The Killings at Badger's Drift by Caroline Graham
Earlier this year I wrote about the series Midsomer Murders which I absolutely adore. I knew the shows were based on books, but I never chose to read one until recently. The Killings at Badger’s Drift is the first in the series of books by Caroline Graham that star Chief Inspector Barnaby and Sergeant Troy.
Emily Simpson is an elderly former teacher who witnesses something she should not have. Not long later Ms. Simpson is found dead. Due to her age, the death is ruled as natural causes. Her best friend, Lucy Bellringer, does not believe the determined cause of death and takes her concerns to Chief Inspector Barnaby. He decides to check out the situation with the assistance of a reluctant Sergeant Troy. What they encounter during their investigation is quite unexpected.
The people Barnaby and Troy meet are, well, let us just say interesting. First off are Mrs. Rainbird and her son, Dennis, who works in the mortuary business. They have an unusual relationship and conduct secret dealings with members of the town. Next is Dr. Lessiter, the man who declared the cause of death. He was tricked into an unhappy marriage by an ex-prostitute who is currently cheating on him. Judy, Dr. Lessiter’s daughter, hates her step-mother, despises the father she once cared for greatly, and is in love with local painter Michael. This young man is cranky, sullen, and enjoys being an outcast. The only family he has is his sister Katherine, but he spends his time arguing with her. She is the much younger fiancée to a handicapped widow, Henry, a man who would do anything for her. This adoration causes a problem for Phyllis, the woman taking care of Henry’s house, as she has feelings for him. Then finally we have Henry’s wife Bella. She died in an unusual accident. There are probably others as well, but there were so many different characters, it is hard to remember them all!
These are just the people Barnaby and Troy encounter. The events they deal with are also numerous. There is blackmail, more murder, suicide, and a much unexpected reason for why Ms. Simpson was killed in the first place. This is a lot to put in a book that is not all that long, but Ms. Graham does it very well.
Even though I knew what happened because of the television series, it was interesting to see how the book differed. One big thing was the personalities of Troy and Barnaby. They were not as pleasing of characters in the book. This is especially true of Troy. He seems really resentful and negative throughout the book, especially at Barnaby. As I absolutely adore Daniel Casey’s portrayal of Troy, this was disappointing to see. Barnaby is also different, as he is much more brusk and hard in the book. I think I will stick with John Nettles’s TV version of Barnaby. What I did like in the book about the Barnaby character is how much he loves his wife. This is shown on the TV series, but the book lets us see it even more so.
Due to my liking the TV Barnaby and Troy so much, I do not know if I will continue with the books. However, if you are a person who likes to read what something is based upon, this is a good and worthwhile book. I cannot foresee why the others would not be as well. The mystery is well done and there are a lot of internal character details that can be difficult to realize on screen. I am tempted to go back and watch the show based on the book I just read. What I am curious about is if I notice anything different from before. Hmmm, on second thought, maybe I will read more of the books for comparison.
The people Barnaby and Troy meet are, well, let us just say interesting. First off are Mrs. Rainbird and her son, Dennis, who works in the mortuary business. They have an unusual relationship and conduct secret dealings with members of the town. Next is Dr. Lessiter, the man who declared the cause of death. He was tricked into an unhappy marriage by an ex-prostitute who is currently cheating on him. Judy, Dr. Lessiter’s daughter, hates her step-mother, despises the father she once cared for greatly, and is in love with local painter Michael. This young man is cranky, sullen, and enjoys being an outcast. The only family he has is his sister Katherine, but he spends his time arguing with her. She is the much younger fiancée to a handicapped widow, Henry, a man who would do anything for her. This adoration causes a problem for Phyllis, the woman taking care of Henry’s house, as she has feelings for him. Then finally we have Henry’s wife Bella. She died in an unusual accident. There are probably others as well, but there were so many different characters, it is hard to remember them all!
These are just the people Barnaby and Troy encounter. The events they deal with are also numerous. There is blackmail, more murder, suicide, and a much unexpected reason for why Ms. Simpson was killed in the first place. This is a lot to put in a book that is not all that long, but Ms. Graham does it very well.
Even though I knew what happened because of the television series, it was interesting to see how the book differed. One big thing was the personalities of Troy and Barnaby. They were not as pleasing of characters in the book. This is especially true of Troy. He seems really resentful and negative throughout the book, especially at Barnaby. As I absolutely adore Daniel Casey’s portrayal of Troy, this was disappointing to see. Barnaby is also different, as he is much more brusk and hard in the book. I think I will stick with John Nettles’s TV version of Barnaby. What I did like in the book about the Barnaby character is how much he loves his wife. This is shown on the TV series, but the book lets us see it even more so.
Due to my liking the TV Barnaby and Troy so much, I do not know if I will continue with the books. However, if you are a person who likes to read what something is based upon, this is a good and worthwhile book. I cannot foresee why the others would not be as well. The mystery is well done and there are a lot of internal character details that can be difficult to realize on screen. I am tempted to go back and watch the show based on the book I just read. What I am curious about is if I notice anything different from before. Hmmm, on second thought, maybe I will read more of the books for comparison.
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