The Two Deaths of Ruth Lyle by Nick Louth was published in May 2024.
Our Sleuth: Jan Talantire is an experienced detective inspector for the Devon and Cornwall Police who’s enjoying a rare social outing when she’s called to a crime scene mirroring a 50-year-old murder.
The Setting: We’re in present-day Ilfracombe, a small seaside resort on the North Devon coast of England.
The Premise: Fifty years ago, a 16-year-old girl named Ruth Lyle was found stabbed to death with a crucifix in a chapel, shocking the Ilfracombe community. Today, Talantire is heading an investigation into a similar crime, complete with stabbing by crucifix and a 66-year-old victim also identified as Ruth Lyle.
My Take: We’ve seen many a workaholic and lonely female detective in the British mystery genre. But the author gives us an appealing protagonist in Jan Talantire, who’s managed to retain her integrity and sense of humor despite the demands of policing a huge rural area with little backup. We also get a well-rounded cast of characters, from the handsy “Wigwam” to the delicate Primrose, a hijab-wearing newcomer to Talantire’s team.
As a writer, I was fascinated by the author’s ability to keep up an almost frenetic pace of twisty surprises and then dovetail it all neatly together in a satisfying ending. We’re entering a fully fleshed out world here, complete with observations of the seaside town’s economic recession, the difficulties of being female in a still mostly male police force and the travails of solving a sophisticated crime with scarce resources.
Opening Lines:
Saturday, seven p.m. Good, bang on time. The suspect’s car, a dark BMW estate, slid into the car park of the Royal Oak. It was a carefully chosen rendezvous. A village ten minutes south of Barnstaple, where she wouldn’t be recognized. Detective Inspector Jan Talantire watched from her own darkened vehicle, in the shadow of the pub’s gable. Ignition off, no lights. She was just thirty yards away, but able to scribble down the registration number in her pad. Six years old, one rear brake light not working. The BMW came to rest in the position she had expected, opposite the lounge, nose towards the pub so the driver could see in. The suspect was silhouetted in the glare of the pub window, broad-shouldered, hair short at the sides, shaped above, and a neat beard. Her electronic intel looked correct, so far.
Heads Up: A traditional police procedural with descriptions of a bloody crime scene.
Etc.: I was not surprised to learn the author, Nick Louth, is an award-winning international journalist who has written a number of best-selling suspense novels and a previous series. The Two Deaths of Ruth Lyle is billed as book 1 in the Detective Jan Talantire series and I’m excited to see what she tackles next.
FemaleSleuths.com 