Minette Walters - Fox Evil (2003)
Elderly Ailsa Lockyer-Fox died a curious death. One cold morning she was found in her nightdress lying dead on the terrace of her large house, the French windows locked. Even though the coroner pronounces that the death is not suspicious, residents of the village of Shenstead remain convinced that her husband, Colonel James Lockyer-Fox, killed her. There are rumours of vicious arguments between the two, and talk of vile secrets in his past. Allegations fly, and a systematic campaign against him begins.
But, when a troop of new-age travelers sets up camp near the village and claim they can stay as long as they wish -- permanently, even, for it can't be proved that anyone owns the land -- the villagers find themselves in a mess. The only person who could help is Colonel Lockyer-Fox, but after months of their abuse and ostracizing, he is tired, mentally and physically, and no longer cares enough to do anything to help.
Naturally, catastrophe looms on the horizon. As long as the travelers are there, the village is under threat from their violent and mysterious leader, the enigmatic Fox Evil.
As always, Minette Walters' wonderful writing style makes this psychological thriller a pleasure to read, and each sentence is a joy. The psychology of her characters (and there are many, all fully developed) is deadly accurate, and every action they take is believable and true to their nature. The plot (and the book as a whole) is well done, probably her strongest yet. It is complex and powerful, with many disparate threads twisting together.
The drawback to Fox Evil is that there is very little suspense. If I were to reveal the main culprit here, it would scarcely spoil the story's ending. There are one or two small surprises, yes, and some aspects of the ending echo back to the good old days of The Scold's Bridle, but there's nothing shocking at all about the climax. Also, the solution is far too complicated and confusing. Several times while reading it I was almost irretrievably lost. This is never, ever good.
Fox Evil may not be a perfect mystery, but it is still quite a strong book, and we recommend it to you.
Posted by Fiona Walker in Book Reviews | Permalink
