It started with a punch. A mean right-hook from his late best friend’s younger sister Delilah Metcalfe floored Samson O’Brien in front of a watching judgemental village. That’s where the story began in Date with Death, the first novel that introduced us to the Yorkshire village of Bruncliffe and its larger than life inhabitants.
10 novels later, will we get a happy ever after?
When a former TV star and former Bruncliffer Vinny King moves into the retirement home at Fellside Court, the long memories of the residents don’t all take too kindly to his return. While some are charmed by his tales from the stage and screen, others are discomforted by his presence.
And then his celebrity fashion designer nephew, now going by the name of Tyke, arrives in town, along with his own drama. He wants to launch his new collection with a fashion show in his home village, but along with his vibrant clothing and personality, he also brings danger to the village. He’s been receiving mysterious death threats, and hires the Dales Detective Agency to provide security and surveillance.
Stress levels around the village are at an all-time high, with the upcoming court case of the man behind so much of Bruncliffe’s recent misfortune, and then there’s the pressures of the upcoming O’Brien-Metcalfe wedding. Nothing in the village can go off without a hitch so when there’s a death at Fellside Court, priorities get reshuffled, pushing many of the villagers to breaking point.
Date with Destiny is the final novel in the Dales Detectives series, and the series ends in dramatic style. This is no farewell tour for our favourite characters. While almost everyone gets a mention or a brief cameo, it’s business as usual and the plot and drama takes centre stage.
Bruncliffe has been a safe place for me to retreat to in recent years (although not so much for the villagers), and any return to the village is like visiting old friends.
Date with Destiny is a fitting farewell to characters we’ve grown to known and adore, and while any series finale has a sadness, it’s a great excuse to start again at book 1!
Leave a Reply