Bricks and Mortality is a great easy read. It is set in a little village where an old abandoned house burns down, but a body is found within the remains. Who burnt it down? Who was the dead person? Why were they in the house?
Throughout this story, Ann presents your stereotypical small village characters – the gossip, the disgruntled old man, the spoilt yet neglected rich kid and the two cops sent to sort it out. The characters are intriguing and have complex connections with each other.
The plot moves at a great pace, never lagging or being filled with useless information. There is enough mystery with each character to keep you intrigued and wondering about their intent and the possibility of them being the culprit. The story unfolds nicely, providing a number of smaller mysteries to be solved along the way, which includes past connections and events, and concludes appropriately.
I am giving this story 4 stars, based purely on the ease of reading and following the plot. I did not find anything particularly unique about the characters – I feel I have met them all before in many other books. There were no big twists or unexpected revelations (a few minor ones). However it was a compelling book and I was keen to read to the end to find out how it all occurred.
I will read more of the Campbell and Carter mysteries (of which this novel is one of) as they are enjoyable for an easy mystery read.