Review: Interesting concept, good read.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 10, 2014
These stories are going to be fun to read.  Written like a short story, but with the twist of having each new mystery follow on the heels of its predecessor so the authors don't have to invent the wheel each time.  The concept seems to be that each story will be self-contained.  This first story in the series introduced Jack Brennan, retired from the NYPD and living on a boat moored on the Thames in the Cotswold village of Cherringham, and Sarah Edwards, divorced mother of two young children who has returned to her childhood home of Cherringham after the break-up of her marriage.  A friend of Sarah's from years in the past is found dead in the river and her death is ruled a suicide.  Sarah needs to understand why her friend would take her own life and finds herself working with Jack to find out what really happened.In order to stay within the restraints the authors have put on themselves, the emphasis is more on the crime solving than on background information about the characters or descriptions of the surroundings.  This worked very well in this first story and I think by reading more of the stories the main characters and location will be gradually filled out.  I worry a bit about Sarah having two children who are so young (thirteen and ten) that they both would naturally need quite a bit of parental attention.  I'll have to read another story to see if working the requirements of parenthood into the plot are dealt with in a sympathetic way.  I think this is an interesting concept and this story was an interesting read.