A Fatal Night (Ryder and Loveday, Book 7)

Name: A Fatal Night (Ryder and Loveday, Book 7)
Rating: 3.799999952316284 (5 reviews)

Faith Martin

Nov 2021 · Ryder and Loveday Book 7 · HarperCollins UK

3.8

5 reviews

Ebook

384

Pages

Eligible

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About this ebook

Don't miss A Dangerous Train of Thought, the thrilling latest installment in the Ryder & Loveday series! Pre-order now. ‘A light-hearted twisty thriller... Reminiscent of an Agatha Christie novel, with a great cast of characters. A real page-turner!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ New Year’s Eve, 1962

New Year’s Eve, 1962. As a snowstorm rages in Oxford, the city’s elite gather for the most exclusive party of the year. But the celebrations take a dark turn when a guest is found dead in his car the following morning.

What first appears to be a tragic case of freezing to death after crashing into a snowdrift soon unravels into something far more sinister. When WPC Trudy Loveday and Coroner Clement Ryder arrive to investigate, they uncover a tangled web of secrets that plainly point to murder.

With everyone telling different stories about that fateful night, only one thing is clear: several people had reason to want the victim dead. Trudy and Clement must uncover the truth before the killer escapes with the perfect crime.

A gripping, twisty cosy crime novel, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Richard Osman and M.C. Beaton.

‘Absolutely loved it... The characters were some of the best I’ve read in a long time.’ Angela Marsons, no. 1 bestselling author of the Kim Stone series Readers LOVE Faith Martin!

‘Absolutely perfect! This is the book I have been craving since I last read the Thursday Murder Club series!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Very entertaining... Full of red herrings, plot twists and turns. I thought I knew who was the killer but I was wrong.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I just love this series... Faith Martin is the modern day Agatha Christie, deftly drawing her characters with a couple of lines... A delight as always.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Well written with likeable and credible protagonists... A perfect addition to this excellent series and perhaps the best to date.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I thoroughly enjoyed reading it... Loved the interaction between the two unlikely main characters who complemented each other so very well as they tried to solve the crime.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘[This] "who done it" is a bit of nostalgia... A great read.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I've enjoyed most of Faith Martin's books but this Fatal series is my clear favourite.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'This author's books are soothing to the soul. Her characters are likable, and the plots always keep me guessing. Excellent fun.'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Ryder and Loveday Series

Book 1: A FATAL OBSESSION

Book 2: A FATAL MISTAKE

Book 3: A FATAL FLAW

Book 4: A FATAL SECRET

Book 5: A FATAL TRUTH

Book 6: A FATAL AFFAIR

Book 7: A FATAL NIGHT

Book 8: A FATAL END

Ratings and reviews

3.8

5 reviews

Alison Robinson

November 12, 2021

Although this is the seventh book in a series it can easily be read as a standalone. It is New Year's Eve 1962, the widowed Mrs Millie Vander is hosting a New Year's Eve party at her home, hoping that her man-friend, Terry Parker will propose to her, despite the ten year age difference. Millie's nineteen year old twins Jasper and Juliet are rather less than thrilled at the prospect of an oily second-hand sportscar salesman becoming their stepfather and spending their considerable inheritance. Meanwhile, WPC Trudy Loveday is one of the few police officers still on duty, so many having been trapped at home by the unprecedented snowfalls that brought Oxford to a halt, and others being brought down by a flu epidemic. The last thing she expects to be asked to do is investigate a dead body found slumped in a car on New Year's Day morning, even if the verdict is expected to be death caused by driving a car into a tree whilst intoxicated. Trudy suggests asking the coroner, Dr Clement Ryder, to pronounce death, given the holidays and being short-staffed. Dr Ryder and Trudy have apparently solved a number of murders in Oxford by pursuing what appeared to open-and-shut accidents, and Dr Ryder has a soft spot for the young WPC. This was a very enjoyable, easy-reading, police procedural, as a reader I was aware of several potential suspects but had no clue as to who had committed the murder or why. There were lots of what I really don't want to classify as red herrings, more like leads which didn't pan out, suspects who had motive but didn't commit the crime. I've not come across Faith Martin before but I will definitely keep an eye out for other books in this series. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Jennifer Graziano

May 27, 2025

Origin of the alphabet; number line, computer is the same place. There isn't a calendar without a programmer; different ones in society are for companies to supply basic utilities; motor vehicles, food clothes & shelter. Computer programs give the answers to outstanding questions; humans do not. They also drive all artificial moving objects; humans do not. One program designs all the building and a different one does cars; the program includes after they are built schedules for them and us. Cameras are a derivative of computer separate from video recorder for unreal pictures and photograph obstructing justice to disappear or vanish includes video tapes & DVD's.

About the author

Faith Martin has been writing for thirty years and has published over fifty novels. She began writing romantic thrillers as Maxine Barry, but quickly turned to crime! It was when she turned to writing detective stories as Faith Martin that she became more widely known. Having lived in Oxfordshire all her life, both the city and the countryside often feature in her novels. The fauna and wildlife of a farming landscape has always played a big part in her life – and often sneaks its way onto the pages of her books.

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