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Hennessey & Yellich #22
The Altered Case
A skeleton-filled grave leads DCI Hennessey’s team back to the aftermath of the English Civil War in this gripping mystery -
When a deep grave containing five skeletons is found in the corner of a field, DCI Hennessey and his team of officers from the Vale of York police station are called in to investigate. The burial site had lain undiscovered for over twenty years, and the resulting police inquiry soon uncovers a multiple murder that seems to have its roots in a legal dispute between two families going back to the aftermath of the English Civil War. But have the victims been discovered too late to catch the killer?
When a deep grave containing five skeletons is found in the corner of a field, DCI Hennessey and his team of officers from the Vale of York police station are called in to investigate. The burial site had lain undiscovered for over twenty years, and the resulting police inquiry soon uncovers a multiple murder that seems to have its roots in a legal dispute between two families going back to the aftermath of the English Civil War. But have the victims been discovered too late to catch the killer?
188 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2012
12 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Peter Turnbull
97 books37 followersPeter Turnbull is the author of nineteen previous novels and numerous works of short fiction. He worked for many years as a social worker in Glasgow before returning to his native Yorkshire.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 7, 2012
Peter Turnbull is really good at conjuring bizarre crime scenes, such as the one he describes in The Altered Case. It consists of five sets of skeletonized remains found in the Vale of York, buried in a remote field belonging to a local farmer. Even the story of their discovery is strange and haunting, a case of delayed reaction if there ever was one.
The investigation into these strange circumstances is to be conducted by the York Constabulary, which is headed up by DCI George Hennessey. Hennessey’s right hand man is DS Somerled Yellich. (That name is pronounced “Sorley,” by the way.)
Other members of the investigative team headed by these two are on hand, as they have been in previous entries in this series: Reginald Webster, Carmen Pharoah, and Thomson Ventnor. Louise D’Acre is once again on hand as the forensic pathologist. One of the positive aspects of following a series like this one is that the characters that populate the novels come to seem like old friends. The reader is pleased to encounter them yet gain – for the most part, that is. With regard to the Hennessey and Yellich novels, each of the ‘regulars’ has his or her cross to bear, either in the present or from the past. And then, of course, there’s George Hennessey’s secret lover….
I’ve said before that I like a mystery in which there’s and element of what I call ‘added value’ in the story. A good example would be the role played by the Pre-Raphaelite painters in Barry Maitland’s Dark Mirror. In The Altered Case, a mysterious family is likened to the equally mysterious disappearance of the Roman Ninth Legion, If this reference sounds faintly familiar to you. it’s probably because it’s the subject of last year’s film, The Eagle. (The film was based on The Eagle of the Ninth, a novel by Rosemary Sutcliff.)
In one scene, in connection the current inquiry, Carmen Pharoah interviews a retired officer named Adrian Clough. It is he who likens the disappearance of the Parr family to the unknown fate of the Roman Ninth Legion. He begins the tale thus: “The Ninth Legion left Eboracum to go north to Caledonia….” Eboracum was the Roman name for the City of York; Caledonia was what the Romans called Scotland.
Peter Turnbull previously wrote a series set in Glasgow and is now also writing one set in London. In this space, I’ve reviewed several other novels in the Hennessey and Yellich series: Chill Factor, Once a Biker, No Stone Unturned, Deliver Us From Evil, and Turning Point. In my write-up of Chill Factor I spoke about what a thrill it was to be reading one of these novels while I was actually in York. (Please forgive me for quoting myself):
This series by Turnbull benefits greatly by its setting: York, the cathedral city that dates back to Roman times…. For sure, this ancient place is a veritable treasure house. You roam the narrow streets of “the Shambles,” where many of the low structures (kept low by law, I’m told) date from the Middle Ages; then look up! You see the astonishing Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe, towering above everything. All passionate readers know the special joy of reading a book set in a place you happen to be in. I had that pleasure with regard to York in the fall of 2005. I don’t remember which book in this series I was reading at the time, but I do remember my delight in reading about “walking the walls” and heading into snickelways (narrow alleys between buildings) while I was actually doing those very things myself.
One of my chief pleasures in reading Peter Turnbull resides in the fact that his prose style is quite unique – wholly his own, I would venture to say. It has a somewhat antique flair, as when, instead of saying he doesn’t like winter, a character articulates the sentiment thus: ‘I care not for winter….’ And there are the delightful introductions to each new chapter. Here’s the one for Chapter Four:
…in which Somerled Yellich and and Reginald Webster travel south, Thomson Ventnor meets a lady who is much befitted by means of upward social mobility and George Hennessey is at home to the too kind reader.
Commenting on my review of Turning Point, Martin Edwards says the following:
Peter Turnbull, whom I’ve known for fifteen years or more, is a very self-effacing individual, but a writer (in my opinion) of real quality. I’ve been familiar with his books since I was a student, and the P Division stories were quite prominent in their day. But he never ‘broke out’ and is now relatively little known. But he is a crime writer who deserves more recognition.
I was most grateful for this observation, from this most generous of writers whom I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. And yes, Peter Turnbull is as elusive as ever. Each time I review one of his books, I start the search anew: perhaps there’s now a website? Maybe even a Wikipedia entry! (There’s a Wikipedia entry for a Peter Turnbull, but alas, it refers to Scottish football player born in 1875.) Peter Turnbull was born in Rotherham, in South Yorkshire, in 1950. In his entry in Contemporary Authors online, a Gale database accessible through the library’s website, he is quoted as follows: “‘I would like my books to be an accurate historical record of UK society at the cusp of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.’”
From that same article, we learn that Peter Turnbull has had a most varied work life: trained as a social worker, he pursued that profession from 1978 to 1995, at which time he decided to become a writer full time. He has also been a steelworker and a crematorium assistant. Also, at some point, he did a stint as a social worker in Brooklyn, New York. (I would really like to know more about that particular experience.)
I was delighted to learn that this author won an Edgar this year for his short story “The Man Who Took His Hat Off to the Driver of the Train.” Not sure how to get my hands on this, but will let you know when I do. Meanwhile, do pick up this or one of the other Hennessey and Yellich novels. You’ll enjoy the best in British police procedural writing.
The investigation into these strange circumstances is to be conducted by the York Constabulary, which is headed up by DCI George Hennessey. Hennessey’s right hand man is DS Somerled Yellich. (That name is pronounced “Sorley,” by the way.)
Other members of the investigative team headed by these two are on hand, as they have been in previous entries in this series: Reginald Webster, Carmen Pharoah, and Thomson Ventnor. Louise D’Acre is once again on hand as the forensic pathologist. One of the positive aspects of following a series like this one is that the characters that populate the novels come to seem like old friends. The reader is pleased to encounter them yet gain – for the most part, that is. With regard to the Hennessey and Yellich novels, each of the ‘regulars’ has his or her cross to bear, either in the present or from the past. And then, of course, there’s George Hennessey’s secret lover….
I’ve said before that I like a mystery in which there’s and element of what I call ‘added value’ in the story. A good example would be the role played by the Pre-Raphaelite painters in Barry Maitland’s Dark Mirror. In The Altered Case, a mysterious family is likened to the equally mysterious disappearance of the Roman Ninth Legion, If this reference sounds faintly familiar to you. it’s probably because it’s the subject of last year’s film, The Eagle. (The film was based on The Eagle of the Ninth, a novel by Rosemary Sutcliff.)
In one scene, in connection the current inquiry, Carmen Pharoah interviews a retired officer named Adrian Clough. It is he who likens the disappearance of the Parr family to the unknown fate of the Roman Ninth Legion. He begins the tale thus: “The Ninth Legion left Eboracum to go north to Caledonia….” Eboracum was the Roman name for the City of York; Caledonia was what the Romans called Scotland.
Peter Turnbull previously wrote a series set in Glasgow and is now also writing one set in London. In this space, I’ve reviewed several other novels in the Hennessey and Yellich series: Chill Factor, Once a Biker, No Stone Unturned, Deliver Us From Evil, and Turning Point. In my write-up of Chill Factor I spoke about what a thrill it was to be reading one of these novels while I was actually in York. (Please forgive me for quoting myself):
This series by Turnbull benefits greatly by its setting: York, the cathedral city that dates back to Roman times…. For sure, this ancient place is a veritable treasure house. You roam the narrow streets of “the Shambles,” where many of the low structures (kept low by law, I’m told) date from the Middle Ages; then look up! You see the astonishing Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe, towering above everything. All passionate readers know the special joy of reading a book set in a place you happen to be in. I had that pleasure with regard to York in the fall of 2005. I don’t remember which book in this series I was reading at the time, but I do remember my delight in reading about “walking the walls” and heading into snickelways (narrow alleys between buildings) while I was actually doing those very things myself.
One of my chief pleasures in reading Peter Turnbull resides in the fact that his prose style is quite unique – wholly his own, I would venture to say. It has a somewhat antique flair, as when, instead of saying he doesn’t like winter, a character articulates the sentiment thus: ‘I care not for winter….’ And there are the delightful introductions to each new chapter. Here’s the one for Chapter Four:
…in which Somerled Yellich and and Reginald Webster travel south, Thomson Ventnor meets a lady who is much befitted by means of upward social mobility and George Hennessey is at home to the too kind reader.
Commenting on my review of Turning Point, Martin Edwards says the following:
Peter Turnbull, whom I’ve known for fifteen years or more, is a very self-effacing individual, but a writer (in my opinion) of real quality. I’ve been familiar with his books since I was a student, and the P Division stories were quite prominent in their day. But he never ‘broke out’ and is now relatively little known. But he is a crime writer who deserves more recognition.
I was most grateful for this observation, from this most generous of writers whom I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. And yes, Peter Turnbull is as elusive as ever. Each time I review one of his books, I start the search anew: perhaps there’s now a website? Maybe even a Wikipedia entry! (There’s a Wikipedia entry for a Peter Turnbull, but alas, it refers to Scottish football player born in 1875.) Peter Turnbull was born in Rotherham, in South Yorkshire, in 1950. In his entry in Contemporary Authors online, a Gale database accessible through the library’s website, he is quoted as follows: “‘I would like my books to be an accurate historical record of UK society at the cusp of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.’”
From that same article, we learn that Peter Turnbull has had a most varied work life: trained as a social worker, he pursued that profession from 1978 to 1995, at which time he decided to become a writer full time. He has also been a steelworker and a crematorium assistant. Also, at some point, he did a stint as a social worker in Brooklyn, New York. (I would really like to know more about that particular experience.)
I was delighted to learn that this author won an Edgar this year for his short story “The Man Who Took His Hat Off to the Driver of the Train.” Not sure how to get my hands on this, but will let you know when I do. Meanwhile, do pick up this or one of the other Hennessey and Yellich novels. You’ll enjoy the best in British police procedural writing.
April 21, 2023
I have now read 4 books of the same author, and my rating has dropped from 5 to 3. Mind numbing repetitions about past tragedies and family situations of all main characters, and some random ones (why pay so much attention to Eric the morgue attendant if he is not featured in any plot lines other than assisting at post mortems).
I’ve encountered the same technique in other series where author wants to give you background info if you start reading not from book 1 but say book 21. Mostly they try to retell the story in different words, in different ways, but in Peter Turnbull’s case you’ll have thd exact words and phrases, pages of them. After 4th repetition it’s not even tolerable, stopped being readable on the second book.
Then choice of words. Detectives in his books ‘gasp’ a lot, talking to each other, suspects and witnesses. I’ve encountered many law enforcement officers in a number of countries, none of them gasped. And it’s a word that get used a lot throughout the book.
Conversations between Hennessy and his son inevitably involve mentioning him ‘spoiling’ his grandkids (again, just this word every time Hennssey thinks of his grandchildren, that’s the word he uses in his mind), and his son asking when he can meet dad’s ‘lady friend’, then praising how good she is for his father. Really?
And there are countless things like that. Plots are decent, but editor didn’t earn his keep. Or maybe he did and we just don’t know what he started with, maybe what we’re reading is a decent vesion already.
I can’t say I want to read this author further, I’d have watched the series instead where all the linguistic imperfections would be hidden.
I’ve encountered the same technique in other series where author wants to give you background info if you start reading not from book 1 but say book 21. Mostly they try to retell the story in different words, in different ways, but in Peter Turnbull’s case you’ll have thd exact words and phrases, pages of them. After 4th repetition it’s not even tolerable, stopped being readable on the second book.
Then choice of words. Detectives in his books ‘gasp’ a lot, talking to each other, suspects and witnesses. I’ve encountered many law enforcement officers in a number of countries, none of them gasped. And it’s a word that get used a lot throughout the book.
Conversations between Hennessy and his son inevitably involve mentioning him ‘spoiling’ his grandkids (again, just this word every time Hennssey thinks of his grandchildren, that’s the word he uses in his mind), and his son asking when he can meet dad’s ‘lady friend’, then praising how good she is for his father. Really?
And there are countless things like that. Plots are decent, but editor didn’t earn his keep. Or maybe he did and we just don’t know what he started with, maybe what we’re reading is a decent vesion already.
I can’t say I want to read this author further, I’d have watched the series instead where all the linguistic imperfections would be hidden.
October 31, 2023
DCI Hennessey and his team are called in when two middle-aged men recall having seen disturbed earth in a field some 30 years earlier and their recollection leads to the recovery of five skeletons, four of which are related. Their investigation leads to London and to history lessons, along with an eccentric family, the English Civil War and the vagaries of the foster system in London…. I’ve been enjoying the Hennessey and Yellich series, of which this is the twenty-second; I like the portrayal of police work as being, basically, a matter of observation, swotting through records dating back decades, and talking with various individuals who may or may not hold a piece of the puzzle that they are trying to solve. In this particular novel, the background of the 1600s comes into play too, which is fun for someone like me who enjoys history; recommended.
March 24, 2018
One of the best by Turnbull
Among the best books by Peter Turnbull, an “Altered Case” flows smoothly and quite powerfully from start to finish. Well written, well constructed, no great surprises but entirely logical in its resolution. The two families featured in this story are in contrast to one another and are nicely opposed and opposite.
Among the best books by Peter Turnbull, an “Altered Case” flows smoothly and quite powerfully from start to finish. Well written, well constructed, no great surprises but entirely logical in its resolution. The two families featured in this story are in contrast to one another and are nicely opposed and opposite.
March 30, 2024
I generally select a book by its blurb and this one did not disappoint. The storyline was imaginative but wholly believable. Unfortunately, I found the dialogue so stilted I struggled to get through. This was the first of the series I have read. I would consider another only because the author kept me guessing which is something I appreciate.
August 9, 2012
When two men remember a moment from their past it leads the police to the edge of a farm field and finding a grave with five human remains. Their problem is that the find is something that happened thirty years earlier. DCI Hennessey, his partner Yellich and the rest of the team must start investigating thirty year old murders in the Vale of York. They follow every clue in determining the identities of the remains and how they got there, with the usual number of suspects and their ability to withhold the complete truth. The investigation finally reveals the facts in the case and leads the police to finding the truth.
This was a short book(188 pages - which I like) but there was a lack of character development that usually happens in a British mystery that makes the detectives so loveable. All in all, it was a quick, fun read.
This was a short book(188 pages - which I like) but there was a lack of character development that usually happens in a British mystery that makes the detectives so loveable. All in all, it was a quick, fun read.
July 16, 2012
Two middle aged men tell the police that the field they wandered as boys may contain a grave. It certainly does, and the police must find a murderer who struck thirty years previously. This leads them to an old legal case over disputed possessions. I'm sure I've read others in this series, but don't remember the rather odd vocabulary--contemporary cops using terms like "methinks" and "yclept." Really?
July 23, 2012
I'm enjoying it so far. I'm in the mood for a English police procedural that gets right down to business of who-dun-it, and this one does that. Some of my favorite British writers are expending way too much ink on the personal lives of the police and not enough on the crime. Unless your DCI is a complex character like Rebus, Dalgliesh, Frost, or Morse; it's best to keep their personal details to a minimum.
March 20, 2016
Initially found the style irritating but eventually settled to it and its stylised mannerisms. Good page turning yarn though and a strong feeling that the author actually likes most of the characters (or strongly dislikes them). Slightly school masterly approach to local history but it's still interesting and relevant to the plot
August 30, 2012
Not riveting, but definitely an entertaining foray into crime in the British countryside, this book was especially good in its weaving in of various threads to create the final picture. Set in York, it also provided some local color.
July 23, 2012
Decent police procedural set in York (England) involving repressed memory, a 30-year-old murder case and the continuing of threads from previous volumes in the series. Enjoyable, quick read.
December 9, 2012
Three and a half stars. A cold case mystery, inventive and enjoyable. My only gripe with the author is the antiquated language all the characters speak--makes no sense and gets in the way.
August 29, 2013
A good plot but the police in this novel are just way too polite and polished.
May 6, 2016
Satisfyingly what I expected. Sometimes familiar is a comfortable palate cleanser.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews