Not so hidden flame

Inspector David Graham has moved to the island of Jersey (UK, not New Jersey) for the peace, quiet and laid-back life that I guess Jersey is known for.  Unfortunately, a murder happens almost as soon as he arrives, so he has to go straight to work with his ragtag group of officers (the drunk, the wannabe super detective and the lonely woman officer who thinks her new boss might be quite a catch).  Witnesses are interviewed, motives are sussed out and the case is solved in a Holmes/Marple/Poirot type of way.  I figured out who did it and why fairly early on, but it didn’t take away from the book in any way.

This is truly a cozy mystery.  It has a slow and steady pace, no real vulgarity and almost feels like a story from another era.  Even the motives are kind of understandable and the victim is rather likable.  That being said, the characters are well, characters.  The only character the authors want you to care about is DI Graham, so they don’t spend much time fleshing out the other officers or any of the suspects.  They don’t really flesh out DI Graham either.  You’re told all of these great things about his character, but you’re never really shown these things.  The only thing I remember about him is that he’s particular about the tea he drinks and has a tendency to either tune people out or get lost in his own thoughts.  I also get the feeling that he has a high opinion of himself.

All that being said, this was a short read that I finished in about an hour.  It works just fine as something to occupy your mind during a tea break.  Preferably at a resort in Jersey.