Genre: Mystery
Hardcover; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781643850962
Crooked Lane Books
336 Pages
$26.99; $12.99 Amazon
March 13, 2019
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Yorkshire, 1928. Indomitable sleuth Kate Shackleton is taking a well-deserved break from her detective work and indulging in her other passion: photography. When her local Photographic Society proposes an outing to the opening of the Bronte museum, Kate jumps at the chance to visit the setting of Wuthering Heights. But the setting proves to be even more sinister than the dreary classic when a member of their party is found murdered.
The event is one of the most popular of the decade, and each of the seven photographers were there to capture the perfect shot of a lifetime. But Tobias, the deceased, was known for being loud-mouthed and didn't care to curb his demeanor. Kate deduces that he must have had several enemies. But soon, she begins to suspect that perhaps the murderer is amongst them. And before they shrink to just a group of five, Kate must pick back up her magnifying glass and sleuthing cap to crack the case.
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Kate Shackleton is a fairly young widow who lives in Yorkshire. She's also a talented photographer and belongs to the local Photographic Society. One evening a new member, young Derek Blondell, suggests an outing, a weekend to take pictures, and they decide on the opening of the Bronte museum.
She also has a friend, Carine Murchison, who owns a photographic studio and takes care of her ailing father and a wastrel husband named Tobias, who is also a member but whose time is spent in getting drunk. Carine is startled at the reappearance of her one true love, Edward, that she thought died in the war. It is later, at a pub near the museum, that she discovers Tobias lied to her and between he and her father conspired to have her marry him; now she realizes he is much like her father, and that's not a good thing.
But while on the outing Tobias is killed, and when it's discovered he was murdered, Kate is wondering who might have done the deed. He was much hated, but she doesn't believe for a moment that young Derek could have killed him, even if the police believe so. She is urged by her friend Rita to find the true killer, and what she discovers stuns her to her very core...
This is the tenth book in the Kate Shackleton series, and unfortunately I found it to be the weakest. The writing seems disjointed somehow. We are given the tale from both Kate's view in first person, then everyone else's in third. It didn't flow as well as the other books.
While it started out very interesting, soon the book became depressing. I began to feel heartily sorry for Carine, and watched her unraveling slowly without even realizing it. First betrayed by her mother, then her father and even her own husband, one cannot but feel sorry for her. The other characters - including Kate - took a back seat to Carine in this story; and while it could have been a good thing, I didn't find it to be so.
The tale itself was interesting enough, and the murder not unexpected, considering the type of person Tobias was, but in the end I found myself wishing for something more, and not finding it. I found it slightly gloomy, and probably not the best book to read while listening to the steady beat of rain outside my window.
I was not satisfied with the ending, but then again, that is only my own opinion and others, I am sure, will love this book. Hopefully the next in the series will improve to the quality of many of the others, and I still look forward to reading them.
https://www.amazon.com/Snapshot-Murder-Kate-Shackleton-Mystery/dp/1643850962?
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2718004010
More on Frances Brody's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/frances-brody/
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