An American veteran of the D day landings, returns with fellow survivors to the village where the landings were rehearsed prior to the operation. When the elderly man is murdered, Detective Sergeant Wesley Peterson receives a call from his friend Neil, an archaeologist who is about to begin a dig at the old chapel where the body is discovered.
The novel ties together the current murder mystery with the archaeological dig that is delving into events that occurred when a Spanish ship was separated from the Spanish Armada and foundered on the coast of the village in 1588.
The novel is billed as a Wesley Peterson mystery, but I found his boss Detective Inspector Hefferson much more interesting and well-rounded. The story develops several plot lines and is a short and easy read.
The most interesting part for me was the D day rehearsal that resulted in the loss of more men than were killed in the actual landing on Utah Beach, and the evacuation of the village for the purpose of the rehearsal.
Fiction. Police Procedural/Historical Mystery. 1999. 217 pages.
I read this book in 2008. I enjoyed it as I remember. I meant to continue the series and will at some point. Glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteKay - The most interesting things were that the real village of Slapton was evacuated for the purpose of the rehearsal for D Day, that so many men died as a result of the rehearsal, and that about half of them were killed by "friendly fire." Something not widely publicized about the D Day Invasion. I always learn something in reading fiction!
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