The Corpse's Tale

ISBN: 1905170319

Publication Date May 2006

Publisher: Accent Press, Doc Penfro

Format: Paperback, 195x127 mm, 128 pages

The Corpse Tale is one of the series of ‘Quick Reads’ designed to be exciting and accessible to adults of all reading abilities. It is a short book (115 pages) and written in a very accessible style, but Katherine John manages brilliantly to fit a very convincing, gripping story into this short format.

Ten years ago, Dai Morgan was found guilty of murdering 19-year-old Anna Hughes in the small Welsh village of Llan. Now his sentence has been overturned for lack of evidence and Inspector Trevor Joseph must go to Llan to reopen the case. The whole village believes Dai to be guilty and are determined to give Trevor and his team no help at all. The police who investigated last time are particularly hostile. Is the village protecting itself or shielding a murderer?

Katherine John captures particularly successfully the enclosed, suspicious atmosphere of a small village even ten years after such a terrible crime. I really believed in Llan and all its inhabitants, and couldn’t stop reading until I knew the truth. You wonder how Trevor can solve a murder so long after the event, and also you worry what will happen to Dai if his name is never cleared. I would highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoys crime fiction.

Janet Thomas

It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgement should be included: A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council.