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Audio book available from www.wfhowes.co.uk and www.ukaudiobooks.co.uk It is the milkman who notices something is wrong at Nan Lawrence's house. The old lady has never been friendly but she has always been predictable, so when her milk has been left untouched for two days he peers through the drawn curtains of her home, only to be shocked by the sight of her murdered body slumped over the piece of church embroidery she had been working on for months. When DI Joanna Piercy of Leek police arrives at the scene of the crime, it is immediately obvious to her why the unnamed house is known locally as Spite Hall. It is a very ugly post-war house built right in front of the beautiful old manor house next door. The manor is now occupied by Nan's elderly brother Arnold and his grandson Christian. Despite, or perhaps because of, their close proximity Arnold hasn't spoken to his sister for many years and isn't very upset at her death, and he predicts their other sister Lydia will laugh at the news. Initially the assumption is that the murder is the latest in a series of crimes against elderly women in Leek, which started with burglaries, then assaults of escalating brutality. But the pattern doesn't quite fit, and as Joanna questions the victims of the earlier crimes it becomes clear there are more to some of them than first met the eye. It also becomes increasingly clear that Nan Lawrence was a very unpopular and nasty woman, perhaps mourned only by her grandson. Joanna tries to uncover the family history which might have thrown up some motive for her murder whilst continuing to pursue the usual forensic leads. EMBROIDERING SHROUDS is a rather sad tale, and one can't help but be moved by the plight of the women attacked in their homes and by their continuing fears. But one is also intrigued by their untold stories, especially that of Nan Lawrence's family. The investigation takes place with very few clues to go on initially, so progress is made slowly, but the police procedure feels logical and convincing, and at all times I was keen to learn what would be discovered next. The resolution of the crime is unexpected and also rather sad in its way. I like Joanna Piercy as a policewoman but am still not sure I like her totally as a person -- the mistress who finds such difficulty empathising with her lover's teenage daughter. I do like this series, though, for its realism and strong story lines, and if you like British police procedurals, I recommend giving it a try. This unabridged audio book is narrated by Julia Franklin, and I enjoyed her rendition.
Reviewed by Bridget Bolton, April 2005
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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