Templeton, Aline – THE DARKNESS AND THE DEEP

[LJ Roberts]

THE DARKNESS AND THE DEEP (Police Procedural-Scotland-Cont) – VG+ Templeton, Aline
– 2^nd in series
Hodder & Stoughton, 2006- UK Hardcover

Marjory Fleming is a farmer’s wife, mother of two and the DI in a small coastal town in Scotland that has a volunteer lifeboat rescue crew. On return from a nighttime rescue with a replacement coxswain, the boat mistakenly enters a rocky inlet and all are killed. Thoughts of it being a tragic accident are quickly removed when lights are found which mimic the lights indicating entry to the harbor. It’s up to Marjory and her team to determine which member of the team was the target, the motive for the deception and the killer.

Templeton has, once again, given us a very well written, traditional police procedural. She introduced each of a realistic company of the characters establishing their relationships. Marjory is a fully-developed character with all the elements of her life clearly outlined. The crime is suspenseful and terrifying but there is also humor in Marjory’s dealing with her DS, whom she fines every time he quotes Robert Burns and her dealing with the new officer from England. The story moves quickly with excellent dialogue, not even the Scottish slang slowed me down and I could figure out their meaning from the context. The unveiling of the murderer is one where I felt I should have seen it but it was so subtle, I didn’t, which I loved. I have become a huge fan of Ms. Templeton and strongly recommend you give her books a try.