A Lesson in Dying: The First Inspector Ramsay Novel by Ann Cleeves #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Inspector Ramsay Series Book 1

Book Blurb:

Before Shetland and Vera, Ann Cleeves wrote the Inspector Ramsay series featuring a talented, brilliant detective—now in print for the first time in the US.

Who hung the headmaster in the playground on the night of the school Halloween Party?

Almost everyone in Heppleburn either hated or feared the viper-tongued Harold Medburn. Inspector Ramsay is convinced it was the headmaster’s enigmatic wife but Jack Robson, school governor and caretaker, is determined to prove her innocence.

With the help of his restless daughter Patty, Jack digs into the secrets of Heppleburn, and uncovers a cesspit of lies, adultery, blackmail and madness . . .

My Review:

I once asked if Ann Cleeves was an acquired taste. Perhaps I fall into that category, totally mystified by not only her prolific writing history, but the lengths at which one of her bestselling series has gone. One I haven’t even tapped yet, the Shetland books. And, good grief, it’s a critically acclaimed series of crime novels appearing on BBC in it’s ninth season. Whaa??

Admittedly, her books, what I’ve read so far, haven’t exactly hooked with a sensational start. These are generally a slow build up and sometimes even sag in the middle. So why did I return to Vera Stanhope, for instance?

This novel begins the Inspector Ramsay series, first published in 1990. Goodness! One of her first or just one of her shortest? (Thank heaven.) Perhaps this wouldn’t be a good example of her later writing style as it fails to dig deeply into developing main (or multiple) characters but I like getting into a series with Book 1 where I can, so I downloaded this one.

The atmosphere is rather dreary and the storyline fairly simple, doesn’t lapse into a complex plot. The supporting characters are about as strong as the inspector, small village, lots of gossips. Inspector Ramsay just didn’t have the punch, and really, I didn’t particularly like him.

Of course there is a quick and easy perp arrested for the crime (among all the others who hated him equally), and Inspector Ramsay isn’t exactly a fireball and appears to let others do his job. The plot is rather dull, predictable, and in the end (for me) a snoozer. The first of six.  Disappointing. Yes, I recommend Ann Cleeves; no, I don’t recommend the first of this series.

Okay, it’s an early effort and I can attest she later developed a compelling writing style. I enjoy the Vera Stanhope books, the last I read being The Rising Tide. Love that the character is a mature woman, isn’t a boozer, a bed-hopper, and damaged by calamitous history.

Well, obviously, I’m going to have to find Raven Black, the first in the Shetland books. What have I missed? I’m going to find out. Are you a diehard fan of Ann Cleeves? Did you read this one?

I downloaded this copy from my local library and appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own opinions.

Rosepoint Rating: Two point Five Stars

 

Book Details:

Genre: Traditional Detective Mysteries, Amateur Sleuth Mysteries
Publisher: Minotaur Books
IASIN: B0DJZ54RXJ
Print Length: 227 pages
Publication Date: March 25, 2025
Source: Local Library

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US  |  Amazon-UK   |   Barnes & Noble  |  Kobo

 

The Author: Ann (born October 1954) is the author of the books behind ITV’s VERA, now in it’s third series, and the BBC’s SHETLAND, which will be aired in December 2012. Ann’s DI Vera Stanhope series of books is set in Northumberland and features the well loved detective along with her partner Joe Ashworth. Ann’s Shetland series bring us DI Jimmy Perez, investigating in the mysterious, dark, and beautiful Shetland Islands…

Ann grew up in the country, first in Herefordshire, then in North Devon. Her father was a village school teacher. After dropping out of university she took a number of temporary jobs – child care officer, women’s refuge leader, bird observatory cook, auxiliary coastguard – before going back to college and training to be a probation officer.

While she was cooking in the Bird Observatory on Fair Isle, she met her husband Tim, a visiting ornithologist. She was attracted less by the ornithology than the bottle of malt whisky she saw in his rucksack when she showed him his room. Soon after they married, Tim was appointed as warden of Hilbre, a tiny tidal island nature reserve in the Dee Estuary. They were the only residents, there was no mains electricity or water and access to the mainland was at low tide across the shore. If a person’s not heavily into birds – and Ann isn’t – there’s not much to do on Hilbre and that was when she started writing. Her first series of crime novels features the elderly naturalist, George Palmer-Jones. A couple of these books are seriously dreadful.

In 1987 Tim, Ann and their two daughters moved to Northumberland and the north east provides the inspiration for many of her subsequent titles. The girls have both taken up with Geordie lads. In the autumn of 2006, Ann and Tim finally achieved their ambition of moving back to the North East.

[Truncated—please see her published bio on Amazon and Goodreads.]

Ann’s books have been translated into sixteen languages. She’s a bestseller in Scandinavia and Germany. Her novels sell widely and to critical acclaim in the United States. Raven Black was shortlisted for the Martin Beck award for best translated crime novel in Sweden in 200.

Bio and photo from Goodreads.

Follow her on Twitter (X): https://x.com/anncleeves?lang=en

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