by M.R.C. Kasasian
Head of Zeus, Ltd., 2019
This is an interesting read for fans of British mysteries that take place between the wars. It is not a "serious" tale; it is a silly one. However, if one sticks with it past the first three or so chapters, the author settles into the story and the silliness takes on the aspect of classic British quirkiness and eccentricity.
Told in the first person, Betty Church is a send-up of mysteries akin to Foyle's War, but instead of a soft-spoken, competent, male protagonist, we have an outspoken, scarily competent, one-handed, female protagonist, frustrated by the incompetence of her colleagues and family members. Her parents are a horror show of indifference and pain (her father is the Sweeney Todd of dentists); a chief inspector who suffers from incapacitating shell shock; a sergeant and twin constables straight out of a pantomime; and away from the job, an avuncular connection with an ex-fiance's father, and a struck-off doctor operating as the de facto M.E. These latter two are the sole source of sanity in DI Church's world. When the case begins to get interesting, DI Church is assisted by an old family friend: a female pantomime mix of Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, and Sir John Fielding. This character's role is mostly limited to advice and criminal prior history, a comedic deus ex paperwork.
The story plays out in a series of mistaken identities, rumors gone mad, red herrings, and with a blonde-headed bimbo who is anything but. Once the author finds his stride, Betty Church and the Suffolk Vampire is an amusing diversion, with a couple of laugh-out-loud moments, but getting to that point could be a challenge for a less-determined reader.
