Paul Worthington is dying, so now is the time to confess to the murder of Magdalene Lynton forty years previously although the official cause of death was drowning.
Detective Ngaire Blakes is assigned the case trying to unravel the actual events of Magdalene last day but can peoples' memories be relied on, who is protecting who. ( )

THE THREE DEATHS OF MAGDALENE LYNTON is the first in a new series from New Zealand author Katherine Hayton, followed by THE SECOND STAGE OF GRIEF and THE ONLY SECRET SHE KEEPS. The last of these, THE ONLY SECRET SHE KEEPS, has been long listed in the 2018 Ngaio Marsh Awards which will come as no surprise if you've been lucky enough to follow the evolving story of Ngaire Blakes.

The central character in this series, Detective Ngaire Blakes, really works. A flawed, grumpy, complicated woman, frustrated at being stuck behind the police station reception desk recuperating from nasty injuries received in an earlier case. She's a good combination of knowns and unknowns, as there is much to Blakes and her background that you'll have to take on face value. This first book doesn't waste a lot of time on backstory for her or her colleagues, it assumes that you'll work out this is a policewoman with a past and roll with it. It's also a location with a past history, and some of the classic elements of small-town connectedness and combined past histories, again a fair bit of which you'll just have to take as given. Overall this creates an extra level of mystery, and makes sure that things don't bog down in the personal past, keeping the pace of the revelations - past and present - tight, fast and flowing freely.

The blurb gives readers a pretty good idea where the title for this novel comes from. Magdalene Lynton died 40 years ago drowned in a farm slurry. Or in a dirty shed. Or did she? The plot device of three possible deaths of the one woman is an interesting idea to start out with, but add the complication of 40 years ago and things get very twisty indeed. There's a lot of red herrings for Blakes and the reader to sort through, there's a heap of confusion and doubt everywhere, and at the centre of the mess there's an investigator that's determined, flawed, pig-headed, and extremely real. It's one of those pleasing confluences of good characters, good plot and interesting sidelines. About the only downside is a slightly unclear sense of place with the incorporation of American spelling and terminology muddying the waters (pun sort of intended - what with farm slurry and the whole thing...).

Despite that minor niggle, the main aim of THE THREE DEATHS OF MAGDALENE LYNTON: introducing a new, intriguing and interesting character in New Zealand Crime fiction delivers in spades. Enough to make this reader pick up the second book in the series, THE SECOND STAGE OF GRIEF, pretty well straight away.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/three-deaths-magdalene-lynton-katherine-... ( )

The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton (Ngaire Blakes #1) by Katherine Hayton is a very different mystery. It unfolds different, the story is told different, the whole feel is different. It is hard to explain. It isn't perfect but I enjoyed it none the less. A dying man confesses to a murder about 40 yrs earlier that was already solved. Did he do it? Did either of them do it? Is there someone else? It is very exciting book, a suspense but unfolds so differently that the reader just gets sneak glances, and moves on. I enjoyed it and was surprised by it all at the same time. ( )

The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton is the first volume in the Ngaire Blakes Mystery series by Katherine Hayton. This mystery provided both twists and turns as well as excellent character development

Hayton excels at not just telling you what happens but showing you, through scene details and the thought processes of the characters. This definitely leads the reader to become invested in the various characters as well as the story itself. Speaking of the story, it was wonderfully planned and executed, offering information to highlight possibilities while never giving anything away.

This novel, and I imagine the series to follow, is well worth the time to read and enjoy. Highly recommended for mystery lovers across the spectrum. There is something in here for almost everyone.

Reviewed from a copy made available from the publisher through Reading Deals Review Club. ( )

Detective and Crime novels are one of my favorite reading genres; it is easy to become jaded with formulaic plots and outcomes. Therefore, this book came as a surprise, actually with many surprises. Lots of stereotypes fail to lead up to their preconceived identities. That is a good thing.

Paul is dying and is in the later stages of chemotherapy. He also remembers murdering someone (book title) forty years earlier. Convinced that he is going to die soon, he wants to confess. He feels he should go to the police station to do so. The description of his efforts to get dressed to go to the police station while dealing with chemotherapy are so detailed and descriptive that an empathetic reader should probably be warned in advance. There is as much horror in the description of Paul’s pain as in many horror novels

Paul initially confesses to police officer Ngaire. The name itself entertained me throughout the story. Ngaire is not a typical hero with bravado and almost superhuman skills. At the time of Paul’s confession, she is on light duty while recovering from injuries suffered while in an off duty bar fight. This is bad news for her career as well as bad for her physical and mental health. Descriptions of her self-treatments to various parts of her injured body are almost as gruesome and painful as Paul’s, but, at least initially, without an expectation of imminent demise. Reading these descriptions, the reader can guess that there will be no love interest here as far as Ngaire is concerned, unless there is a fetish freak character somewhere

Enter Finlay, a journalist, and a friend of Ngaire’s since high school. He has a romantic interest in Ngaire but attempts to sublimate it through a declared interest in getting information from Ngaire so that he can advance his journalist career. Ngaire really wants to be left alone, but Finlay is an intrusive character who just shows up at somewhat unpredictable times. It is fortunate that he wants to help Ngaire, because she is fairly inept physically (and sometimes mentally). Whether she is injuring herself afresh by attempting unsuitable physical tasks during her recovery or whether she is getting mugged in a new incident which produces new and different injuries, she needs constant help to do routine things, like get in and out of a car. As she takes increasing amounts of medicine to deal with pain, Finlay is there to remind her of what she said just minutes earlier. As he attempts to put Ngaire back together physically, he manages to stay fully clothed, even in bed, and molests none of Ngaire’s injured parts. Not for the fetish minded.

And there are lots of other characters. Mother Mary (ok, there is a religious cult base to the story) has a personality disassociated from everyone except Mary and husband Abe. Is she really Magdalen’s mother? Who is the stoic, uncommunicative father Abe? What is going on with the feeble-minded Isaiah? Lawyer William/Billy seems to be innocent of something as we look at his internal dialogues. But it seems he is also guilty of something; possibly murder, possibly not.

With all of this going on, it is quite easy to forget Magdalene. At least she made the title of the book. With everything that is going on with all the other characters, it is easy to forget about the centerpiece character.

Many written works have a memorable first sentence. I think this book has a memorable prologue. The description of the station house prior to Paul’s arrival is a pleasure to read.

I am providing this review in return for an offer of a copy of the book, but I actually found the book through Kindle Unlimited.

I will read more from this author. ( )