Murder in Friday Street Book

4 stars

I read the Kindle edition.

Alice Winters is found dead outside the village of Friday Street. It is reported to be a haunted village. The name Friday Street could possibly be derived from the fact that it was often used to denote the path on the way to the gallows. When Alice's boyfriend Jake Baines is charged with the murder, private detective fiction writers Peter Marsh and his daughter Georgia take an interest in the case. Peter's police career was cut short when a bullet to the back put him in a wheelchair.

The same day that Jake is arrested, a melody was heard playing in the village. The haunting tune was said to be played whenever a miscarriage of justice has occurred.

Peter calls his old boss, Sergeant Mike Gilroy who tells him a little information. Peter then tells Georgia about a case from 1968 in the same village. The murder of Sweet Fanny Adams (she was born Frances Gibb), as she was known then. She was also known as Fanny Star. She was a rock star who when coming home to her own village to play a concert, was murdered. Her boyfriend Adam Jones was found guilty of the murder. Adam was also Fanny's singing partner. She, too, was stabbed to death. He served time for her murder and killed himself upon his release.

Georgia wonders if the melody was also heard when Fanny was killed? Peter and Georgia discuss the similarities between the murders: the same knife, the repeated stabbings, the women were found in an isolated area, and so on.

Luke is Peter and Georgia's publisher and Georgia's "boyfriend." They tour Friday Street together and find the people more than a little standoffish. Peter and Georgia decide to go on a ghost tour and see what it's all about. Georgia has a strange experience on the ghost tour.

Peter and Georgia's investigation into Fanny and Alice's deaths begins. They are stonewalled by relatives, friends and acquaintances at every turn. Finally and slowly, they begin to eke out a little information. Some very interesting facts come to light. As they piece together what must have happened, Georgia goes to the tower to look for Alice's hidden stash and comes face to face with the killer. The identity of the killer comes as some surprise - at least to me it did.

I really enjoyed this story. It was my first time reading Amy Myers and I will certainly go to Amazon to look for others of her novels. I appreciated Peter and Georgia's relationship; their bantering and tossing around theories was enjoyable. It would be great if Georgia got over her fears and took up more permanently with Luke. I imagine we'll have to wait some time before we find out the outcome of their relationship.

I want to thank NetGalley and Endeavour Press for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for read, enjoy and review.