Pan A Lesson in Dying (Inspector Ramsay).

I have read all of Ann Cleeves' Vera Stanhope and the Shetland Island novels and I am an enthusiastic fan of her writing. Therefore, I was excited to embark on a new series with Detective Ramsay. Overall, I enjoyed the novel -- it is a solid, well-plotted mystery with quirky but realistically drawn characters. Ramsay is a bit of an odd duck -- an insightful detective but a bit of a bland enigma personally. Interestingly, he knows it -- all too well. His wife has left him; his colleagues don't like him and he spends a lot of time wondering if he'd be a more effective detective (and less lonely) if he could only phrase his questions differently, be a bit kinder, understand people better -- you get the idea. He is aloof, often abrupt, but fundamentally decent. His approach is balanced by his "Jack-the-lad" sergeant who seems not to lack an ounce of confidence and bravado, though he could do with a bit more judgment. Still, with regard to solving the mystery of who killed the nasty headmaster of a village school in Northumbria (and equally importantly, why he was killed), neither Ramsay or Sgt. Hunter are making much progress. It takes the grizzled, canny school caretaker and his daughter Patty, a bored but clever village housewife, to extract key information from the insular and secretive inhabitants. The result of their sleuthing reveals the sordid reality behind the oh-so-respectable veneer of village life and expose the repressions required to maintain the "respectability." What I really admire about Cleeves' approach in this series is her willingness to play with her successful writing formula. This offering has an experimental quality to it. Gone are the deep psychological probings of her Vera series, and the examination of the crime from different characters' points of view. Thus, A Lesson in Dying is a shorter, leaner read. Cleeves gets down to the basic elements of a good mystery novel -- clever plot, fine characterizations, evocative atmosphere -- but by relying on Jack and Patty to further the investigation, the author is playing with the elements in a fresh way. There is also a cozy element to this novel that I like -- the atmosphere, the confined space of the setting, the almost genteel aspect of the storyline (relative to the grittier, violent, and more outre novels of, for example, Val McDermid). For my money, Jack Robson is a great character and makes this novel sparkle, while Det. Ramsay is hard to warm up to. I'm wondering if Cleeves intends to develop his character incrementally and show him using the insights he gains about himself in order to grow as a person and as a detective. I hope so -- that would be fascinating to me. Thus, I look forward to reading the next offering in the series.

This is a good story with a lot of people and twists and turns. You may need a chart to keep them straight at first. But after the story really starts it’s not a problem. I enjoyed, but was missing the middle aged female officer that’s in so many of her books.

There were too many characters going back and forth that made the storyline tiresome. Most of the Ann Cleve’s books I’ve read were rolled around more clearly and with more interest. I ended up scrolling the Ramsay novel about through to the end to find who did.

A Lesson in Dying is written by Ann Cleeves. The title is Book #1 in Ms. Cleeves’ Inspector Ramsay series. Before Jimmy Perez and Vera, Ann Cleeves wrote a series of police procedurals featuring Inspector Stephen Ramsay. In A Lesson in Dying, everyone in the small town of Heppleburn is speculating on who killed the Headmaster, Harold Medburn, on the night of the school Halloween Party? Evil, bad-tempered, hated and feared - Harold Medburn is a perfect target for murder. I was not familiar with these early books written by Ann Cleeves. The series is quite good - well-written and plotted with interesting characters. I enjoyed reading it. ****

Reading this first book in a series by Ann Cleeves is dangerous because I am now hooked on Inspector Ramsey! Ms. Cleeves is a master writer who cleverly weaves her plots around memorable and realistic characters. The scenery is stunningly described and it is like a visit to Scotland without TSA. So thankful for these magnificent books to read.

I hope detective Ramsay gets more interesting as the books continue in this series..he is Just devorced and feeling lonely. He is new in the department and is rather reticent. He hasn’t made friends. There is a murder at the school on Halloween night. I Who,could have murdered the principal? He was a detested man. He makes an arrest of the wrong person and then there is another murder! He asks some of the locals to help him. Iound that strange.

When I discovered this novel earlier today I thought I was in for a treat, eventhough a number of reviewers strongly suggested that I give it a pass. And before I go further, I paid 11.99 plus tax for this and am not happy; that was a real waste!! But, on to my complaints, and also some good things I can say. The good things: I liked the atmosphere of the story very, very much. I read the 'Sample' before I purchased, recognized the atmosphere then, and that is what persuaded me to buy. That much was good. I also liked the setting, an English village/small town. Nice. I liked Cleeves's voice, or tone and feel. I picked that up in the Sample, as well, and that was another strong reason why I bought. But...here are the negatives (some of them, anyway), and boy, did they ruin this for me. First off, FAR too many characters. Holy smokes!! My head was just reeling! I couldn't keep up (or, at least, didn't want to at some point). I'm a very good reader. I pay attention and do my utmost to follow a story, trying to remember characters' names, occupations, looking for clues and other things of significance. etc. I *actively* read. But in this one, especially in Chapters 1 and 2, when so many characters were rolled out. along with copious descriptions of their work and home lives, Cleeves lost me. I pressed on for a while. just out of determination to get something for my money, until I just couldn't take it anymore! I did skim to the end to see who dunnit, but I have to tell you, I just didn't care when I found out. What a nightmare of a read -- or part of a read. I may give Ramsey another try with one of the later books in the series. We'll see. I will say that a number of reviewers advised to do just that -- to skip this one and go for the later. I should have taken their advice!!!!!!!!! What a waste of time and (especially) money!

People and the mistakes they make in their pasts and then try to cover it and a murder happens. Many of the potential killers start adding up.

It was a little slow to start, but it picked up pace and became interesting after chapter three. Once the story got moving, it became a more riveting read. Not Ann's best but a good start to a new series.

Ann Cleeves writes well; she is descriptive and creates a special atmosphere. Her use of language is generally non-offensive, which is refreshing in today's "literary" circles. She has created an unusual sleuth in Vera, a very under-stated personality (unusual in North-America, where I live), who herself is interesting study material for the psychologically-minded. The plots are good and holds me (for one), captive to the end. I am very much a beginner with Ann Cleeves, but look forward to further 'reads' from this author.

The road to meet and understand Vera Stanhope and Jimmy Perez is way longer than expected. This 90s-series shows what happens if you choose cold-hearted a experimental setup to delve in the whims and shoal of the chosen personell – without show any interest in the people portrayed. It's callous – and unexpectedly clumsy.

Enredo brm construído que permite ao leitor seguir as pistas sem dar obviedade ao resultado. Mantém o interesse na história.

A book written by Anne Cleeves is always a good read. I thoroughly like her Vera books and her other literary items are a good read too. She is descriptive and there is always a good plot. Would absolutely recommend all her books.