Thicker Than Water by Lexie Conyngham

BOOK TITLE: Thicker than Water

AUTHOR: Lexie Conyngham

ISBN/ASIN: B071XPGRZC

GENRE: Thriller / Period fiction

NUMBER OF PAGES: 288

FORMAT: Digital

SERIES / STANDALONE: Murray of Letho, #10

HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: I thank Debdatta Sahay of b00kr3vi3ws for this review copy.

SUMMARY:

When young Walter finds a dead body along with the dead fish in his tutor’s fishpond, he knows he should tell his old master, Charles Murray of Letho. The dead man leaves a pretty wife and child and a broken string quartet, but someone must have profited by his death – could it be the avenger from his past as his widow fears, or is it someone from closer at hand? St. Andrews is once again the setting for a murder mystery, and a puzzle that Murray must solve before the murderer strikes again.

FIRST IMPRESSION:

There are only two words in the summary that gave me a clue about this being a sequel or part of a series. Other than that 'once again', the summary is by itself interesting and has good detailing in a few short words. It was intriguing enough to make me want to pick the book up, especially since it belongs to my favorite genre. The cover was simple, and had nothing that jumped out. But it fit the mood well. I had no previous idea about the author or her writing style, this being the first book of hers that I would be reading. 

REVIEW:

It helps to have information beforehand about whether or not a book is part of a series. The rising confusion about the characters and their familiarity would remain unresolved if this detail is not known. The series books do not spend much time reintroducing the familiar characters, but for someone who tries to pick up the threads from the middle, this might create confusion that will hamper the reading speed. This is perhaps why this book looked like it began slowly, for me at least. The characters seemed to be quickly 'introduced' in the first few pages, with too many of them crowding the little space. I had to keep rereading to know who was who. A careful analysis was required to understand that they had all been introduced in some of the previous books and were as much a part of the series as the main character was. After that realisation, the reading speed picked up. The glossary and the characters list helped much in this regard. Special thanks for that.

The book can be read as a standalone and is a good thriller set in previous century. Be it in the language or the setting, once we grasp them the story flows smoothly. The story is pretty simple. A dead body is found in a pond by one of Murray's servants. The mystery has to be solved before further mishaps happen. Once I could keep the characters and their associations straight, the book flowed smoothly. The twists and turns kept coming at an even pace and I was able to enjoy the read though I had not read any books in this series previously. The twists weren't too surprising or too predictable. And the plot was tight and created enough interest to keep me going.

Murray as a 'detective' did not impress me much, but I am sure I would read a few more books of this series to follow his style in other cases. The language was not exactly what I'd call lucid or easy, mainly because the cross century references (which maybe authentic at that setting) but the plot was good. The supporting characters did not stand in my mind but the descriptions and development were on point. Overall this is a story I enjoyed reading. I only wish I'd known about this being the tenth book in a series before - that would have made my experience much better and reduced the 'complaints' I have with this. 

WHAT I LIKED:

• Enjoyed the story despite the slow beginning and the unconventional language
• The decent twists and even pace made this an enjoyable read.
• The summary was intriguing and the cover simplistic and to the point.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:

• If you are reading this as a standalone, it would be well to remember that this happens in a different era and has characters who've appeared before
• The beginning is slow and might discourage a few readers
• The language is confusing (but thanks to the glossary)

VERDICT:

Good read, overall. Began slowly but once the pace picked up, a decent thriller.

RATING: 3.75/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author of the Murray of Letho and Hippolyta Napier series of historical crime novels, Lexie lives in North-East Scotland and after some years of trying the traditional methods (with absolute and complete lack of success) she was persuaded to test her limited technical skills with e-books. When she isn't writing (that would be Sundays) she teaches, knits, gardens, drinks wine or whisky, and sits looking thoughtful while random facts wander around her head.

She can be followed, should such a thing appeal, 

on Pinterest (https://uk.pinterest.com/lexieconyngham/) 

or even Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Lexie-Conyng...).

EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Kindle

PRICE $2.49 for Kindle

BOOK LINKS: Amazon