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Murder on Lake Garda - Tom Hindle

Last read:

17th April 2025

Genre:

Murder mystery

Ownership:

- Donated

I purchased this book on the recommendation of a Waterstones staff member after I'd spent a good ten minutes staring indecisively at the "buy one get one half price" table with a gift for a family member in my hand.

It probably suffered for having been read off the back of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, but I did enjoy it. I twigged who the murderer was about two pages before the person in the book did, which I liked. I'm sure someone smarter than I would have got it earlier, but they'd probably enjoy the book less, so I class that as a win personally.

Always appreciate a locked-room mystery.

Spoilerish things

That said, having the chapter that explains exactly why the dagger was in the cove followed by the protagonist spending half the rest of the book being convinced that it was a crucial clue to the motive was a little frustrating. Like, of course she'd come to that conclusion, but I already know it's a red herring and am just waiting for her to catch up.

There's a cover-quote from the Daily Mail that calls Tom Hindle "heir to Christie", and I'm sorry Mr Hindle but it is undeserved. I love the standalone Agatha Christie stories (never been one for Poirot or Miss Marple) for their cosy-murder vibes, but there's nothing cosy about this book. There doesn't need to be anything cosy, it just doesn't hold the comparison.