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Evan and Elle |
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 Evan and Elle byRhys Bowen St. Martin’s Press 274 pages, 1999 ISBN 0312252447 Reviewed by Susan McBride Picking up Evan and Elle by Rhys Bowen is like taking a stroll through the lush green village of Llanfair in Wales. I can hear the sheep bleat as I walk past and catch a whiff of smoke rising from a quaint cottage chimney. As I turn the page, I find myself reading with a smile on my lips. In this third Evan Evans outing, the plot thickens with a suspicious fire that burns down the renovated cottage of an English couple who’d recently put down stakes in Llanfair. Only someone hadn’t wanted them to stay, as a threatening note left by the arsonist attests. Could it be that there’s an overzealous Welsh nationalist in the village? Evans-the-Meat, perhaps? After all, he’s made it widely known that he doesn’t like outsiders calling Llanfair "home." When another place goes up in smoke - this one owned by a French woman, Yvette - and a dead man is found on the premises, Constable Evans is sure there’s more going on than just politics. And he couldn’t be more right. Bowen spins a yarn that’s soft and supple as lambswool. Evan Evans is a good man who takes his job seriously and loves the village he’s come to protect. Life in this small pocket of Wales is slow and cozy, completely unused to events like arson and murder. So it’s a treat to follow along with the fine constable as he pokes under the rocks scattered about the hills of Llanfair and beyond, treading a fine line between policeman and friend, as he unearths the truth in order to bring peace back to the village. |
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