The Murders at Fleat House by Lucinda Riley

Lucinda Riley, best-selling author of the Seven Sisters series and the Angel series wrote The Murders at Fleat House in 2006. It is her only crime novel and her son Harry Whittaker decided to leave it as he found it after her death in 2021. The story has stood the test of time as a compelling and interesting crime novel and introduces Detective Inspector Jazmine ‘Jazz’ Hunter and her sidekick DS Alistair Miles.

Fleat House is part of the small private school of St Stephen’s in Norfolk. When Charlie Cavendish is found dead, Jazz is convinced that his death was not accidental, and when investigating, turns up some disturbing incidents in the past as well as the present. Charlie was known to be a bully and there were people around him who could have switched the drugs he took for his epilepsy. When a young pupil, Rory Millar, disappears and the Classics teacher dies, it is up to Jazz to link up the clues and find the killer.

The claustrophobic atmosphere of St Stephen’s provides a background for the murder and the bullying that has not been stopped by the teaching staff. There are themes of divorce, alcoholism and infidelity in the wider school community and some red herrings will lead the reader astray until the final denouement.

The Murders at Fleat House is an easy to read, engaging story with a detective who is likeable and a mystery that is compelling. Readers are likely to be left wishing that there were more novels featuring Jazz and her team.

Themes: Mystery, Murder, Crime, Thriller, Bullying.

Pat Pledger