March 1939

A young girl is found partly mummified in the crypt of a school with a crucifix necklace in her hands. Inspector James Given has the difficult job of not only finding out who she is but how she died. Was she murdered or was it a natural death? Who laid her out in the saint like way in the school crypt?

Whilst trying to get to grips with an ongoing murder case, Inspector Given is also investigating a spate of attacks on Jewish businesses. Though Jewish by birth, he doesn’t practice this faith but the attacks have hit a nerve with him. He presses on with both investigations but has he bitten off more than he can chew?

I enjoyed this murder mystery book and I’d describe it as a ‘not quite cosy’ story as some parts are gritty but overall it’s not an offensive book. The characters had a ‘Heartbeat’ feel to them and I feel that this story is better suited to an older audience.

Many thanks to Sapere Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

A Pretty Folly is the second mystery featuring Inspector Given written by Charlie Garratt. Released 7th Oct 2019 by Sapere books, it's 286 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book and the first in the series are included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

This is a beautifully written and nuanced book, with believable three dimensional characters who behave in accordance with their motivations in all their varied settings. The secondary characters cover a broad spectrum of the human condition, from brutal and racist murdering thugs to the most rarefied and isolated ivory tower academics. There is a plethora of suspects from which to choose and as the plot progresses, figuring out 'whodunnit' is an entertaining challenge.

In some ways these books remind me of Barbara Nadel's Francis Hancock series which are set around the same time period. They're very carefully and intricately plotted with meticulously researched and realistic historical settings.

I would heartily recommend this one to lovers of classic British golden age mysteries. Readers should however be aware of some potentially troubling content (all used in context): murder, suicide, antisemitism, domestic violence, and a fairly graphic torture scene. The language is quite clean and there is no direct sexual content. The denouement is satisfying and leaves the potential for more volumes to follow. I'm looking forward to see what's next for Inspector Given and co.

Five stars. Really enjoyable read, an author to look out for.

1939 England is not pretty. War is coming. There is much to worry over and James Given just after one episode of finding Jew baiters is now faced with many episodes in his home town. Tracking down the brothers Demma who are behind the attacks, fueling hatred amongst ordinary folk is one of his goals. When a young woman's body is found in a crypt, after several months of lying there, Given knows he has a task on his hands.

Finding out who the young lady is, was not an easy task because no one seems to want to come forward with any clues and what there is seems to be those of a misleading kind. By slow deduction, and the detective work of the slow, plodding kind Inspector Givens is able to see the bigger picture of the whys and wherefores of this murder.

Classic British crime. Good characterization. Very descriptive of the settings. History details very interesting.

A Pretty Folly has an interesting setting, just prior to the outbreak of WWII, where hatred towards Jews even in the UK, is noticeable. The mystery in the book is interesting and I like the author's writing style. Inspector Given is a really likeable protagonist and I would love to read more in this series.

*Many thanks to Charlie Garratt, Sapere Books and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
Inspector James Gavin is back, troubled by the warnings of war approaching, attacks on the Jewish community, and uncertain fate of his close famaily still living in Germany. And there is a murder committed on the premises of a local school, or rather in the crypt. The mystery is more complicated than it appears at first, but Gavin's grey cells lead him to the murderer.
This is a good read, with a likeable main protagonist, and I hope to read another offering by the Author.

A Pretty Folly by Charlie Garratt is the second in a series set just prior to the outbreak of war in 1939. Although there are a couple of mentions to the previous book's mystery, this one works as a stand-alone.

Inspector James Givens is Jewish, but doesn't practice, although he is very close to his parents. Assigned to stop the attack on Jewish businesses in Coventry Givens interviews the victims and searches for the perpetrators. Then a case closer to his home in Kenilworth divides his attention.

The body of a young woman is discovered in the ancient crypt of a chapel on the grounds of a charity school. The body has been laid out in a staged manner and the conditions of the crypt preserved the body, but who she is and when and how she died presents problems.

I liked the setting with all the tensions of the period before England enters the war and the traditional style of the writing and investigation. Givens is an interesting character, and I look forward to more in this series.

NetGalley/Sapere Books
Historical Fiction. Oct. 7, 2019. Print length: 268 pages.

The second entry in the Inspector James Given series of investigaions and the discovery of a body in a crypt lands the Inspector with another perplexing mystery. Enjoyable, well written historical crime with a likeable protagonist in the Inspector. Atmospheric and with a good sense of place, this is an engaging read and a worthy addition to the series.

A body is found - the body of a girl. She is laid out on a mattress in a crypt under a school chapel, and has been dead for some unknown period - probably months. The conditions in the crypt have preserved her fairly well, but there is little or nothing to show what killed her. And James Given has the unenviable task of trying to bring the killer to justice - based on almost nothing...

A good sequel to book 1, though able to be read on its own - in fact, I preferred it to book 1, possibly at least partly because Elizabeth, with her hot-and-cold-ness, was largely gone from the story. The mystery was managed neatly, there were no more random bodies left lying around for the sake of it, and the content was clean. After book 1 I wasn't sure whether or not I'd read more, but I think after reading this one, I'd like to keep going with the series. The background setting just before WW2 is also interesting. Note that there is one scene involving torture, but it is not particularly graphically presented.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

Second in the series well written excellent story line and characters.I was drawn right into the lives of the characters had me reading late into the night. #netgalley#saperebooks

Really enjoyed this! While it is the second in what I hope will be a long running series, it can read as a standalone. Interesting characters, unusual and original plot and great dialog. I am going to go back and read the first and find out how the character got his start Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

It's the second book I reading in this series and I'm liking it.
This is an engrossing and entertaining mystery, with a well described historical background, and fleshed out cast of characters.
The mystery is solid and it kept me guessing.
I look forward to reading the next instalment in this series.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.