Murder in the Mill-Race cover art

Murder in the Mill-Race

British Library Crime Classic

 Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for £5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Murder in the Mill-Race

By: E.C.R. Lorac
Narrated by: David Thorpe
Try Standard free

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £14.24

Buy Now for £14.24

About this listen

When Dr Raymond Ferens moves to a practice at Milham in the Moor in north Devon, he and his wife are enchanted with the beautiful hilltop village lying so close to moor and sky. At first they see only its charm, but soon they begin to uncover its secrets - envy, hatred and malice. Everyone says that Sister Monica, warden of a children's home, is a saint - but is she?

A few months after the Ferens' arrival her body is found drowned in the mill-race. Chief Inspector Macdonald faces one of his most difficult cases in a village determined not to betray its dark secrets to a stranger.

©1952 The Estate of E. C. R. Lorac (P)2020 Soundings Detective Mystery Traditional Detectives Fiction Village British Library Crime
All stars
Most relevant
Love it especially the interview with lady Riddding. She is excellent at describing place and the relevant layout.

A great listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The more I read/listen to the crime stories written by ECR Lorac, set in the post-war world of the 40's and 50's, the more I enjoy them. This novel draws strongly on the era of classic-crime novel in its structure and the way in which some of the key characters are drawn, but it also has some quite modern themes, surprising in a story written 70 or so years ago. The setting is a remote Devon village, which has turned in on itself, where everyone knows everyone else's business, but never openly talks about it. It is an enclosed, almost claustrophobic society, which is having to deal with the increasing incursions of outsiders, such as the new doctor and his slightly exotic wife and, of course, the two Yard detectives who come to investigate the murder of "Sister Monica" who is presented, at first as a "wonder" and a domineering saint. She is warden of the local children's home and it soon becomes clear that she psychologically abuses the children and the troubled young women whom she "trains" to enter service with the local bigwigs. The fascinating element of the story is how the two detectives go about unearthing the truth about wonderful Sister Monica, presenting the reality of her monstrous personality to the local people - high and low. There are some beautifully bizarre moments as the locals try to push back against the reality which is being presented to them so that they don't have to see and accept that all is far from well in their little world. I found this to be a thoroughly absorbing and enjoyable story.

A classic crime novel, with some modern themes

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Above all, character development was varied and convincing. Author has in depth knowledge of country

Plot worthy of Agatha Christie

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.