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emckeon1002's review against another edition
4.0
This is a good old-fashioned police procedural in a rural English town, that moves at the pace of a good old-fashioned police procedural. What makes it stand out is that England has just moved past Dunkirk, and is on the verge of real war with Germany. We have shell-shocked soldiers returned to their homes as damaged goods. We have Land Army volunteers, and a German national internment camp. We also have murder, cross-class lust and more murder. Jennings knows how to tell a story, and to keep the mystery working until the bitter, and it is bitter, end.
sagamohr's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
novelesque_life's review against another edition
4.0
4 STARS
"Following the disastrous retreat of the British army from Dunkirk in 1940, England is plunged into a state of fear. The threat of a German invasion is real, and many German Nationals are interned in camps across the country. One such camp is on the ancient moor land of Prees Heath, near the small town of Whitchurch in Shropshire, where Tom Tyler is the sole detective inspector.
Young women from all walks of life have joined the Land Army, to help desperate farmers keep the country fed. When one of these young women is found murdered on a desolate country road, Tyler is almost glad for the challenge; he has been fretting for some time about the dullness of policing in a rural community. In addition, a former lover has reappeared and turned his emotions upside down; his soldier son seems utterly changed by his experience at Dunkirk; and his sixteen year old daughter is unhappy. As he pursues the murderer, Tyler finds himself drawn into an uneasy alliance with one of the Prees Heath internees, a psychiatrist, who claims to be an expert on the criminal mind." (From Amazon)
A great mystery suspense novel set during WWII in Britain. Jennings has a great ability to capture the era and the situations of the the time. Tom Tyler is an ever day DI who you can easily relate with and like. I cannot wait for the second novel.
"Following the disastrous retreat of the British army from Dunkirk in 1940, England is plunged into a state of fear. The threat of a German invasion is real, and many German Nationals are interned in camps across the country. One such camp is on the ancient moor land of Prees Heath, near the small town of Whitchurch in Shropshire, where Tom Tyler is the sole detective inspector.
Young women from all walks of life have joined the Land Army, to help desperate farmers keep the country fed. When one of these young women is found murdered on a desolate country road, Tyler is almost glad for the challenge; he has been fretting for some time about the dullness of policing in a rural community. In addition, a former lover has reappeared and turned his emotions upside down; his soldier son seems utterly changed by his experience at Dunkirk; and his sixteen year old daughter is unhappy. As he pursues the murderer, Tyler finds himself drawn into an uneasy alliance with one of the Prees Heath internees, a psychiatrist, who claims to be an expert on the criminal mind." (From Amazon)
A great mystery suspense novel set during WWII in Britain. Jennings has a great ability to capture the era and the situations of the the time. Tom Tyler is an ever day DI who you can easily relate with and like. I cannot wait for the second novel.
prncess2004's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent book. I had no idea who the killer was until it was revealed at the end. I listened to it on Audible and the narrator was fantastic. I will likely listen to the other 3 books in the series even though it's a different narrator for them.
benfast's review against another edition
2.0
Season of Darkness is not a well-put-together book. The story is decent (but not superb), the writing style is easy enough to read, but the editing and proof reading was surprisingly bad for an accomplished and well-known author. Maureen Jennings' previous work, which became the popular TV movie and program called Murdoch Mysteries, should mean this new trilogy would be well-written and well-edited. Unfortunately there are far too many grammatical errors and omitted words to make it enjoyable. It is amazing how such a few number can slow you down and make you not enjoy the book.
In terms of the mystery element, I found it less suspenseful and more of a "I wonder what happens next" plot. There were a lot of things which I didn't see coming, but once they happened it was less an element of intrigue as just surprise Jennings went that way. Some of the events also seemed forced, like the only way to make them make sense was to explain them after the fact. This wasn't all that big of a deal because I had longer breaks between reading, so having an easy storyline was what I needed.
The British countryside is a nice touch, there is definitely a feeling of being in a small town, but all the action happens at the police office, Alice Thorne's house, the Prees Heath camp, and Tyler's home. There is a vague description of two neighbourhood pubs and what seemed to be a surprisingly modern and stylish bachelor pad for Tyler's love interest.
And that brings me to one of the annoying parts of this book: the love story. It was completely useless! I know each good story needs a bit of romance, but it was like Jennings fell into a soft-core porno lit chapter (or five) of mushy, possibly emotional, possibly pointless sex. I couldn't tell if it would lead anywhere, I knew it didn't have too much to do with the story (at least nothing more important than just a mention of Clare and Tom's history), and I didn't like reading it. There was also pretty much no closure for that part of the story, and I felt for a few other plot lines as well.
Overall this book was a decent way to kill time and get into summer reading mode, but if you want a more engaging story, choose something else. I'll give this a 2.5-3 out of 5 simply because the story is good enough to keep you engaged while reading it, and not too much detail to bog you down. It is a good book to pick up and put down when you need but it won't fufill any deep need for suspense or complicated plots.
In terms of the mystery element, I found it less suspenseful and more of a "I wonder what happens next" plot. There were a lot of things which I didn't see coming, but once they happened it was less an element of intrigue as just surprise Jennings went that way. Some of the events also seemed forced, like the only way to make them make sense was to explain them after the fact. This wasn't all that big of a deal because I had longer breaks between reading, so having an easy storyline was what I needed.
The British countryside is a nice touch, there is definitely a feeling of being in a small town, but all the action happens at the police office, Alice Thorne's house, the Prees Heath camp, and Tyler's home. There is a vague description of two neighbourhood pubs and what seemed to be a surprisingly modern and stylish bachelor pad for Tyler's love interest.
And that brings me to one of the annoying parts of this book: the love story. It was completely useless! I know each good story needs a bit of romance, but it was like Jennings fell into a soft-core porno lit chapter (or five) of mushy, possibly emotional, possibly pointless sex. I couldn't tell if it would lead anywhere, I knew it didn't have too much to do with the story (at least nothing more important than just a mention of Clare and Tom's history), and I didn't like reading it. There was also pretty much no closure for that part of the story, and I felt for a few other plot lines as well.
Overall this book was a decent way to kill time and get into summer reading mode, but if you want a more engaging story, choose something else. I'll give this a 2.5-3 out of 5 simply because the story is good enough to keep you engaged while reading it, and not too much detail to bog you down. It is a good book to pick up and put down when you need but it won't fufill any deep need for suspense or complicated plots.
mactammonty's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this look at rural England after Dunkirk. The murder mystery provided a good backdrop to learning about the tensions in a small town during a major war.
It was also a relief not to be bombarded with the devastation that always takes prevalence in books during that time period.
It was also a relief not to be bombarded with the devastation that always takes prevalence in books during that time period.
redraccoon's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
frasersimons's review against another edition
3.0
This was completely fine. More self aware than most, especially considering the intersections with war (which are never my particular bait), and has more agency for the women of the story than normal. Otherwise, though, I think the meat and bones of the thing are a Is What It Says On the Tin category for me. The red herrings weren’t particularly obfuscated and the story was wrapped up a little too snug. Won’t be continuing but can see why some would be into it, especially if they’re into war/military, and the politics of that.
lisaarnsdorf's review against another edition
5.0
Devoured this book! Read it nonstop on a plane, forgoing naps and bathroom breaks. The characters are wonderful. Tom Tyler is a breathe of fresh air - not the grumpy, loner detective but one with a kind heart and a sense of humor. I loved his lessons to his junior policemen.
I didn't know much about internment camps in the UK. It was fascinating to learn about a new aspect of the war.
Lots of surprises. I can't wait to read the next one!
I didn't know much about internment camps in the UK. It was fascinating to learn about a new aspect of the war.
Lots of surprises. I can't wait to read the next one!
looddle's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0