Review: A jolly good read
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 16, 2012
This book, recently re-issued, tells the story of a Cornish tin mine, a small-time journalist and a reclusive writer with a bit of a past.  May is in charge of a small weekly newspaper owned by David Polglaze, nominally her boss.  After the tragic death of a swimmer on the rocky Cornish coastline, May meets Joe, a former policeman with a suspicious past.  In trying to discover the dead swimmer's identity, May and Joe find out something about the local mine, soon to be reopened by Polglaze.  It's a mystery, a historic conspiracy and a bit of a romance too.The story zips along and we can feel the Cornish winter as so many of the scenes seem to take place in dripping clothes or steaming by a fire.  The author is good at scene setting and descriptive work but never gets carried away.  The writing doesn't hold up the story.  I enjoyed this book, particularly the unpicking of the tale of the mining tragedy which had resulted in the closure of the mine.  The story builds to an exciting climax.  A jolly good read.