I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of A Fatal End, the eighth novel to feature WPC Trudy Loveday and Coroner Dr Clement Ryder, set in Oxford 1963.

A member of the up and coming band The Rainbirds is found dead on a staircase in a seedy club, The Bootleggers. The coroner’s jury delivers a verdict of accidental death, but Clement isn’t so sure and enlists Trudy’s help in an unofficial investigation. They discover all kinds of undercurrents when trying to establish what happened.

I wouldn’t call A Fatal End gripping, more of a pleasant read with an interesting mystery attached. It is told from a variety of points of view which, while explaining motives and hinting at secrets, doesn’t lead to a continuous, absorbing read. I found it an easy novel to put down with all the switches and natural breaks.

I enjoyed the plot and its setting. British pop was starting to take off at that time, so it was interesting to see a band at the start of their career and all the infighting and greed that accompanies it. I don’t think that it offers much new in its portrayal of exploitation, but the author does a great job of making it personal and tangible. The plot is interesting with a well disguised perpetrator and any number of suspects. It meanders its way slowly through these suspects and potential witnesses, although it is difficult to know who is which, even for the reader who has more access to information than Trudy and Clement. The solution when it comes is unexpected and a nice surprise.

The mystery of whodunnit is good but the real strength in the novel is the characters. Trudy has come a long way from the naïve girl she was at the start of the series and is now able to hold her own with good nature and humour. Clemente’s illness is getting progressively worse and he’s contemplating some life changes in his own uncompromising and sarcastic way. I hope it’s not the end of the series with the unresolved issue of the growing attraction but no action between Trudy and Clement’s son Vincent. It would be interesting to know if she was prepared to give up her career for love and marriage (many companies and public services didn’t employ married women at the time).

A Fatal End is a good read that I can recommend.

1963 in Oxford WPC Trudy Loveday is drawn by her mentor, coroner Clement Ryder into a case that is dismissed as a tragic accident but that he is convinced there is more to it than that. He is determined to investigate it, particularly as this could be his final case.

I like the pairing of the two main characters, they work really well together, and the setting in this era works well too. It was a time when female police officers were very much there to make tea, do the filing and any other menial job that their bosses could think of. But Trudy is shown as being more than capable of doing the job. With Clements frailty becoming more obvious it makes you wonder how much further this series can go. However, Trudy is such a good creation, it would be nice to see where her career goes next. A nice, if slightly predictable, read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A solid four star read in the Trudy Loveday series. Great premise. Well written. Good characters. Page turner. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing.. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Ray Reason and his band are on the brink of breaking into the bigtime. They have a regular spot on a Saturday night at one of Oxford's less than salubrious night clubs. Then Ray is found dead, halfway down a spiral staircase. The coroner court jury brings in a verdict of accidental death but coroner Clement Ryder understands the medical evidence and is convinced it must be murder.

Roping in young WPC Trudy Loveday to assist in the investigation, and with the help of his son Vincent who is spending his holidays in Oxford with his father, Clement delves into the seedy world of night clubs and finds plenty of suspects. Is it the nightclub manager who is skimming profits from the owners? Or the aristocratic famous music agent who is trying to sign the band? Or one of his bandmates unimpressed by his attempts to change the name of the band and make himself the lead? What about his bandmate's pushy girlfriend? What about his respectable girlfriend who finds herself in the family way? Has he been seeing other girls behind her back?

Another gentle yet engrossing detective story involving the unlikely duo, albeit the smarmy newspaper reporter sniffs out the best clues and delivers them on a platter for them to digest. I have now read two of these books and thoroughly enjoyed them both.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A nice easy read, but one with perhaps too predictable an ending. At least I thought so.
I hadn’t read any by this author before and will seek out her other titles to see what they offer.

Good book !! This book was definitely a mind game thriller! It had suspense, intrigue, and a sort of who done it! The storyline was very interesting and flowed nicely! I will definitely recommend reading this one! It was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

I like this series, the setting, the characters and the story line are all great for anyone who enjoys crime writing with little twists but not gore! Would recommend for Morse fans.

Another fabulous Ryder and Loveday book from the always brilliant Faith Martin. These are best read in order, but this can be read as a standalone. Great characters and superb plotting. I really hope there will be more?

Set in Oxford in the 1960s, this is the eighth book in the series featuring WPC Trudy Loveday and her mentor city coroner Dr Clement Ryder. When a young singer in a band, starting to be noticed, is found dead on the stairs of a seedy nightclub, Ryder suspects it was no accident and he and Trudy, aided by Ryder’s son Vincent, set out to investigate those who were there at the club that night. Suspects include the shady manager, a slimy music agent trying to sign the band, teenage fans and other members of the band and their girlfriends. Told from multiple viewpoints, there is more than one secret to be revealed before good old fashioned police work uncovers the motive and identity of the killer. This is a very engaging mystery set at an interesting time before the internet and modern forensics changed policing. With Dr Clements facing a major change in the future, it will be interesting to see how this is handled in the next book.

My thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for an advanced copy for review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own

This is the eighth in the series, set in the 1960’s, with WPC Trudy Loveday and the coroner Clement Ryder. Another great mystery, set amongst the back street clubs of the early sixties. Where the lead singer of a rising group is found dead. Was it a tragic accident or murder? Once again Ryder and Loveday are joined by Dr Ryder’s son, who is a great addition to the team. There are many suspects, each with their own agenda. See if you can work out which one it was?

Setting the series in the sixties, works well and shows how good old fashioned detective work, is used without all the modern databases, mobiles, and social media etc. Once again this is a fast paced, engaging mystery. I love the characters and how they interact. Looking forward to the next book, please don’t end this series. I look forward to see how the two (or three?) find a way to investigate when Clement retires.

Highly recommended this must be Ms Martins, best series, and she has written many wonderful series. Lets hope there is a way to keep it going.

I absolutely love this series, and this book may be my favorite.
Once again Dr. Clement Ryder has come across a mystery. I singer was found dead in his club on the stairs, and his death was ruled an accident. But, Clement wants to take a deeper look, and recruits WPC Trudy Loveday to join him once again. As the two, and Clement's son, investigate and ask questions, a lot of underlying issues with the band and singer come to surface, and the suspect and motive list seem to be growing.
This is a fast paced, engaging mystery. Love the characters and how they interact. Looking forward to the next book, will be interesting to see how the two find a way to investigate when Clement retires.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Excellent dramatic storyline! I really enjoyed the lasted installment of the Ryder and Loveday series. Brilliant characters and most of them seemed to be suspects so was keep guessing until the very end.

An excellent read.

Would definitely recommend this book!

Another great read delivered from Faith Martin.
Its set in 1963 and starts in a seedy back street club. A member of an up and coming band appears to have an accident and dies. Coroner Clement Ryder is not convinced its an accident and brings WPC Trudy Loveday on board to investigate.
Its a fab murder mystery and made that bit more interesting due to the era it is set in.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for giving my honest opinion.

Satisfying, Nostalgic…
The eighth in the Ryder and Loveday series, set Oxford 1963. Trouble in a backstreet club in Oxford leaves the lead singer of a band dead. But, was it the accident it has been claimed to be? Ryder has his suspicions leaving Loveday to go under cover into the underground of Oxford nightlife - but what other shocks may be in store for Loveday? A satisfying, nostalgic and immersive mystery with a deftly drawn cast and a solid sense of time and place. A worthy addition to this engaging and enjoyable series.

Another solid entry in this series. The mysteries are always well-plotted and entertaining, and the use of multiple points of view drives events along. The ongoing story on one main character‘s health advances with some heartstring-pulling developments. Selfishly I was hoping for more progress than there was here on the other main character’s personal life. As always, Martin does a great job with time and place setting, weaving it convincingly into the story without distracting.

A Fatal End has the feel of a final book in a series. If that's the case then this is disappointing. Not the mystery element which is fine, but the lives of the characters. Too much happens off stage and I think we as readers deserve to see Dr Ryder's revelation to Trudy. If I'm wrong and there are more books to come then, hurrah!

#AFatalEnd #NetGalley
BRILLIANT.
In a backstreet club, people dance the night away to their favourite band. But behind the scenes there is trouble afoot. An argument is brewing between bandmembers, two possessive girlfriends have plans for their partners, the club manager is creaming off profits – and a tragic accident leaves the lead singer dead. But was it an accident at all? Coroner Clement Ryder is suspicious, and WPC Trudy Loveday knows there’s only one thing for it. She’s going undercover, deep into the seedy underbelly of Oxford nightlife. Meanwhile Clement’s own secret is becoming increasingly difficult to keep hidden, and discovering the singer’s murderer might not be the only shock in store for Trudy…
i loved it's very much. Faith never disappoints.
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for giving me an advance copy.