Death on Lindisfarne ~ Review

Death on Lindisfarne
The Aidan Mysteries
By Fay Sampson

When Aidan Davison brought Melangell - his 8 year old daughter, to the holy island of Lindisfarne he had little idea of what he would be stepping into.   What was suppose to be a retreat that included a course on the Northumbrian saints all to soon turns into a murder mystery when a troubled young woman is found dead.

But did Rachel take her own life or did someone end it for her?  This is the question that troubles Aidan and police officer-turned-minister Lucy Pargeter.

Death on Lindisfarne delves into the historic past of Lindisfarne while probing the mystery surrounding the death of Rachel Ince.  As the story progresses suspicion falls on various members of the retreat.  But why would anyone want to kill a teenager whom they had never met before the retreat began?

Having read Fay Sampson's Pangur Ban books I was interested in how a more contemporary adult book of her's would compare.  Well, I wasn't disappointed.  Death on Lindisfarne is a well-written who-done-it that held my attention and kept me guessing.  There is a plethora of potential suspects and any one of them could easily be the guilty party.

Aidan's grief at the recent loss of his wife adds another dimension to the story, especially as he is trying to hide this from those taking part in the retreat.  It's interesting how he tries to hide his pain - letting others think that he instead had a failed marriage.

I am looking forward to future Aidan Mysteries and am interested to see if any of the other characters make an appearance in future books.  And the historical aspects are an enlightening delight sure to stoke a curiosity to dig deeper and learn more about the people and places that were touched on.

I was provided a copy of this book by Kregel in exchange for my honest review of Death on Lindisfarne.


About the book: 

Grieving the loss of wife and mother, Aidan and Melangell visit the renowned spiritual retreat center on the British island of Lindisfarne so Aidan can share with bright eight-year-old Melangell one of the places that inspired Jenny to write her books.

There they meet up with Jenny's friend Lucy, a Methodist minister, who is teaching a course on the local Northumbrian saints. Lucy has brought Rachel, a troubled teenager, to the Holy Island in hopes that the remoteness and peace of the location will help her.

But when Rachel is found dead on the beach, everyone on theisland is under suspicion. As investigators and Rachel's "friends" come to the island, Aidan and Lucy learn more about Rachel, and Lucy's past as a policewoman is revealed.

And so Aidan is drawn into his second mystery. Masterfully told by award-winning author Fay Sampson, Death on Lindisfarne explores the complicated motivations of fallen people against the backdrop of ancient holiness.