Lesley Grant-Adamson is a British writer of mystery fiction. She wrote for magazines and newspapers before becoming a full-time freelancer. Besides crime novels, she has written television scripts, poetry, magazine articles, and short stories. Her series characters are Rain Morgan, a newspaper gossip columnist; private detective Laura Flynn; and American conman Jim Rush. She has written some stand-alone books and several works of non-fiction as well.

Grant-Adamson’s debut mystery Patterns in the Dust (Faber and Faber, 1985) introduced Rain Morgan and was a finalist for the Crime Writers Association New Blood Dagger Award.  Quite a bit happens in a compact 190 pages. Rain Morgan is taking a much-needed break from her job as a gossip columnist at a London newspaper. Her live-in boyfriend has arranged with a cousin to use his small house in Somerset for a few weeks. Soon after her arrival in Nether Hampton, cracks appear in the surface of the superficially blissful village.

The archaeologist excavating the local castle discovers a body in a well; the police are having trouble identifying the victim. The lady across the street who wears mink-trimmed dresses has matrimonial designs on the squire of the county. He in turn is said to be pining for his wife who ran away with a lover to France. A green-haired lout hangs around as if he is looking for something to pinch. The retired general next door can’t manage his horse but persists in joining the local fox hunts.

Rain is uneasy about the owner of the cottage she’s staying in. He left no message for her and she doesn’t know how she is supposed to pay him. Pub chatter indicates he’s been gone far longer than usual and no one knows where he is. Then she finds evidence that someone has been in the house. No damage has been done but her peace of mind is shattered. When one of the neighbors is found dead late one night, Rain’s journalistic instincts are aroused and she begins her own investigation.

A sound amateur sleuth mystery reminiscent of the Golden Age. Grant-Adamson has a gift for developing and conveying suspense. It shows especially when Rain in the time-honored tradition of amateur sleuths everywhere hatches a hair-brained scheme to collect evidence and is nearly killed in the process. I am happy to report that Rain extricated herself without help. There is a curious sense of timelessness about much of this book; it feels as if it could have been written thirty years before it was published. The book has a strong sense of place and it’s beautifully written. I loved the last few sentences. Recommended for fans of the traditional mystery.