Roll up! Roll up! The annual summer fair has arrived in Ashton Mead, bringing with it the customary mayhem, mistrust… and murder? While many villagers complain about the crowds of townies the fair draws in, to say nothing of the litter, vandalism and petty crime, Emily Wilson and her boss/bestie Hannah are grateful for the extra business the event brings to the Sunshine Tea Shoppe.
Sadly, as so often happens in the crime capital of rural Wiltshire, all the fun of the fair quickly takes a turn for the macabre. On the opening day, as Emily explores the fairground with faithful dog Poppy, they notice a commotion over by the big wheel. A rumour soon spreads that someone has taken a tumble from the top of the ride, leading to devastating injuries and whispers of foul play.
Emily later learns that the victim has died and the police suspect the ride might have been sabotaged. The chance to investigate a suspicious death is an opportunity that Ashton Mead’s premiere amateur sleuth cannot pass up, but Emily becomes even more determined to crack the case when she learns the police have arrested her new friend, former reporter Dana Flack, on suspicion of murder.
Poppy Plays Fair is the fifth book in Leigh Russell’s cosy crime series featuring Poppy the Jack Russell/Shih Tzu cross, who is assisted by human sidekick/co-investigator Emily. It’s always welcome to return to Ashton Mead, which really is the archetypical English country village – complete with eccentric and gossipy locals – where the apparent tranquillity of the setting belies the danger lurking around every corner.
It can be difficult to inject a plausible scenario for murder into a well-established and almost closed circle-like setting, especially one that is meant to be inherently non-threatening, but the arrival of the travelling funfair takes care of that nicely. Russell does a great job of both situating the fair in the heart of the village and establishing the metaphorical boundaries between the two communities.
Unfortunately, while the sights, sounds and atmosphere of the fairground really come to life, the showpeople do not fare nearly so well. The fair itself and the spectators it attracts from the local area should have provided an excellent opportunity to introduce a host of new characters, all of whom could be potential murderers. However, Russell only presents a couple of newcomers, one of whom is bumped off via Ferris wheel early on.
The lack of new arrivals implies a lack of viable suspects – working on the assumption that one of the series regulars is unlikely to have suddenly become homicidal – which necessarily limits the scope and complexity of Emily’s investigation. Really, there is only one likely killer lurking about, whom Emily and friends identify almost immediately, and the subsequent story tracks their attempts to find evidence to back up their suspicions.
As a result, Poppy Plays Fair isn’t the whodunnit that it could have been, which is rather disappointing. What’s more, while Emily’s success as an amateur sleuth has arguably always been more down to luck and tenacity than to skill and insight, the fact that she doesn’t have a set of suspects to interview and tail makes this even more apparent, as does the amount of time she spends pondering romance and friendship issues.
Still, Emily does immediately suspect that something is amiss – something beyond health and safety gone mad – when the police increase their presence at the fairground following the death and she isn’t put off investigating by the many naysayers in the village. Plus, she does identify the killer, which can’t be considered anything other than a deductive success, and she shows remarkable bravery and determination in bringing that killer to justice.
While Emily and Poppy often find themselves embroiled in danger and intrigue, they are typically assisted by Emily’s closeknit group of friends. This time around, however, Hannah, Toby, Barry and even noted busybody Maud feature less prominently, with Dana and Richard filling in for them. This makes for an enjoyable change of perspective, and Dana emerges as a particularly well-developed character.
Poppy Plays Fair is a fast-paced and fun cosy crime novel that, if a little light on the actual mystery, is big on the motivation and ingenuity required by a successful amateur detective. As such, it’s very entertaining to follow Emily and Poppy’s sleuthing and ponder on how they will manage to bring the killer to justice this time.
For more canine-centric crime, try Helle’s Hound by Oskar Jensen or the grittier Suspect by Robert Crais.
Crime and Mystery Club
Print/Kindle
£4.99
CFL Rating: 3 Stars
