A Place of Safety

Last updated

A Place of Safety
A Place of Safety.jpg
First edition cover
AuthorCaroline Graham
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
SeriesChief Inspector Barnaby
Genre crime novel
Published11 March 1999 Headline (UK)
Sept 1999 Minotaur (US)
Pages377
ISBN 9780312244194
OCLC 42196867
Preceded by Faithful unto Death  
Followed by A Ghost in the Machine  

A Place of Safety is a crime novel written by English writer Caroline Graham and first published by Headline in 1999. The story follows Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby investigating the murder of a man in a village. It is the sixth volume in Graham's Chief Inspector Barnaby series, preceded by Faithful unto Death and followed by A Ghost in the Machine .

Contents

Unlike Graham's previous Chief Inspector Barnaby novels, A Place of Safety was not adapted for the television series Midsomer Murders . According to Graham, this was because the novel did not fit into the "Whodunit" format of the series. [1]

Plot summary

Ferne Basset vicar's wife Ann Lawrence accuses Carlotta, a young homeless girl her husband has taken in, of stealing her precious heirloom earrings. Their argument escalates and the pair end up fighting on the area's picturesque bridge, when Carlotta falls off into the river below.

After her body doesn't re-surface, witness Charlie Leathers begins blackmailing Ann for money, until he's found garrotted and his pet dog, Candy, left savagely beaten. However, still another blackmail demand arrives and this time Ann won't pay. Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Barnaby peels away at the wholesome veneer of Ferne Basset in his hunt for a dangerous and sadistic killer.

Reception

A starred review from Publishers Weekly stated: "Graham's eighth novel...masterfully recounts the effects of love--or its absence--on a diverse group of people, including her series detective, Inspector Tom Barnaby...Graham is a master of pacing, and her dialogue is dark and worldly-wise enough to make this much fuller fare than most English-village cozies." [2] Kirkus Reviews noted: "The author’s sharp characters and complex but believable plotting are in full play here, to the reader’s delight. " [3] David Pitt in Booklist remarked that the novel is gentle but intensely pleasurable reading. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Murder of Roger Ackroyd</i> 1926 detective novel by Agatha Christie

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is a detective novel by the British writer Agatha Christie, her third to feature Hercule Poirot as the lead detective. The novel was published in the UK in June 1926 by William Collins, Sons, having previously been serialised as Who Killed Ackroyd? between July and September 1925 in the London Evening News. An American edition by Dodd, Mead and Company followed in 1926.

Lynda Suzanne Robinson is an American writer of romance fiction under the name Suzanne Robinson and mystery novels under the name Lynda S. Robinson. She is best known for her Lord Meren series of historical mysteries set in Ancient Egypt during the reign of Tutankhamun.

<i>Midsomer Murders</i> British television detective drama series

Midsomer Murders is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the Chief Inspector Barnaby book series, and broadcast on two channels of ITV since its premiere on 23 March 1997. The series focuses on various murder cases that take place within small country villages across the fictional English county of Midsomer, and the efforts of the senior police detective and his partner within the fictional Midsomer Constabulary to solve the crime by determining who the culprit is and the motive for their actions. It identifies itself differently from other detective dramas often by featuring a mixture of lighthearted whimsy and dark humour, as well as a notable soundtrack that includes the use of a theremin for the show's theme.

Caroline Graham is an English playwright, screenwriter and novelist.

Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Geoffrey "Tom" Barnaby is a fictional detective created by English writer Caroline Graham as the protagonist in her Chief Inspector Barnaby novel series and adapted into one of the main characters in the ITV drama Midsomer Murders.

Chris Petit is an English novelist and filmmaker. During the 1970s he was Film Editor for Time Out and wrote in Melody Maker. His first film was the cult British road movie Radio On, while his 1982 film An Unsuitable Job for a Woman was entered into the 32nd Berlin International Film Festival. His films often have a strong element of psychogeography, and he has worked frequently with the writer Iain Sinclair. He has also written a number of novels, including Robinson (1993).

<i>Written in Blood</i> (novel)

Written in Blood is a crime novel by English author Caroline Graham, first published by Headline in 1992. The story follows Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby as he investigates the murder of a retired civil servant. It is the fourth volume in Graham's Chief Inspector Barnaby series, preceded by Death in Disguise and followed by Faithful unto Death. It has been adapted into an episode in ITV drama Midsomer Murders.

<i>The Killings at Badgers Drift</i> Book by Caroline Graham

The Killings at Badger's Drift is a mystery novel by English writer Caroline Graham and published by Century in 1987. The story follows Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby investigating the murder of an elderly spinster in a rural village. It is the first volume in Graham's Chief Inspector Barnaby series, followed by Death of a Hollow Man. In 1997, it was adapted as the pilot of Midsomer Murders, a popular ITV television series based on Graham's books.

<i>"F" Is for Fugitive</i>

"F" Is for Fugitive is the sixth novel in Sue Grafton's "Alphabet" series of mystery novels and features Kinsey Millhone, a private eye based in Santa Teresa, California.

<i>A Ghost in the Machine</i> Book by Caroline Graham

A Ghost in the Machine is a crime novel written by English writer Caroline Graham and first published by Headline in 2004. The story follows Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby investigating the case of the death of an antique collector. It is the seventh and final volume in Graham's Chief Inspector Barnaby series and preceded by A Place of Safety.

<i>Faithful unto Death</i> 1996 crime novel by Caroline Graham

Faithful unto Death is a crime novel written by English writer Caroline Graham and first published by Headline in 1996. The story follows Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby investigating the case of a missing woman. It is the fifth volume in Graham's Chief Inspector Barnaby series, preceded by Written in Blood and followed by A Place of Safety. It has been adapted into an episode in the ITV drama Midsomer Murders.

<i>Death of a Hollow Man</i> Book by Caroline Graham

Death of a Hollow Man is a detective novel by English writer Caroline Graham published by Century in 1989. The story follows Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby investigating the murder of a stage actor during an ongoing play. It is the second volume in Graham's Chief Inspector Barnaby series, preceded by The Killings at Badger's Drift and followed by Death in Disguise. It has been adapted into an episode in the ITV drama Midsomer Murders.

<i>Death in Disguise</i> Book by Caroline Graham

Death in Disguise is a crime novel written by English writer Caroline Graham and first published by Headline in 1992. The story follows Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby investigating the murder of a cult member. It is the third volume in Graham's Chief Inspector Barnaby series, preceded by Death of a Hollow Man and followed by Written in Blood. It has been adapted into an episode in the ITV drama Midsomer Murders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Killing Ground (novel)</span>

The Killing Ground is a fiction novel written by Jack Higgins in 2007.

<i>Midnight Voices</i>

Midnight Voices is a thriller horror novel by John Saul, published by Ballantine Books on May 28, 2002. The novel follows the story of Caroline Evans, who moves with her new husband and children into a new building, which they begin to believe is haunted.

Amy Myers is a British mystery writer. She is best known for her Marsh and Daughter mystery series, featuring a writing team consisting of a wheel-chair bound ex-policeman and his daughter, and for another series, featuring a Victorian era chef, Auguste Didier. Myers' books have been favourably reviewed in Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus Reviews. Myers has also been published many times in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. Janet Hutchings, the magazine's longtime editor, called Myers "one of our best and most frequent contributors of historicals".

<i>Moonflower Murders</i> Novel by Anthony Horowitz

Moonflower Murders is a 2020 mystery novel by British author Anthony Horowitz and the second novel in the Susan Ryeland series. The story focuses on the disappearance of a hotel employee and uses a story within a story format.

<i>The Rabbit Hutch</i> 2022 novel by Tess Gunty

The Rabbit Hutch is a 2022 debut novel by writer Tess Gunty and winner of the 2022 National Book Award for Fiction. Gunty won the inaugural Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize and the Barnes & Noble Discover Prize for the novel.

References

  1. http://midsomermurders.org/cgrahaminconversation.htm
  2. "Fiction Book Review: A Place of Safety by Caroline Graham". Publishers Weekly. 1 October 1999. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  3. "A PLACE OF SAFETY". Kirkus Reviews. 5 October 1999. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  4. Pitt, David (August 1999). "Review of A Place of Safety". Booklist. United States: American Library Association. p. 2033.