A Piece of Justice by Jill Paton Walsh is the second of her Imogen Quy (rhymes with "why") mystery series. Imogen is the nurse at Cambridge's imaginary St. Agatha's College. In this particular outing another student may be in danger and this time the student is one of Imogen's boarders and friend, Fran Buillon. Fran, a graduate student in need of money, gratefully undertakes to complete a biography of a mathematician. A seemingly simple task that was begun by three other biographers but never finished. Curiosity drives Imogen to discover that all three of the previous scholars have disappeared or met untimely ends. What is it about the obscure and fairly boring life of Gideon Summerfield--now dead himself--that could drive someone to murder? During the course of her investigations, Imogen finds a trail of academic jealousy, competition, and cheating. She is also involved in a quilt-making project that ultimately helps her find some answers in Wales of all places.This is another solid British mystery from the pen of Paton Walsh. The character of Imogen Quy is believable and interesting. I enjoy her quiet compassion and inquisitiveness which lands her in the middle of her mysteries. I also liked the way Paton Walsh was able to weave the quilt theme into her mystery. It provides a very unique solution to the crimes. As I mentioned before, I much prefer Paton Walsh's mysteries with her own characters to those she has done with Lord Peter Wimsey. These are competent mysteries with engaging characters. I thoroughly enjoy the academic setting and will continue to seek out the rest of the series. Three stars.
I was captivated by the cover and now by the review. This looks like one I just have to read.
ReplyDelete