Dead Men Don’t Ski (Inspector Henry Tibbett Mystery #1) by Patricia Moyes

This is yet another book which my library luckily had in the older non-Christie category. They do not have the rest in order but given the abrupt introduction of our investigator Henry Tibbett, I do not think it should matter if I read it out of order.

As I read more books by older women authors, I am starting to notice that the good ones have a way of introducing a lot of background nuance into the narrative. Here we have a ski ‘resort’ in a town that is technically Italian post World War, but at its heart, it stays German. There is a combination of languages used in the setting, and we are informed when a few are clueless, sometimes communications are unclear or if our lead character is withholding the fact that he can understand those who would not expect an Englishman to. This adds a dynamic to the storyline because Henry and his wife despite being on vacation, are tasked with keeping their eye out for a drug-smuggling ring which seems to operate out of the very same hotel that they considered. There are people of multiple nationalities in the mix. Each brings a schedule with them, and they also exhibit various prejudices and trust is a fleeting thing when a sleazy man turns up dead. The investigation begins quite a long way into the introduction, or at least it feels that way. The people and their interactions are so engrossing that death seems almost unexpected! It is a simple story when all the evidence is considered, but the journey to the final chapter and all that goes with it was fun to navigate.

This is one of the books Kate recommended and I put in Books I was recommended.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.