I have been a fan of Faith Martin’s books for quite a while now. I absolutely loved the series featuring Hilary Greene, which is published by Joffe Books and I absolutely love the Jenny Starling series, which is also published by Joffe Books. ‘A Fatal Flaw’ is the third book in the series featuring WPC Trudy Loveday and Coroner Clement Ryder and is published by HQ. I eagerly devour and love each book that Faith releases. ‘ A Fatal Flaw’ is no exception to that. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘A Fatal Flaw’ but more about that in a bit.
I love the pairing of probationary WPC Trudy Loveday and Clement Ryder, who is the coroner for the area. Trudy is determined to become a police officer and nothing will put her off the idea. Even the fact that she is given all the crappy jobs to do doesn’t change her mind. Trudy is feisty, determined, brave, kind, compassionate and at times stubborn. Trudy is also eager to learn and when she works with Ryder, she is determined to draw on his experience. Ryder is slightly different. He is a man of a particular age who has seen it all and done it all. Ryder sees the potential in Loveday and takes her under his wing, which doesn’t exactly go down very well. Loveday and Ryder work well together and what one of them lacks, the other one provides if that makes sense? The partnership between them is very strong and formidable.
I have to say that it didn’t take me very long at all to get into this book. By the time I got to the end of the first page, I was hooked. This book proved to be addictive reading. I just couldn’t put the book down as I was enjoying the story and the characters so much. The further I got into the book, the more addicted to the story I became. I tried to ration how much I read at any one time because I wanted to prolong my enjoyment of the book but those attempts were soon thrown out of the window because I couldn’t stop reading. In fact reading this book felt as though I was reuniting with old friends in the shape of Loveday and Ryder. The author writes so realistically and convincingly that I did feel as though I was the third person in their team. I even began to interact with the book as if the characters could hear me. I know, I know I get far too involved in books that I enjoy.
I would definitely say that ‘A Fatal Flaw’ is well written. The author has a writing style that is easy to get used to and tempts you in to the story. There’s enough going on to keep your attention all the way through. She has created characters that are likeable and storylines that are realistic and plausible. I also like the fact that the story is set during the 1960s which is an era that fascinates me.
In short I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘A Fatal Flaw’ and I would recommend it to other readers. For me, this is the best book of the series so far. I can’t wait to read what comes next from the pen of Faith Martin. Here’s hoping that we don’t have too long to wait. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

This is the third book in the Ryder Loveday mystery series . Trudy Loveday, a probationary WPC, is still struggling for acceptance in her chosen profession.
When she is approached by her old friend Grace Farley who tells her that a young woman has died in suspicious circumstances Trudy can`t not get involved.
Grace`s employer is sponsoring a beauty pageant in the hopes of promoting one of his companys, Dunbar`s Jams Honey and Marmalade,products
Abby Trent, one of the favourites to win the Miss Oxford Honey contest has died and Grace is convinced it cannot be suicide as is generally accepted.
When Trudy finds that her old friend Dr Clement Ryder is presiding over the inquest into her death she decides to ask him for his help..
With his help her boss Di Jennings agrees to allow Trudy to go undercover as a contestant in the competition.
A well thought out plot involving not one but two murders, petty jealousies and lies.
A host of characters, some likeable some not and one intent on revenge.
An all round enjoyable read.
Thanks to Netgalley and HQ Digital for the chance to read this as an ARC in return for an honest review.

This was my first book with The coroner Dr Ryder and Trudy the young PC , set in the 60s, it certainly caught the era. Unfortunately the story was rather flat and rambling, a lot more could have been done with it. Certainly, there was a lot of suspense and intrigue woven into the story at the beginning and through it, but did not meet expectations

This is the third book in the Ryder and Loveday series, a cosy crime series with an unusual crime fighting duo. Loveday is a probationary WPC and Ryder is a coroner, many years her senior.

Loveday has to suffer the misogynistic and sexist attitudes of her male colleagues. She is relegated to making tea, searching female suspects and family liaison. She would rather be at the forefront of crime like her colleagues, which is why she doesn't say no when a potential crime falls into her lap.

Ryder has become Loveday's inadvertent sidekick, but does so with great pleasure. He is busy trying to hide the fact he has a medical condition, which could end his career. Hiding the physical impairments of his Parkinson's disease is becoming increasingly difficult, and are being mistaken for alcohol related incidents.

The combination of the two of them gives the story a light-hearted and comfortable feel, despite the crime element. Ryder gives Loveday the platform to evolve professionally and Loveday connects with Ryder in an almost familial way.

There are plenty of cosy crime books, but what Martin does is slide an element of modern crime in with the easy flow. You get an early Jane Tennison feel, which addresses the difficult aspect of being a woman in the police force, and the discriminatory treatment of people with medical issues and gender inequality.

It might seem a strange thing to say about a crime story, but the relationship between Ryder and Loveday gives it a feel-good element, despite the murders. Martin mixes the more nefarious aspects of human nature with an entertaining crime-solving duo. This is what happens when conscience and empathy meets murderous intention.

This book is a cozy mystery, quick easy read. It was not as interesting as her other books and seemed quite juvenile in comparison to her other works. A likeable book, but not my favorite of her works.
I received this book as a complimentary copy for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and H O Digital Publishing for this advance digital read copy of A FATAL FLAW by Faith Martin. This is the third in her Ryder and Loveday series featuring Coroner Clement Ryder and WPC Trudy Loveday.
This series takes place in the 1960’s and offers a picture of the treatment of women in that era. It also touches on the fact that women were not welcome by many of the policemen who were part of the establishment, and often given only work that was deemed fitting for a woman such as searching handbags or chaperoning woman who had come in contact with the police. Trudy is determined to make a success of her chosen profession and Dr. Ryder sees her as having more intelligence and potential than is being put to use by her supervisor. This forms the basis of their partnership.
In this book, Trudy is approached by Grace, a friend from school who says she has suspicions about the death of a girl in the upcoming Miss Oxford Honey contest, sponsored by Grace’s employer. From the beginning the reader is made aware that Grace has information and motivation she isn’t sharing with Trudy, however these are not revealed until well into the book.
Trudy takes information from Grace to Dr. Ryder who is the coroner presiding over the inquest. Based on her information and the lack of conclusive evidence, he urges the jury to issue an open verdict. Once that is accomplished, he and Trudy begin an investigation of their own with Trudy going undercover as a contestant and Dr. Ryder being named a judge.
It is clear to the reader from the outset that there is a murderer at work, although the motive for the murder isn’t clear. The book is punctuated in spots by short chapters that are dedicated to the murderer’s thoughts and plans for the future, however they are done so without revealing information about the murderer in terms of gender, motivation, or other identifying data.
There is a second murder which causes Trudy’s superior to assign the case to a more senior officer, although he agrees to let Trudy remain in her undercover capacity. His decision is largely attributed to his desire to have Trudy anywhere other than at the police station, as he doesn’t feel women are suitable for the force.
The book is well paced with some good clues and reasons to suspect several of the characters in the book. While I was correct in my assessment of who the murderer was, it wasn’t until Trudy and Dr. Ryder revealed the motive that I understood why the person committed murder. This is a relatively non-violent police procedural which dwells more on the investigation and spends little time describing dead bodies or setting traps that might endanger the detectives. I enjoy this more than the heart pounding type of mystery, however if you are looking for one that is filled with danger, tension, mayhem, and murder you may think this one is too mile.
While I enjoyed the book, I did not care for the ending which was a bit of a cliff-hanger seemingly designed to encourage the reader to get the next book in the series. The murder itself is resolved, but the reader will need to continue reading the next book in the series to learn how the situation is resolved. I have not read the first two books in the series, so I do not know if this is a regular ploy used in this series.

It’s 1960 and Trudy Loveday a probationary WPC is sought out by her friend, Grace Farley. Grace is employed by the owners of Dunbar’s Jams, Honey and Marmalade as general assistant to both Mr & Mrs Dunbar. In this capacity, she has been involved in a beauty competition run by the company, The Miss Oxford Honey beauty pageant.

Grace tells Trudy that one of the contestants has died and she is absolutely convinced that she didn’t commit suicide even though that is the general consensus. Added to that, there have been several disturbing incidents around the theatre where the rehearsals are taking place. She wants Trudy to get Dr Clement Ryder, the Coroner involved, to look into the death and perhaps the other matters too.

When Ryder agrees and Trudy’s DI reluctantly agrees they set off following clues to a totally unexpected end. We are reminded of the prejudice and preconceived notions of 1960. A time when women were not really accepted in the police force and the way in which those who thought they were part of the “upper classes” looked down on those of a “lower class”.

This was a fun, easy to read book; perfect for a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Another good book from Faith Martin starring P.C. Trudy Loveday who with the Coroner endeavour to solve the mystery of the killings at the Theatre starring entrants for the beauty pageant.

I love this series by the wonderful Faith Martin. This is the third story of the young probationary policewoman Trudy Loveday and her mentor, coroner Dr. Clement Ryder. Set in London during the early 1960s, the author skillfully depicts the emerging talents of Trudy, who sees herself wanting something more than marriage and family, to the puzzlement of her family and the displeasure of her workplace. Dr. Ryder takes her under his crippled wing, hiding his increasing feebleness while teaching Trudy the ropes of criminal investigation, but also benefiting from Trudy's energy and natural skills. The plot centers around a local, minor beauty pageant. Martin is such an able writer! What would be almost banal becomes a remarkable story of greed, desire, and ambition, complete with great suspense and continual action that makes this, as with all of Martin's books, an absolute page-turner. Don't expect to get much done when you pick up a Martin book - all else fades as you rip through the story! Well done!

A Fatal Flaw is the third entry in the Trudy Loveday/Clement Ryder series by Faith Martin. I appreciate the setting and the time frame of the series and the well done plots. I am beginning to wonder when Trudy will no longer be just a probationary constable, and move up the ranks a step.

The Miss Oxford Honey Beauty Pageant has been interviewing lovely ladies from near and far. When one of the leading contestants is found dead, it is thought that the young lady took her own life ... by ingesting poison.

WPC Loveday gets a visit from an old friend who works for the pageant. She tells Trudy that there are scary things happening ... maybe just pranks, but maybe more serious. She also believes that the poison victim was murdered and she wants Trudy to investigate.

Loveday and Coroner Ryder once again join forces to see what's what. To Trudy's embarrassment, she is to go undercover as one of the contestants.

What she finds undercover is that all the contestants have a motive for getting rid of the leading contestant. The competition is fierce and most of them will do whatever it takes to win.

And then there's another death ... another contestant. Another accident? Or is this, too, murder?

There are plenty of suspects, motives galore, but without any solid evidence, Loveday and Ryder are going to have to dig deep and find the killer before another young woman dies.

This is a terrific series ... a mystery set in the 60s in the days before smart phones and DNA evidence and CSI solving murders in 60 minutes or less. What it takes is good old fashioned police work, using brains and feet to investigate.

I really enjoy the characters of Loveday and Ryder and how they interact with each other. There is humor and Ryder is always aware of Loveday's diving into murder cases with theories of all kinds. He's more a mentor to her and they have a deep respect for each other.

Although third in this series, it is easily read as a stand alone. However, I do recommend starting at the beginning for your reading pleasure.

Many thanks to the author / HQ Digital / Netgalley for the digital copy of this most interesting mystery. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Perfect psychological thriller! It moved at a fast pace with twists and turns throughout! I couldn’t put it down! Highly recommend!

A lovely example of an unusual pairing working in the world of crime detection. Loveday and Ryder bring youthful naivety and aged wisdom to solve a clever crime, against a background of sixties prejudice, chauvinism and social class divide.

Although this is the third book in the series, the other’s being ‘ A Fatal Obsession’ and ‘A Fatal Mistake’, this is the first book I have read. The setting is authentic but takes a little getting used to. The characters are interesting, but if you get the chance, read the other stories first, to get to know the character’s stories.

The story revolves around a suspicious death and a beauty contest, there are numerous suspects and secrets and the crime-detecting is subtle. The ending is realistic and leaves the reader with a cliffhanger and a moral dilemma for Loveday.

Worth reading if you like retro crime novels with a murder mystery theme.

Set in the 1960's this is the third in the series featuring Probationary WPC Trudy Loveday and Coroner Dr Clement Ryder. Although there are murders and deaths, the stories are more cosy than gory, making them suitable for a variety of readers. In this book Oxford is preparing for a beauty pageant, namely Miss Oxford Honey, organised by Mr and Mrs Dunbar to promote their honey and other preserves. One of the contestants, Abigail Trent, is found dead from yew berry poisoning and whilst most are believing that it was suicide or a terrible accident, an old friend of Trudy's does not and takes her concerns to the young policewoman. This friend, Grace Farley, is involved with running the pageant for the Dunbars and has concerns that the prankster who has been playing nasty tricks on the contestants has now gone a step too far. Trudy shares the details with Dr Ryder who is due to conduct the inquest and he takes these concerns seriously enough to persuade the police to conduct an undercover investigation. With of course only one suitable officer to pose as a contestant! This is a great plot with plenty of suitable suspects and motives which kept me engrossed to the end. The author shows great accuracy for the time period in everything from attitudes, class status and belongings through to the very different way a case could be investigated. Both the lead characters are very likeable and compliment each other well, Trudy learning from the experienced doctor and Ryder spurred on by her enthusiasm. Being left on somewhat of a cliff hanger I am looking forward to book number four.

1n 1960 Oxford Grace Farley approaches her old schoolfriend and WPC, Trudy Loveday, because she is concerned. Concerned that recently deceased Abigail Trent's death will be determined a suicide. Thankfully Coroner Ryder becomes interested when informed of Grace's suspicions.
Another enjoyable and interesting mystery in this well-written series, with its likeable two main characters.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ Digital for and advance copy of Fatal Flaw, the third novel set in Oxford in 1960 to feature probationary WPC Trudy Loveday and coroner Dr Clement Ryder.

When Abigail Trent dies from yew berry poisoning most people assume it was suicide but Grace Farley doesn’t and take her concerns to her old friend Trudy. Abby, she explains, was excited about the amateur beauty contest she’d entered and saw it as the gateway to a better life for herself. Dr Ryder is the coroner and he takes Grace’s concerns seriously, adjourning the inquest to give him and Trudy time to investigate.

I thoroughly enjoyed A Fatal Flaw which has a good mystery, engaging characters and a setting I had almost forgotten about, the unlamented beauty contest. The plot is cosy in nature with Abby’s death the culmination of a series of nasty pranks which in turn lead to Trudy going undercover at the contest rehearsals. The murder has a hint of the Golden Age with the method of death which seems fitting. There are plenty of happenings over the course of the novel to keep the reader interested and turning the pages so it held my interest throughout.

I particularly enjoyed the 1960 setting. I wasn’t born then but as a child of the sixties it brings back so many memories of how life was. To me Ms Martin gets it right from the attitudes to the small details, like phones in houses being a sign of wealth and placing it in a beauty contest is a master stroke. The thought, nowadays, of women lining up to be judged on their appearance and listed by number rather than name is beyond grotesque and yet it was all the rage with the Miss World contest televised for years. It sums up the era perfectly.

The characters of Trudy and Dr Ryder are very likeable. She’s a smart if naïve young woman who probably won’t go far in the police as she’s a woman. He’s a world weary curmudgeon who is slowing down with Parkinson’s after a glittering career. It shouldn’t work but it does as she learns from him and he is spurred on by her vitality.

A Fatal Flaw is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

I enjoyed Faith Martin's Hillary Greene series and when it ended, I was glad to see she had also written the Ryder and Lovejoy series. A Fatal Flaw finds WPC Lovejoy reaching out to Coroner Ryder after her childhood friend Grace comes to visit. Grace is helping to organize a beauty pageant where pranks are being played on the contestants, which may or may not be someone's idea of 'fun'. Grace's friend Abby is found dead and she does not believe that Abby would have killed herself( she was determined to win the pageant), so she asks Trudy to use her police connections to find out what really happened. Trudy enlists Ryder's help and we are off following clues and trying to determine whodunit and why.
This is a cozy mystery set in the 1960s and even though there is death, it is not a gory tale. The prejudice and preconceived notions of the time are present, as female police officers are treated poorly, and the 'upper class' looks down at anyone born to a lower station. The plot was interesting and moved along, though without entering spoiler territory, I will say I was surprised at how this ended. Trudy wants to succeed in a world where her gender hinders her, and I like the fact that Ryder sees her intelligence and potential and doesn't talk down to her just because she is female. This certainly isn't a heavy series, but it does expose quite a bit about what life was like in the 1960s and I would love to see it last long enough for Trudy to be taken seriously by her coworkers. A nice read for a cold Sunday afternoon.

Faith Martin can surely write books that keeps you hooked till the last page!
I loved the gentle pace and the atmosphere of Oxford in the 60s.
The mystery was good, it kept me guessing till the end.
I liked this book and hope to be able to read another installment in this series soon.
Recommended!
Many thanks to HQ Digital and Netgalley for this AR

A Fatal Flaw by Faith Martin is a gripping historical crime novel set in Oxford in 1960. Once again the reader gets caught up in the crime solving exploits of unlikely duo of an aging experienced coroner and a probationary WPC. The book is a thrilling read as I tried to piece together the clues to solve the crime.
This Ryder and Loveday series is a fabulous one. The books are very reminiscent of ITV’s Endeavour and Morse. Definitely a thinking man’s novel as the clues are cleverly laid out.
1960 is the dawn of a new era for women as they try to break out of their traditional roles. WPC’s are new to the force and often seen as only good for making tea and comforting women. WPC Loveday proves she has brains and ambition, much to the astonishment of her superiors.
The action is set around a beauty pageant – very sexist and frowned on in today’s world but in 1960 many young women aspired to be the next Miss World and didn’t mind what they had to do to get there.
The reader ‘meets’ the murderer as the novel opens and again at periodic times throughout the novel. We wonder who owns the menacing voice.
I really love the pairing of Ryder and Loveday. They are the perfect mix of age verses enthusiasm. As the coroner imparts wisdom, it is soaked up like a sponge. A pure delight to witness the interactions.
Faith Martin’s Ryder and Loveday novels are an escape to a bygone age. They would translate perfectly into ITV’s Sunday night viewing. I can picture Joanne Frogatt as Loveday and Martin Shaw as Ryder. Any producers out there please take note.
Fabulously entertaining.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

A gentle mystery set in 1960s Oxford but with a topical issue at its core. A beauty contestant is presumed to have committed suicide but WPC Trudy Ryder's friend Grace thinks there's something more so Trudy persuades (and it doesn't take much) her friend the coroner to look further. This could have been more a social commentary on how female police (Trudy is the only one) were treated in the 1960s but Martin instead has her go undercover at the pageant to find out the truth. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. No fireworks here but still a good read.