A Death to Record

by Rebecca Tope

Book Overview

When the body of herdsman Sean O'Farrell was discovered in one of the farm buildings, Detective Sergeant Den Cooper is more than happy to cast one of the local farmers, Gordon Hillcock, in the role of chief suspect. After all, it is a well-known fact that there was no love lost between Gordon and the victim. And besides, Den has a little grudge of his own - Gordon is currently dating Den's ex-fiancee Lilah and was actually the reason she dumped him...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312302606
• ISBN13: 9780312302603
• Release Date: June 2003
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.9" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Muck and reality of an English dairy farm

A DEATH TO RECORD is the latest installment of Tope's well-written mystery series set in an English farming community. Lilah Beardon is now engaged to Gordon Hillcock, 15 years her senior and owner of Dunsworthy Farm. When the Dunsworthy herdsman is found stabbed to death by a hayfork, Gordon is the prime suspect. The only detective available to investigate the murder is Detective Sergeant Den Cooper, Lilah's ex-fiance. Den hates Gordon for taking Lilah from him and would love to find him guilty, but he is a fair person and tries not to let his jealousy blind him to other suspects. Lilah also is concerned about Den's bias and vows to find the murderer and clear Gordon herself. Tope conveys all the muck and reality of a dairy farm, and also the difficulty of an independent farmer's survival in the face of increasing regulations and sinking market prices. Animal cruelty is another issue in the story. Lives are intertwined in the small community and a local murder affects even those only peripherally involved. Tope's characters are believable, sympathetic and charming, and I look forward to what's in store next for residents of the Okehampton police district.

fascinating British police procedural

Now that BSE has subsided, TB is decimating the herds of cows all across England, and rightly or wrongly, the farmers believe that badgers are the carriers of the disease. On Recording Day, Deirdre Watson expects her time on Dunsworthy Farm to be boring as usual. However, she revises her opinion and becomes horrified when the owner of the property, Gordon Hillcock, finds the body of his herdsman, Sean O'Farrell in his barn, a homicide victim.The lead detective on the case is Detective Sergeant Den Cooper who absolutely hates Gordon and hopes the Devon dairy farmer is the guilty party. Gordon is now seeing Lilah Beardon, the woman Den loves and had been seriously involved with for the past three years. His investigation proves to Den, his co-workers and his superior that Gordon is the most likely culprit but they have to work overtime and work around local prejudice to find evidence that will back up their hunch.A DEATH TO RECORD is a fascinating British police procedural that focuses as much on interpersonal relationships as it does on the actual investigation. Den is a fine person who doesn't let his personal feelings for his ex-girlfriend get in the way of his doing his job to the best of his ability. The victim was a vile man who tortured animals and had a lot of enemies, which makes for a lot of suspects. The person who actually did the deed will be hard to find but Den will not rest until he does.Harriet Klausner