Phi Beta Murder by C.S. Challinor

Once I started reading this I realised this was actually the book written before Murder on the Moor. It makes clear the reference in that book about why Rex even considered suicide as an option there.  Rex has very much embarked on his new love life and decided to visit his son studying in Florida after a phone call with him. He feels there is something wrong and wanted to check for himself what the matter was. Upon reaching there he plans to spend time with his son after the classes and also spend the weekend in the Keys.

On the first day after dinner he ends up spending the night in his son’s dorm room. In the morning as he was leaving there was a commotion with a girl banging on a door asking the person inside to open it while there is loud music playing from inside the room. Eventually, Rex offers to and breaks down the door he can see through the keyhole a boy hanging in the room. Everyone, dorm mates, campus security and indeed the house master all feel that the boy committed suicide as there is even a short note. However, Rex’s son and his friends do not feel it was a suicide but can offer no real proof to back their thinking.

When he gets back to his hotel his ex-girlfriend comes from UK with a notion to restart their relationship. When he refuses to do that and gets her a ticket to return to Scotland she attempts to take her life. He has to admit her to the hospital and worries about how to ensure she travels back to UK safely.  Then the parents of the dead boy arrive and on meeting Rex ask him to find out what really happened to their son. Was it murder? Was it suicide, if so what lead to the boy taking his own life?

Rex agrees to do what he can in the next few days he is there. How will he go about finding information as the friends are cooperative to an extent but the academic and administrative staff are not very forthcoming. There are many people with motive to want the boy dead. The bruise on the back of his head does mean something. Will they be able to sneak into the room sealed by the university staff and go through the dead boy’s computer to find clues? How does the website which puts out scandals relate to this death? How does the boy accused, by the dead boy, of drug dealing come into this scenario? Will he be able to give a satisfactory answer to the parents and give them some closure? Will he be able to get his ex-friend to accept that their relationship is over and leave? Poor man, he always has a lot on his plate, but at least his son is doing well and even helps him uncover the truth in this tale. A good story that keeps you guessing right till the end.

Murder on the Moor by C.S.Challinor

This is another book in the Rex Graves series. By now we have Rex has the new relationship firmly in place with his new love. The book starts with a party at his new highland home for a few people and where he plans to spend holidays with his girlfriend. The people invited are another couple who are known to his mother, a family who run a hotel across the lake, a guest of theirs and an old friend of Rex. The guests arrive amid pouring rain and it looks set for the evening. As the party gets going Rex’s ex-girlfriend turns up and since she has let her taxi go and it is raining Rex is forced to let her stay the night.

There are strange undercurrents between various guests. Rex’s friend is severely upset as one of the men he prosecuted for paedophilia and murder has been acquitted and then he hears on the news that another child has gone missing that evening. Since it was raining and roads were flooded all the guests have to stay overnight. It takes some juggling to get everyone settled to sleep. Rex spends a lot of time with his friend who is anguished at the thought of his failure to put a paedophile behind bars and that yet another child was missing.

Morning brings no relief indeed things get worse as Rex has to break into the bathroom which was locked from inside but yet empty. Couple of the guests go out for a walk and come rushing back as they have found Rex’s ex-girlfriend dead in the lake. How did she get there as she was still in her night clothes? Last anyone knew was she was having a bath before going to bed. Did she take her own life or was there foul play? The phone lines are down and when Rex goes to his car to drive down to the village and get the police, he finds all his tyres are slashed. On examination Rex had found a bruise on the back of the head of the corpse and so he suspects that there needs to be an investigation. But all the police are busy looking for the missing child and even the ambulance cannot make it right away due to the flooding.

Rex takes it on himself to investigate this murder. It has to be someone staying at his house as no one could have come from outside in the foul weather. Rex has found the dead girl’s mobile phone and so can make calls secretly and gets information on the people staying with him. Someone there is not who they claim to be. How will he go about finding this person? Will the police come before he can sort this mystery? Otherwise the guests will all leave as the weather improves and roads clear.

A simple story but does keep you wondering right up to the end as the clues imply involvement of different people. Again a fairly pleasant read and good company for a nice hot afternoon of lazing.

Murder in the Raw by C S Challinor

This is the second book in the series of Rex Graves Mysteries. Since I was impressed by the first book I was eager to read the second one. This time the setting is in a Caribbean island. Rex has been asked to go over by a couple who had bought that hotel where the first book was set. They want him to solve the mystery of the disappearance of a young woman they knew.

There were a few people staying at this resort of the rich and this lady was an actress and wife of a wealthy older man who was also managing her career. There was no trace of her and the police were not doing much except for just initial inquiries. There is a good thread of humour as Rex finds out that this is a naturist resort only when he is in flight. The vision of his musing of what it would be to try remembering the French grammar while in the buff were certainly amusing. It a small island and easy to travel around in borrowed jeep or resort vehicles. He spent a fair amount of time in the day gathering information from all the guests and also doing some sightseeing. The only evidence found was a gold anklet and a torn piece of white wrap with a little blood on it. Most of the people think she has been drowned or eaten by sharks or abducted.  However, there has been no word for ransom if she has been kidnapped.

There was also the mobile phone of the husband found on the beach where the anklet and the scrap of cloth were found. The hotel manager has been hiding something which eventually he shows to Rex – a photograph from that mobile phone showing one of the guests. What was that person doing on the beach at that time of the night? He also sets up a meeting with the owner of the resort and finds he does not like the man at all. He says he was at his club on the day the lady disappeared and so while flowing that alibi up Rex find that the reputation of the owner is not totally pristine.

He gets a friend to dig up more information about this owner and look into his links to a series of murders in Amsterdam. One family had a good alibi and another couple who had been out the whole day and spent the evening in their cabin, while others all identify they were at the birthday bash of one of the guests. One of the guests used to be seen going riding with the lady in question and there was some talk that they might be having an affair although he denies it. He is helpful to Rex by lending his jeep or picking him up from another island when he needs to get back in a hurry.  The husband has no alibi and no explanation as to how his mobile was on the beach. The others while having opportunity appeared to have no motive. If the body was not found then there was no crime.

So where was the young lady? Did her husband kill her in a jealous rage? Did that owner actually manage to kill this young lady even though he had an alibi? Who was killing young ladies in a similar fashion to those murders in Europe? Amidst all this investigation Rex is worrying about what has happened to his girlfriend who was out in Iraq. How was he going to handle meeting up with Helen who he had shared some chemistry with in the last investigation? The romance will blossom or not?

Another easy read and enjoyable as it is a good mix of humour, mystery and romance. It is not a heavy tomb and so the story moves on but still gives the impression of being leisurely progress. There are a couple of totally unexpected turns in the plot which add to the interest and the element of mystery.

Christmas is Murder by C S Challinor

C S Challinor is another new author for me. I liked the synopsis and decided to read the book. A murder mystery by a new author sounded just right when I was getting a little bored. I had a quick look on the internet and found that this is the first book by this author in her series called Rex Graves Mysteries.

The central character is of course Rex Graves who is a QC in Scotland. He is invited to spend Christmas at a hotel owned by his mother’s friend. This is a small hotel and the people staying her during the Christmas holiday are few. In the first chapter one of the guest, an old gentleman, dies and authorities cannot come as the snow is coming down fast and this is a remote place. However, there is nothing suspicious at the time and so while the rest of the guests are sad they are more concerned about being snowed in. Rex arrives after walking 2 miles from the station in the snow. One of the guests takes him aside after being introduced and informs him that the death of the old man was suspicious as there was frothing around his mouth.

This information and after talking to the owner Rex feels he has to investigate as the police will not be able to reach the hotel yet. The next day there is yet another death, this time seemingly by accident. What can this mean? Is there a killer loose and if so who is it from among them? Will there be more people dying? What is the connection between the people who have died? Why would anyone want to kill these people? The snow does not stop Rex from skiing over to the village and visiting the police station and the pub. Does this mean someone from outside could have come and committed the murder? But how can that be possible as no stranger was seen in the vicinity. Also will anything come of this instant attraction between Rex and a fellow guest?

The momentum of the story is well maintained and the time span covered by the story is of around 4 days. Mighty fine sleuthing by Rex to solve the mystery in such a short time. It has the shades of Agatha Christie and the author is well aware of this as the characters in the story refer to their situation as akin to that in ‘And then There Were None’. There is also an oblique reference to Murder on the Orient Express. However, the writing style is easy to read and not too similar to that of Agatha Christie. I would say that Agatha Christie is more of an inspiration for the author. I certainly will read the rest of her books and put up reviews as well. Enjoy reading this author with mysteries set in  modern times.