange.

And on this day something is wrong. While no one really knows Anthony Garrett, the owner of The Grange, they do know he is fastidious about his routine of making sure every window and door are locked tight and he is rarely seen. When Miles spots an open window and then finds the front door unlocked, he enters and finds the man himself, dead, and not recently. He calls the local police and waits.

Miles is no stranger to the police. And it turns out neither is Garrett. The more our detectives discover, the more confusing the case becomes. Especially after the neighbor's account.

Normally I am quite fond of this series. I didn't mind that each chapter began as a screenplay almost with the narrator explaining to us what was about to happen. I didn't care for it here though. It felt stiff and wasn't necessary.

It was very wordy and the end?! Nope. That was not good.



Netgalley/ April 1st 2019 by Severn House Publishers

I'm sorry but I could not read it. I've tried. I've persevered. But I could not find anything interesting in this book yo keep me reading. The way the author tells the story has to many words, bends and lps but none of the spark, hook and suspense.
I had to leave this book be.
After reading pages and pages I am still at a loss as to what happened as nothing did yet.

A good quick read. I read this in one sitting. It is the first book in the series that I have read. It is well written and I probably would read more of the series.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I have enjoyed most of the Hennessey and Yellich books but this one was disappointing.
A secretive well-to-do male is murdered in his large home and the detectives have to find out
details about the man’s life and who and why he was murdered. The ending appeared to be a lazy
way to finish the story.

4 stars

Hennessey and Yellich are back to investigate another murder in this latest addition to the series. Miles Law is the under-gardener who doesn’t miss a trick. He sizes up the situation at a glance and doesn’t hesitate to tell it like it is.

Anthony Garrett was a wealthy man who was universally disliked. He did not often go out of his house and kept himself to himself. His callers even had their own special knocks for the front door as designated by Garrett.

Then a neighbor tells the story of three blond women who visited the house shortly before Garrett’s death. Could they be involved?

Hennessey and Yellich begin their investigation by interviewing all who knew Garrett such as the gardener Law and the neighbors and acquaintances. Painstakingly and determined they make some progress.

This is a well written novel and well plotted. It reads quickly and moves along nicely. It contains some nice surprises along the way. This was my first Peter Turnbull book. I enjoyed this novel and will read more of Mr. Turnbull’s works in the future.

I want to thank NetGalley and Severn House/Severn House Publishers for forwarding to me a copy of this book for me to read, enjoy and review.

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC.
Detectives Hennessey and Yellich are on the hunt for the killer of the reclusive owner of The Grange, Anthony Garrett. He was found by his gardener and on interviewing a neighbor, Yellich hears the strange story of three identical blonde women visiting The Grange, walking oddly, one entering the house, two standing sentry outside.
I really enjoyed the mystery and the solving of it. The writing is different, it's almost old-fashioned, except for the cellphones. The relationship between the two detectives is quite polite...considering they've worked together for years one would expect a more familiar attitude. That said, it works; the series is excellent and I always look forward to a new outing.

This was a good read, the plot intriguing and the characters were very well developed. Oddly, every character, be it policeman or villian, had a tragedy in their past. The whole book seemed to be a study on how personal tragedy shapes our lives, characters, and behaviors. The victim of the novel died as a result of his beastly behavior. The author wrote in a different style than the authors I am used to reading. The conversations and behaviors seem very quaint for a contemporary novel. Who uses “methinks” these days? Not a criticism, just an observation. Overall, I would recommend, no blood, language or sex.