Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Avon Books (Mm) (1992), Paperback, 249 pages
Description
A quaint English village is home to a murderer in the Macavity Award-wining mystery series debut that launched the British crime drama Midsomer Murders. Badger's Drift is the ideal English village, complete with vicar, bumbling local doctor, and kindly spinster. But when the spinster dies suddenly, her best friend kicks up a fuss loud enough to attract the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby. And when Barnaby and his eager-beaver deputy start poking around, they uncover a swamp of ugly scandals and long-suppressed resentments seething below the picture-postcard prettiness. In the grand English tradition of the quietly intelligent copper, Barnaby has both an irresistibly dry sense of humor and a keen insight into what makes people tick. The Killings at Badger's Drift marks Inspector Barnaby's debut, and offers ample proof that Caroline Graham may indeed be "simply the best detective writer since Agatha Christie" (Sunday Times of London). "Murder most pleasing . . . a corking good mystery." -Los Angeles Times.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member AliceaP
It might come as a surprise that I had never heard of the writer Caroline Graham until my mom got me into watching a show called Midsomer Murders. (It's on Netflix if you're interested.) What does one have to do with the other? Well, the tv show is based off of a book series by Graham that begins
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with The Killings at Badger's Drift which also happens to be the first episode's name. As this is the first in the Chief Inspector Barnaby series, you can expect the usual character introductions and some growing pains as the reader decides if they actually want to throw their hat into the ring of a somewhat grumpy detective in the English countryside. In the show DCI Tom Barnaby is a fatherly figure accompanied by a somewhat bumbling underling named Gavin Troy. It's not quite the same in the book. Firstly, Troy (who is one of my fave characters) is not at all likable. The reader is treated to somewhat of an inner monologue of his and he's not what I'd characterize as a a good dude (he's misogynistic, arrogant, and a cheater). Secondly, Barnaby is bordering on being a full-blown hypochondriac with an extensive knowledge of horticulture which at times seems to nearly distract him from the case at hand. (Get ready for a lot of plant descriptions.) However, looking beyond these very different versions of the characters the 'feel' of the mystery is the same if somewhat more overtly sexual. (This is an adult novel.) The crime centers around a small village called Badger's Drift and the victim is an older woman who everyone can agree was very likable. There aren't any concrete leads on suspects and Troy is ready to write it off as a bizarre accident when another murder occurs right up the road. Onward, super sleuths! Like Christie, Graham is able to write characters extremely well and the feel of the village comes completely to life on the page. This was an extraordinarily fast read for me because I was enjoying it so much and wanted to see whodunit (even though I already knew). Mystery fans who want to visit what has to be the deadliest county in the UK must get their hands on this book because I strongly suspect (see what I did there?) you won't want to stop there. 9/10 but lost a point because Troy made me grind my teeth in sheer frustration. Show Less
LibraryThing member DowntownLibrarian
My second time around with this delightful British mystery (we read it for our Mystery Lovers Book Club). If you like a classic British village police procedural, this is not to be missed.
LibraryThing member -Eva-
Experienced and thorough Chief Inspector Barnaby and clever but laddish Sergeant Troy are teamed up when it turns out that a natural death is actually a murder to conceal a pair of secret paramours and another murder follows to cover the tracks of the previous one, with the circle of suspects
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numbering nearly the same as the inhabitants of Badger's Drift itself. Great characters, especially Barnaby who manages to be an engaging detective at the same time as being a loving husband, patient father, and devoted gardener. I'm already fond of Barnaby from the TV-series, but the one in the book is almost better - he's much sharper in his estimations of people, has a dark past, and even lets lose some sarcasm at times. Such a great whodunit - I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member JaneSteen
Where I got the book: my local library #2.
Octogenarian Miss Simpson is hunting orchids in the peaceful woods around the village of Badger's Drift when she sees something that deeply shocks her. Before the day is out she is dead, and her old friend Miss Bellringer calls on Detective Chief Inspector
Oh, it's good stuff. This was a delightful book, best consumed on a cold and rainy afternoon with a pot of strong English tea and a plate of scones with raspberry--never any other kind, please--jam and a pot of clotted cream. I'm trying to think of a weakness in Graham's writing but I simply can't find one in this novel. Her characters are memorable, her writing is clear and sharp and infused with subtle humor and her plot keeps you guessing.
Dennis and Iris Rainbird were the two jewels in the crown of this beautiful cast of weirdos and reprobates. Now that I've read the book I will have to go watch that episode of Midsomer Murders all over again.
I think I'll be reading more Caroline Graham mysteries. I zipped through this one in a day or two and didn't want it to end.
Octogenarian Miss Simpson is hunting orchids in the peaceful woods around the village of Badger's Drift when she sees something that deeply shocks her. Before the day is out she is dead, and her old friend Miss Bellringer calls on Detective Chief Inspector
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Barnaby to investigate her demise. The result is an unfolding revelation of the murder, adultery, jealousy, blackmail and--but I can't say what--that you would expect in any idyllic English village depicted in a murder mystery.Oh, it's good stuff. This was a delightful book, best consumed on a cold and rainy afternoon with a pot of strong English tea and a plate of scones with raspberry--never any other kind, please--jam and a pot of clotted cream. I'm trying to think of a weakness in Graham's writing but I simply can't find one in this novel. Her characters are memorable, her writing is clear and sharp and infused with subtle humor and her plot keeps you guessing.
Dennis and Iris Rainbird were the two jewels in the crown of this beautiful cast of weirdos and reprobates. Now that I've read the book I will have to go watch that episode of Midsomer Murders all over again.
I think I'll be reading more Caroline Graham mysteries. I zipped through this one in a day or two and didn't want it to end.
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LibraryThing member Stewartry
I hunted down a copy of this for a monthly read of the English Mysteries Goodreads group; I'd never read any of the Midsomer Murders novels before, and somehow never even saw any of the PBS Mystery! series made from them, so it was all new and different. (Really, though, I don't know how I managed
The plot summary: an elderly woman is found dead in her cottage in a lovely-seeming English village, and because her best friend will not back down from her assertion that it was not a natural death Chief Inspector Barnaby and his sidekick Sgt. Troy are sent in to look into it. In the course of their investigation, the cozy, charming village cracks wide open to reveal a seamy, sordid gooey interior that would make Miss Marple blanch. (Well, maybe not.) Incest, adultery, murder, attempted murder, blackmail, incest (did I miss anything?) … It all comes spewing out when Barnaby begins to poke into things. (Was anyone other than Barnaby sleeping with who they were supposed to be?)
I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of the sort of novel that insists that beneath every idyllic appearance is something awful. And after a while the sheer volume of sordidness began to push the envelope; I mean, really? Nearly every single person in the village had some horrible secret whose discovery might have led to murder? It might have been refreshing if there had been someone besides the victim and her friend (Misses Simpson and Bellringer, respectively) had been guilty of no more than a late library book. But no. The positive side to this is that I never saw the solution to the puzzle coming – with the rather satisfying conclusion that, really, it's the only answer that really makes sense to the question of "who was it Miss Simpson saw in the woods": no other pair would, in so-modern 1982, really necessarily care enough or have enough to lose as to be driven to kill someone who saw them.
That being said, some of the characterizations were fun. The best things about the book were Miss Bellringer and Barnaby and his family. The former is unapologetic – she knows there is something wrong about her friend's death, and she'll be dashed if she doesn't see to it that it's solved. She's a bit of a heroine. I'd be perfectly happy with a series centered around her.
And the latter, Barnaby and his wife and daughter, are terrific. One of my deepest sources of irritation in any book or tv series featuring these high-stress non-9-to-5 jobs (cop, lawyer, doctor) is the clichéd storyline of the wife (usually) who constantly complains and nags over the unpredictability of the spouse's job, and usually leaves. I love that Joyce, Barnaby's missus, is a real partner to him, interested in his work and understanding of the fact that his schedule is not predictable. I hope that doesn't change.
Speaking of partners … Sgt. Troy, the cynical, sarcastic terrible driver who is Barnaby's associate on the job, was a surprise. I don't recall ever seeing a relationship like this in a mystery series. Troy's prejudices and bitterness, once I got past the initial shock of the pure internal disrespect his external smarminess covered, made for kind of a nice change from other series where the chief can do no wrong, held in the highest esteem. There's some scope there, with Troy snarking away in his head and Barnaby unable to resist baiting and teasing him.
One aspect I feel is a flaw, but which might have been somewhat unavoidable in a series' opening novel, is the insistence on providing the two supporting characters, Troy and Joyce, with a Flaw: Troy is a terrible driver and Joyce is a terrible cook. It casts a kind of unsuitably comic light on the story, as Barnaby walks away from a life-threatening breakfast table to embark on a life-threatening drive with his partner. (Aren't the police supposed to have some sort of intensive driving course?) This bit – and the setting of the Classic English Village – make it feel like a cozy mystery – but for me the graphic descriptions of some of the deaths keeps it out of the subgenre of Cozy. (Also, I always think of a cozy as having an amateur detective lead, but don't quote me.)
This wouldn't be a proper review if I failed to mention the Rainbirds. I heard (read) a lot about them as I got ready to read Badger's Drift … and … honestly? While they were horrors, they didn't quite live up to their billing as dreadfulness in the extreme . I don't know whether that was a relief or a disappointment …
I've already tracked down the second book in the series, and watched the PBS adaptation of Badger's (which was great fun, and faithful enough to be going on with). I liked this, and I will certainly read (and watch) more in the series. It won't, however, be a high priority.
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to miss these all these years.)The plot summary: an elderly woman is found dead in her cottage in a lovely-seeming English village, and because her best friend will not back down from her assertion that it was not a natural death Chief Inspector Barnaby and his sidekick Sgt. Troy are sent in to look into it. In the course of their investigation, the cozy, charming village cracks wide open to reveal a seamy, sordid gooey interior that would make Miss Marple blanch. (Well, maybe not.) Incest, adultery, murder, attempted murder, blackmail, incest (did I miss anything?) … It all comes spewing out when Barnaby begins to poke into things. (Was anyone other than Barnaby sleeping with who they were supposed to be?)
I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of the sort of novel that insists that beneath every idyllic appearance is something awful. And after a while the sheer volume of sordidness began to push the envelope; I mean, really? Nearly every single person in the village had some horrible secret whose discovery might have led to murder? It might have been refreshing if there had been someone besides the victim and her friend (Misses Simpson and Bellringer, respectively) had been guilty of no more than a late library book. But no. The positive side to this is that I never saw the solution to the puzzle coming – with the rather satisfying conclusion that, really, it's the only answer that really makes sense to the question of "who was it Miss Simpson saw in the woods": no other pair would, in so-modern 1982, really necessarily care enough or have enough to lose as to be driven to kill someone who saw them.
That being said, some of the characterizations were fun. The best things about the book were Miss Bellringer and Barnaby and his family. The former is unapologetic – she knows there is something wrong about her friend's death, and she'll be dashed if she doesn't see to it that it's solved. She's a bit of a heroine. I'd be perfectly happy with a series centered around her.
And the latter, Barnaby and his wife and daughter, are terrific. One of my deepest sources of irritation in any book or tv series featuring these high-stress non-9-to-5 jobs (cop, lawyer, doctor) is the clichéd storyline of the wife (usually) who constantly complains and nags over the unpredictability of the spouse's job, and usually leaves. I love that Joyce, Barnaby's missus, is a real partner to him, interested in his work and understanding of the fact that his schedule is not predictable. I hope that doesn't change.
Speaking of partners … Sgt. Troy, the cynical, sarcastic terrible driver who is Barnaby's associate on the job, was a surprise. I don't recall ever seeing a relationship like this in a mystery series. Troy's prejudices and bitterness, once I got past the initial shock of the pure internal disrespect his external smarminess covered, made for kind of a nice change from other series where the chief can do no wrong, held in the highest esteem. There's some scope there, with Troy snarking away in his head and Barnaby unable to resist baiting and teasing him.
One aspect I feel is a flaw, but which might have been somewhat unavoidable in a series' opening novel, is the insistence on providing the two supporting characters, Troy and Joyce, with a Flaw: Troy is a terrible driver and Joyce is a terrible cook. It casts a kind of unsuitably comic light on the story, as Barnaby walks away from a life-threatening breakfast table to embark on a life-threatening drive with his partner. (Aren't the police supposed to have some sort of intensive driving course?) This bit – and the setting of the Classic English Village – make it feel like a cozy mystery – but for me the graphic descriptions of some of the deaths keeps it out of the subgenre of Cozy. (Also, I always think of a cozy as having an amateur detective lead, but don't quote me.)
This wouldn't be a proper review if I failed to mention the Rainbirds. I heard (read) a lot about them as I got ready to read Badger's Drift … and … honestly? While they were horrors, they didn't quite live up to their billing as dreadfulness in the extreme . I don't know whether that was a relief or a disappointment …
I've already tracked down the second book in the series, and watched the PBS adaptation of Badger's (which was great fun, and faithful enough to be going on with). I liked this, and I will certainly read (and watch) more in the series. It won't, however, be a high priority.
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LibraryThing member jcmontgomery
For those of you who are familiar with the television show Midsomer Murders and have never read the series they are based on, I have to ask you one question: Why?
I admit though that I've been watching the series for years, but didn't discover until recently it was based on novels by Caroline
There were very few things changed for television, nearly all minor. The only major one was the fate of Dennis Rainbird. I won't say more in case you're unfamiliar with the series.
Mrs. Barnaby’s cooking is as bad as in the show; perhaps worse.
Barnaby laid down his knife and fork. You could ask just so much from ordinary tempered cutlery.
Troy’s driving (and attitude toward just about everything) is as depicted.
There’s no need to drive as if you’re auditioning for the Sweeney*, Sergeant.
One difference, although not all that important in the greater scheme of things, is that Troy is married in the book. This fact is mentioned rarely as his other half isn't needed to help define his character, whereas Joyce Barnaby’s relationship to her husband is critical.
Tom Barnaby loved his wife. Joyce was kind and patient. She was a good listener. He always talked when he came home, usually about work, knowing her discretion was absolute. And she would look as interested and concerned at the end of half an hour as she had at the beginning.
His wife is his sounding board and confidant and knows more than she ever lets on to her husband. When she does respond, it’s timed well and is gentle and understanding. It works perfectly in balancing Barnaby’s character.
Then there is Caroline Graham’s way with a descriptive phrase. It was breathtaking at times; a true mystery writer’s prose, never being too trite or too dark.
She took a Burberry cape from a hook behind the door and flapped her way into it.
*****
Even when it was shorn of the eulogistic flavour deemed obligatory in all statements about the recently dead, Barnaby was still left with the picture of a singularly nice human being.
*****
Barbaby sank into an armchair thickly barnacled with bumps of crochet.
And my favorite:
She could have been any age between thirty and sixty. The only certain thing was she hadn’t been a girl since he’d been a been a boy scout…She wore lipstick like vermilion Vaseline and thick makeup journeyed over the eruptions and into the craters of her complexion. You could join all those dots up till the cows come home, thought Barnaby, and never reach the hidden treasure.
The TV series is a favorite, but after reading this first novel in the series, I’m hooked even deeper. All the characters from the show are done well and pretty much in sync with the novel, but it’s the thoughts, the observations, all the things that can’t be translated completely into a script that makes reading the books so much better.
I still am not the fondest of Troy, and I think the book does Joyce more justice than the TV series – but this is why I like Caroline Grahams writing so much. The development of the plot and its characters is so much more robust than what I’ve seen represented visually.
I’m usually disappointed when I watch adaptations of a book, but not this time. Quite the opposite. I can’t wait to get my hands on more of Caroline Graham’s books as well as watch more repeats of Midsomer Murders. I feel the books, much like the shows, are ones I’ll return to from time to time and never, ever, lend out.
Sorry my friends, if you want some of your own Midsomer goodness, you’re going to have to go buy it yourself or hope your library has copies. Mine are going onto the “if there was a fire and you could only grab one box of books” shelf.
I admit though that I've been watching the series for years, but didn't discover until recently it was based on novels by Caroline
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Graham. I put them on my wish list, so when I found a copy of the first book when I went shopping on my birthday I knew it was kismet.There were very few things changed for television, nearly all minor. The only major one was the fate of Dennis Rainbird. I won't say more in case you're unfamiliar with the series.
Mrs. Barnaby’s cooking is as bad as in the show; perhaps worse.
Barnaby laid down his knife and fork. You could ask just so much from ordinary tempered cutlery.
Troy’s driving (and attitude toward just about everything) is as depicted.
There’s no need to drive as if you’re auditioning for the Sweeney*, Sergeant.
One difference, although not all that important in the greater scheme of things, is that Troy is married in the book. This fact is mentioned rarely as his other half isn't needed to help define his character, whereas Joyce Barnaby’s relationship to her husband is critical.
Tom Barnaby loved his wife. Joyce was kind and patient. She was a good listener. He always talked when he came home, usually about work, knowing her discretion was absolute. And she would look as interested and concerned at the end of half an hour as she had at the beginning.
His wife is his sounding board and confidant and knows more than she ever lets on to her husband. When she does respond, it’s timed well and is gentle and understanding. It works perfectly in balancing Barnaby’s character.
Then there is Caroline Graham’s way with a descriptive phrase. It was breathtaking at times; a true mystery writer’s prose, never being too trite or too dark.
She took a Burberry cape from a hook behind the door and flapped her way into it.
*****
Even when it was shorn of the eulogistic flavour deemed obligatory in all statements about the recently dead, Barnaby was still left with the picture of a singularly nice human being.
*****
Barbaby sank into an armchair thickly barnacled with bumps of crochet.
And my favorite:
She could have been any age between thirty and sixty. The only certain thing was she hadn’t been a girl since he’d been a been a boy scout…She wore lipstick like vermilion Vaseline and thick makeup journeyed over the eruptions and into the craters of her complexion. You could join all those dots up till the cows come home, thought Barnaby, and never reach the hidden treasure.
The TV series is a favorite, but after reading this first novel in the series, I’m hooked even deeper. All the characters from the show are done well and pretty much in sync with the novel, but it’s the thoughts, the observations, all the things that can’t be translated completely into a script that makes reading the books so much better.
I still am not the fondest of Troy, and I think the book does Joyce more justice than the TV series – but this is why I like Caroline Grahams writing so much. The development of the plot and its characters is so much more robust than what I’ve seen represented visually.
I’m usually disappointed when I watch adaptations of a book, but not this time. Quite the opposite. I can’t wait to get my hands on more of Caroline Graham’s books as well as watch more repeats of Midsomer Murders. I feel the books, much like the shows, are ones I’ll return to from time to time and never, ever, lend out.
Sorry my friends, if you want some of your own Midsomer goodness, you’re going to have to go buy it yourself or hope your library has copies. Mine are going onto the “if there was a fire and you could only grab one box of books” shelf.
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LibraryThing member delphimo
The PBS series of Midsommer Murders piques my interest in Caroline Graham's mysteries, so I had to read at least one book. The novels contain a loony cast of suspects and victims, and this first novel provided many hours of entertainment. An old woman walks in the woods to find a special flower,
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and encounters an amorous couple that should not be in situ. Thus begins the first murder in an attempt to squelch the tale. As Barnaby, the detective, and his assistant, Troy, collect clues, more murders follow. Graham brings alive the English village and all the quirky characters residing in the area. The novel and the PBS series maintain a few differences that endear each venue to the reader and might impel this reader to seek additional differences by reading more of the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member weisser4
Lovely British cozy mystery series involving an older detective and his younger sidekick. If you like the Inspector Morse series style you will enjoy this book. A quaint village setting with an array of quirky characters all able and in some cases willing to take out the victim. The story begins
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with one murder of a kindly old lady but involves the entire town in affairs, incest, and an older murder. The question is, of course, "Who dunnit?" Show Less
LibraryThing member kmajort
I adore the TV series "Midsomer Murders" which are based upon the Tom Barnaby novels of Caroline Graham. This is the first of her novels and was transposed - very well - into the pilot for MM. Fabulous English village mystery, with twists, dead ends and leaps of deductions that would make Miss
Would I have read this if not for the show? Dunno, but it is one of the rare beasts: a fine story & characters that make the transition from paper to screen.
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Marple proud. Would I have read this if not for the show? Dunno, but it is one of the rare beasts: a fine story & characters that make the transition from paper to screen.
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LibraryThing member diana.hauser
THE KILLINGS AT BADGER’S DRIFT by Caroline Graham is the first Inspector Barnaby mystery.
I became interested in this series when I began ‘binge-watching’ the Midsomer Murders series with my Acorn TV streaming subscription. The tv series is quite well-done, extremely prolific and highly
I love the book. It is so detailed - with complex (and often bizarre) characters, beautiful locations, complicated plots, and the minutia (the sleazy minutia) of village life.
DCI Barnaby is a great character and his assistant, Detective Sergeant Troy, tries to keep up with Barnaby’s intuitive deducting powers and cynical wit.
Miss Simpson, a very kindly, well-liked, former teacher dies quite suddenly and her neighbor and close friend, Miss Bellringer, pesters the police to look into her friend’s death. She finds it quite suspicious.
DCI Barnaby and DS Troy start investigating the villagers of Badger’s Drift and uncover murder, adultery, jealousies, old rivalries, spying and blackmail - business as usual in the small villages of Midsomer.
I heartily recommend this title.
I became interested in this series when I began ‘binge-watching’ the Midsomer Murders series with my Acorn TV streaming subscription. The tv series is quite well-done, extremely prolific and highly
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entertaining. I noticed in the credits that the program was based ‘on the characters’ created by Caroline Graham. That was an invitation for some literary research and I ended up with the first Inspector Barnaby mystery.I love the book. It is so detailed - with complex (and often bizarre) characters, beautiful locations, complicated plots, and the minutia (the sleazy minutia) of village life.
DCI Barnaby is a great character and his assistant, Detective Sergeant Troy, tries to keep up with Barnaby’s intuitive deducting powers and cynical wit.
Miss Simpson, a very kindly, well-liked, former teacher dies quite suddenly and her neighbor and close friend, Miss Bellringer, pesters the police to look into her friend’s death. She finds it quite suspicious.
DCI Barnaby and DS Troy start investigating the villagers of Badger’s Drift and uncover murder, adultery, jealousies, old rivalries, spying and blackmail - business as usual in the small villages of Midsomer.
I heartily recommend this title.
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LibraryThing member the.ken.petersen
I find this almost impossible to review. It is so similar to the television version that I was taken by surprise. The only difference is in the characters of our detectives, who are rather better drawn in the novel.
Trying to view this from a first contact position, this is a very good story and,
Trying to view this from a first contact position, this is a very good story and,
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one that would have been shocking, when originally written. I will try another title in the series (I haven't checked whether they have all been converted to the overworked televisual experience... Show Less
LibraryThing member bcquinnsmom
The opening book of a series featuring Chief Inspector Barnaby, the first episode takes place in a small village setting (I LOVE these) where murder is afoot. Miss Emily Simpson, an octogenarian, has had an ongoing competition with her friend Lucy Bellringer for years. It seems there is a
I'm wrestling with whether or not this is a cozy and I'm probably going to say it's somewhere between a cozy and a police procedural, where the two sort of meet in the middle. If you're a fan of British mystery fiction, do NOT miss this.
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particular type of orchid that grows only every so many years, and the two of them vie with each other to find it first, the loser being treated to a formal, high tea. This year Emily's determined to find it, but she won't be around to fix Lucy's high tea. And thus the book opens. Inspector Barnaby & Sgt. Troy meander through a number of suspects (in the typical British village there are quite a few!) and uncover some not-so-nice secrets in the process.I'm wrestling with whether or not this is a cozy and I'm probably going to say it's somewhere between a cozy and a police procedural, where the two sort of meet in the middle. If you're a fan of British mystery fiction, do NOT miss this.
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LibraryThing member lynelle.clark.5
I am a big fan of the Midsomer Murder Series and decided I need to read the books as well. I realize I am behind but watch this space.
The book, the first that set of the popular series, is definitely much better. This is understandable since a 90-minute program cannot put all the details in it, and
I am very impressed with the author's writing skills as well. The story and character comes alive on the pages. The fast pace and easy flow make it a breeze and you read through it almost in one sitting. I can't wait to read the rest.
This is truly a very good edition to add to your library.
Barnaby and Troy are realistic and even in the series, they are absolutely perfect for the rolls created by Caroline Graham. The setting, the plot and the interesting characters make this a classic that everyone can enjoy.
The book, the first that set of the popular series, is definitely much better. This is understandable since a 90-minute program cannot put all the details in it, and
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you are left with gaps at times. The book filled and coloured it in beautifully. I must admit that a looked at the pilot program again and could clearly see the differences but still very enjoyable. I am very impressed with the author's writing skills as well. The story and character comes alive on the pages. The fast pace and easy flow make it a breeze and you read through it almost in one sitting. I can't wait to read the rest.
This is truly a very good edition to add to your library.
Barnaby and Troy are realistic and even in the series, they are absolutely perfect for the rolls created by Caroline Graham. The setting, the plot and the interesting characters make this a classic that everyone can enjoy.
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LibraryThing member yhgail
Dropped it
Geeesh
Can't imagine why anyone liked it
Much jargon, phony characters
I read a lot of the comments to try and see what people said.
Many of the reviews are just copies of other reviews, like they are computer generated. Weird
Geeesh
Can't imagine why anyone liked it
Much jargon, phony characters
I read a lot of the comments to try and see what people said.
Many of the reviews are just copies of other reviews, like they are computer generated. Weird
LibraryThing member TanyaRead
Good story. Nice beginning followed by more and more bits that led right to the ending. Interesting characters.
LibraryThing member ritaer
an old woman dies and her friend is sure it is murder
LibraryThing member yukon92
This book was the basis for the long-running Midsomer Murders TV series..... very enjoyable.
LibraryThing member Kindleifier
I found it a chore to finish this audiobook. Mainly, I think, because of the deeply unpleasant nature of some of the characters, including, to my surprise, Sergeant Troy.
This one is not to my taste at all.
This one is not to my taste at all.
LibraryThing member funstm
I'm not sure why this took me so long to get through - it's not particularly long with 263 pages but it felt like I kept whittling and whittling and got nowhere. I would read and read and still end up with very few pages gone.
I just didn't like it. The show is kind of hit and miss and from reading
I'm not sure if this just hasn't aged well or it's just bad. But it was a no from me. 2 stars.
I just didn't like it. The show is kind of hit and miss and from reading
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the book I can see it clearly is true to form. The murder is dragged out but there's no excitement or intrigue or anything to actually give a mystery - it's just a crime that's happened. It was just boring. I didn't care about any of the characters. Frankly half of them freaked me out. They were creepy AF. I didn't have any strong feelings for Barnaby. Sergeant Troy was just a horrible person. The woman that was murdered and her friend were the only I sort of liked and neither of them make too much of an appearance. I'm not sure if this just hasn't aged well or it's just bad. But it was a no from me. 2 stars.
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LibraryThing member MissBrangwen
Inspector Barnaby is a popular TV series in Germany, too, but I first encountered it on a trip to the UK when I was watching TV in my hotel room. I quite liked it and started buying the DVD sets, and it has since been one of my favourite TV series. Of course it is not great art, but it is a real
This 2016 edition contains an introduction by John Nettles, who played Barnaby in the TV series, in which he stresses the cuts and changes that need to be made in order to adapt a novel to the screen. Therefore I was prepared for the book to differ from the TV series. I was surprised, though, that the plot has been kept very faithfully. The characters have not, though - Sergeant Troy, whom I really like in the TV series despite his obvious flaws, is thoroughly loathsome in the novel. Barnaby's daughter Cully is quite different, too, and Barnaby himself is not really a contrast to his TV personality, but a deeper character, with more background and, coming with that, more difficulties. I must admit that I did have some problems with that because while on the one hand it was interesting to learn more about him, not all of it matched the fatherly and calm figure I am used to on the screen.
Now to the story itself: I have watched the first episode four times and thus reading it was not that exciting. I knew all the twists and turns, and it might be unfair to really rate this novel. Still I must say that I found it rather slow in the beginning, the characters felt exaggerated, and I just wished the plot to progress. However, it still became a page turner towards the end of the book, and then completely drew me in. It is well written, Barnaby is a sharp and funny character, and I appreciated the crafting of the case maybe even more than when watching it.
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comfort watch to me, and I watched it together with my husband for several months when we went through a difficult time at work and did not have any energy to read or do anything else. During that time I also bought the first three books of the original book series, but it took me until now to start reading them.This 2016 edition contains an introduction by John Nettles, who played Barnaby in the TV series, in which he stresses the cuts and changes that need to be made in order to adapt a novel to the screen. Therefore I was prepared for the book to differ from the TV series. I was surprised, though, that the plot has been kept very faithfully. The characters have not, though - Sergeant Troy, whom I really like in the TV series despite his obvious flaws, is thoroughly loathsome in the novel. Barnaby's daughter Cully is quite different, too, and Barnaby himself is not really a contrast to his TV personality, but a deeper character, with more background and, coming with that, more difficulties. I must admit that I did have some problems with that because while on the one hand it was interesting to learn more about him, not all of it matched the fatherly and calm figure I am used to on the screen.
Now to the story itself: I have watched the first episode four times and thus reading it was not that exciting. I knew all the twists and turns, and it might be unfair to really rate this novel. Still I must say that I found it rather slow in the beginning, the characters felt exaggerated, and I just wished the plot to progress. However, it still became a page turner towards the end of the book, and then completely drew me in. It is well written, Barnaby is a sharp and funny character, and I appreciated the crafting of the case maybe even more than when watching it.
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LibraryThing member ParadisePorch
Caroline Graham has been on my TBR list for years but it wasn't until my husband and I started watching Midsomer Murders on Netflix that I finally picked up the first book in the series featuring Tom Barnaby.
But - I should never read the book after seeing the 'movie'. I had John Nettles and Daniel
And, since Netflix puled the series while we were only halfway through (we were late to the party), the books are the only way I'll get my Barnaby fix.
But - I should never read the book after seeing the 'movie'. I had John Nettles and Daniel
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Casey in my head and saw every move or intonation that had been changed for TV. And knowing the ending took the suspense out of everything. Still, the writing and the mystery were both excellent and I'll carry in the books, I'm sure. And, since Netflix puled the series while we were only halfway through (we were late to the party), the books are the only way I'll get my Barnaby fix.
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LibraryThing member witchyrichy
Finished The Killings at Badger's Drift by Caroline Graham, the book that inspired Midsomer Murders, one of my favorite series. The book was well-written, and it was interesting to see how Anthony Horowitz, a favorite writer of mine, who wrote the screenplay works with Graham's story and characters.
Subjects
Awards
Anthony Award (Nominee — First Novel — 1989)
Macavity Award (Winner — First Novel — 1989)
Agatha Award (Nominee — First Novel — 1988)
Language
Original publication date
1987-11-05
Physical description
249 p.; 6.8 inches
ISBN
038070563X / 9780380705634