A Time to Die

A Time to Die by Hilda Lawrence was first published in 1945 and features her series detective, Mark East, with his faithful female sidekicks of mature years: Beulah Pond and Bessy Petty. Agora have reprinted it as part of their excellent Uncrowned Queens of Crime series. The trio also appear in Lawrence’s books “Blood Upon the snow” and “Death of a Doll”, although the women play a less prominent part here than in the other two books, with Bessy only appearing in two chapters.

There is also less humour in this book. I was going to say that I found it darker, but that’s unfair: the other books are still about unpleasant murders. Perhaps it’s more accurate to say that East (and we) can’t spot the killer in this book until the last few pages. (I can boast that I guessed correctly a few chapters from the end, but I confess it was a guess and I had no real evidence.) We are almost certain that the murderer is one of a handful of guests staying in a hotel and Lawrence builds the tension beautifully. We suspect everyone, simply because they are all equally likely / unlikely to be guilty. They know they are suspected and that East is watching them without pretending to do otherwise.

The novel starts with East returning on vacation to the area where he handled murders in Blood Upon the Snow. Several of the cast were in the previous book and there is a strong feeling of us being reacquainted with old friends. His arrival coincides with a supper at the church. Firstly, a girl is injured during a competition involving a bow and arrows; then an old lady is shot with one of the arrows. Overnight, it’s realised that a governess is missing. East is convinced she has simply walked out but the hotel guests try to persuade him that she wouldn’t do that.

This is a very good read although, as with Blood Upon the Snow, Lawrence has a young child as one of the characters and it’s a shock to realise that she’s only nine rather than a teenager. Don’t get me wrong: she’s integral to the story and is a very likeable engaging character. It’s just that her language and demeanour, as described, would be more appropriate to a girl a few years older.

I do wish Hilda Lawrence had written more Mark East books…

#ATimetoDie #NetGalley

I liked this story, it was like a comfortable pair of socks- warm, comfy and a joy to have! I viewed this almost as guilty pleasure and It felt nI’ve to read a mystery with a bit of “old school” about it!

The plot of this book is brilliantly played out by the author. It builds up over the course of the story and keeps the reader guessing and puzzling until the very end. I had not read any of Hilda Lawrence's books before and am delighted to have been introduced to her by Crime Classics _ perhaps there will be more in the future and others can appreciate this great mystery writer.

Hilda Lawrence's 'A Time to Die' is set in small town America in August 1944. It is a heatwave & a storm is coming.
Hilda Lawrence only wrote a handful of novels & has sadly been almost forgotten. Although published long before I was born this book has a refreshingly timeless feel & is deserving of a new generation of readers.
Mark East is visiting old friends for a vacation when a murderer strikes. Reluctantly he unravels a mystery dating back to 1930. It is a gripping & unpredictable plot that benefits from mounting tension throughout. The characters are drawn with striking originality.
A real gem for golden age crime lovers.

Having read numbers one and three by Hilda Lawrence featuring the same main characters, I was excited to read this second in the series. It didn't disappoint. I confess I did struggle with some of the language and phrases, it being set in rural America in the mid forties. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed catching up with the cast again didn't really guess the killer until the end.