![In the Shadow of the Reaper: A Digby Rolf Mystery Book II (Digby Rolf Mysteries 2) by [Hall, Raymond M]](https://images-fe.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41aTaCeBzTL._SY346_.jpg)
Australian author Raymond M Hall, born in Essex, England and lived in Mistley, and spent his evolving career in various occupations including the police force. He now lives and writes in New South Wales, Australia.
Raymond writes with a style that demands admiration and commands our attention. The manner in which he has created a protagonist in Vicar Digby Rolf (this is Book 2 of that series) presents and unusual and very effective foil for the traction of his episodes. He offers a Preface that opens the dark curtain on his mystery – ‘Tom Waites focuses on the cold staring eyes, ‘Why, please tell me why, I don’t understand, what have I done?’ The face behind the eyes remains impassive as a cold voice whispers, ‘This is for Simone Dubois.’ Tom stares into the muzzle of a gun he recognises from the war, a German Luger, ‘I don’t know any Simone Dubois, there’s been a mistake,’ he stammers. The voice speaks again, ‘Yes, during the war you made a big mistake, with a young girl but you were not alone, were you?’ The eyes are staring at Tom, unblinking, giving him no edge to make a run for it. He is kneeling as if he were in church, but the person standing before him is no priest, and the absolution offered does not involve redemption. Tom begins to cry; the memory of the young French girl has never left him, has always haunted him. He begs for mercy not only for himself but for his wife and children. The gun barrel, never wavering, flashes and a bullet enters Tom’s forehead exactly between the eyes leaving a neat 9 mm hole. However, the exit path is far from neat. Tom’s skull together with his brain splatters against the wall in a crimson curtain, running slowly down to meet the floor. His body slumps as his executioner quietly exits through the door, closing it softly.’
For those of us only now being introduced to Digby Rolf, Raymond establishes his identity quickly – ‘The Reverend Digby Rolf studied his small congregation from the lofty height of the raised lectern. The numbers never seemed to change, the same faces week after week, sometimes staring up at him, but often looking away as if in a daydream or simply with eyes closed and nodding off. He had been the parish Vicar for two years, ever since that time in London, in Pentonville prison where he served as prison Chaplain. In that capacity, Digby had witnessed the execution of a young man, convicted of the murder of a girl from the East End of London. Divine intervention led him to the firm belief in the hanged man’s innocence and that he had been set up. Digby had been determined to prove his innocence, even leaving the prison service in order to pursue the matter privately. Now though, Digby was becoming bored to distraction by the sameness of life in his small parish, fearing that if he didn’t do something about it he would go quite mad. In his quest to solve the crime behind the hanging, he had found and lost the love of his life, Summer. She was now at rest in his father’s parish graveyard, which Digby visited weekly. The crime rate was low in the area and although Digby appreciated the desirability of this fact to his parishioners, he sometimes wished for the excitement that London had to offer….etc’
But for a very brief summary the following synopsis captures highlights – ‘The second book in the Digby Rolf Mystery series finds Digby in the role of incumbent Vicar in his home village of Wickham Bumpstead. The villagers are shaken by a series of unexplained murders, and Digby resumes his role of amateur detective. The victims are for the most part local men, and the police are baffled; there is no apparent motive behind the killings. Digby travels to France in an effort to connect the murders to the assault of Simone Dubois during the second world war, at the time of the Dunkirk evacuation. He meets Auguste, a mysterious young French girl, and becomes embroiled in a tale of vengeance stretching back over the years since the end of the war. Encountering danger at every turn, Digby once again puts his life on the line to solve the mystery.’
Tremendously satisfying writing and character/time interplay make this a book to treasure. Think Poe, Doyle, King…Grady Harp, September 18
Product Description
Digby Rolf, the renegade priest!
The second book in the Digby Rolf Mystery series finds Digby in the role of incumbent Vicar in his home village of Wickham Bumpstead.
The villagers are shaken by a series of unexplained murders, and Digby resumes his role of amateur detective. The victims are for the most part local men, and the police are baffled; there is no apparent motive behind the killings.
Digby travels to France in an effort to connect the murders to the assault of a young woman, Simone Dubois, in the second world war during the Dunkirk evacuation.
He meets Auguste, a mysterious young French girl, and becomes embroiled in a tale of vengeance stretching back over the years since the end of World War II
Encountering danger at every turn, Digby once again puts his life on the line.
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Praise for ‘In the Shadow of the Reaper’ from Verified Amazon readers.
- It’s so nice to find a murder mystery that doesn’t have any holes in it but keeps you guessing throughout the book.
- Fantastically written murder mystery.
- Loads of suspense.
- A brilliant read with a classic touch.
- You’ll be sucked in and held captive to the very end.
- Another great book in this series.
