When a murder takes place in a village, don’t expect to find the culprit if he is a villager. If he is an outsider, that’s another story. 🙂 E.C.R. Lorac sets yet another murder mystery in the countryside. A murder takes place in the quiet village of Milham in the Moor in Devon, and the local police are summoned to investigate. But things are made difficult for the police as they face the quiet hostility of the villagers. They decide to summon Scotland Yard, and in come Chief Inspector Robert McDonald to carry out the investigation.
Murder in the Mill-Race is an engaging murder mystery written by Lorac. The plot is complex and threads on many grounds, making the mystery intriguing. The Chief Inspector MacDonald shines his best here. His intelligence and years of experience come in very handy here. Since the villagers are uncommunicative, he must rely more on his wits and expertise to uncover the criminal. The role played by MacDonald is what I enjoyed the most. in this story. This is not the best of mysteries written by Lorac. The criminal wasn’t all too difficult to guess, and the motive was a bit lame. However, MacDonald, his subordinate Reeves, and the village community compensated and balanced the scale.
Lorac’s true gift is her writing. I’ve always said that about her. She has this amazing ability to create the atmosphere and bring the setting and characters of the story to life. That helps the readers to connect with the story. Even if the underlying murder-mystery plot is not too satisfying, one is sure to enjoy the story overall. I’ve come to admire the creativity of Lorac greatly, and in my estimation, she is one of the best Golden Age mystery writers. It’s a real shame that more books in this series are not available for readers. I, for one, would have truly loved to read more.
Rating: 4/5
