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The search for a lost dog leads to the discovery of a woman’s body in an disused mine in Wales. Local police are ordered to accept advice from Crow, a murder expert officer from London, but resent being told how to conduct their enquiries.

Halfway through the book, the case seems closed after a confession but Crow’s advice is ignored when he wants further investigation. Can the case really be so straightforward? What other secrets are being kept by the people in the valley?

In the second half the book, the preliminary court case begins and it quickly becomes apparent that the police have not been thorough enough in their original investigation. Crow is sent to find out the truth about the suspect and uncovers a dark secret from the past but is the alleged murderer innocent after all…?

I loved the setting of the book, having visited Wales last year on holiday. I found it very easy to imagine the places described in the book as well as the Welsh tone of the dialogue.

The book is set in the 1970s and has a gentleness that modern gritty police novels lack. The focus of the book is on the police discoveries not on the character of the lead detective or the grisly details of the murder.

This is the 5th book to feature DI Crow and the first one that I have read. It works well as a stand alone novel.

I loved the twist in the middle of the book as the investigation changes direction and momentum. I found it quite refreshing to have the main focus not be on a dysfunctional detective so that the plot developments are allowed to drive the book.

MURDER IN THE MINE (Inspector Crow #5) by Roy Lewis

Looking for a classic murder mystery from an acclaimed crime writer?

Discover Inspector Crow of Scotland Yard. Enjoy a beautifully told story from a time before smart phones and DNA testing. Full of twists and turns, this will have you gripped from start to finish.

THIS BOOK WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AS “A QUESTION OF DEGREE.”

“Roy Lewis can always be counted on for precise, original, interesting environment…yet his characters and settings always interact.” Financial Times

A hunt for a missing dog leads to a gruesome discovery down a mineshaft.

Not just the injured dog, but a valuable piece of jewellery . . . and the decaying corpse of a woman.

Detective John Crow is called in to run the investigation in this South Wales mining community. He discovers flaws in the dog owner’s account and a visit to the north east of England reveals the dead woman’s identity.

Then there is a surprise confession. But the skeletal Inspector Crow is not convinced, and he pursues the investigation into the dead woman’s complicated life. New suspects emerge.

But as Crow closes in on the killer, complicated questions remain. Full of intrigue, this mystery will have the reader guessing until the very end.

Set in England in the late early 70s, this is the fifth book to feature Inspector John Crow. More coming soon.

DISCOVER YOUR NEXT FAVOURITE MYSTERY WRITER

Perfect for fans of Peter James, Ruth Rendell, P.D. James and Peter Robinson.

Roy Lewis is one of the most critically acclaimed crime writers of his generation.

PRAISE FOR ROY LEWIS MYSTERIES

“Each Lewis seems to better the last. Here is an intriguing puzzle and likely police work and a fine picture of Northumbrian society and countryside” The Times

“Roy Lewis has demonstrated an enviable range both in geography and style…a nice neat story” The Financial Times

“Lots of cunning complications embracing conservation and financial fiddles” The Guardian

“A thorough, unpretentious and immensely solid piece of work with an interesting and likeable hero” Times Literary Supplement

“Chilly drama with some stirring cliff hanger” Sunday Telegraph

THE DETECTIVE

Skeletally-built, mild-mannered Inspector John Crow is established in the

 Murder Squad in London and constantly meets hostility when he is called upon to work on murder cases in regional crime squads in Wales and the Midlands. He displays strong moral feelings, and a sensitivity which brings him into conflict with regional staff as he doggedly and successfully pursues the truth in cases where he is called in.

INSPECTOR CROW BOOKS

Book 1: A LOVER TOO MANY

Book 2: ERROR OF JUDGMENT

Book 3: THE WOODS MURDER

Book 4: MURDER FOR MONEY

Book 5: MURDER IN THE MINE

MORE COMING SOON!

Roy Lewis Author Bio:

Roy Lewis is a well-established crime writer with 60 novels to his name. He lives in the north of England where he sets many of his books. He is a former college principal and Inspector of Schools who now runs business training programmes and has business interests in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. He has three children – all of them lawyers.