Death Under a Little Sky is a debut crime novel (the first in a series) by British journalist Stig Abell and will appeal to anyone who loves the comfort of reading traditional mysteries.

Overall, I did enjoy this good blend of mystery, of atmospheric setting with some romance and relationships.In May 2016, Abell became the editor of The Times Literary Supplement, succeeding Sir Peter Stothard, who had edited the newspaper for the previous 14 years.

I wondered if this was going to be a kind of homage to the golden age authors he clearly reveres, but although he references many of them entertainingly, his style is very much his own. Showboat Medical Examiner Margot Heavner makes it clear that, breaking with her department’s earlier practice ( The Bone Collection, 2016, etc.There is the mention of so many mystery authors and the hero’s home has a 5000 book library which all just puts me in my happy place. The isolated setting worked well, although it was fairly unbelievable that you could have a whole house and modern extension, with some modern fittings, without any kind of access road or lane. Meanwhile, in Bristol, Livvy Nicholson has a six-month-old son, a loving new husband, Dominic, and a yearning to get back to work that is being inadvertently thwarted by Dominic’s plans for his own career. The author blends mystery with an incredibly atmospheric setting which he really brings to life with his lyrical and descriptive writing. In the best possible way, this is a hugely stressful read, as we watch both women slowly come to realise the truth about their situations, urging them on from the sidelines.