Dr Glynn E JenkinsA Ceremonial Death: A story of Prince Albert's Troop: Volume 1 (George Ashley Mysteries)

Affection for, admiration of, and pride in the Army way of life are evident in Glynn Jenkins' writing of this unusual and thoroughly enjoyable first novel. Details of - for example - life in the Officers' Mess are carefully but easily arranged, giving the reader a pleasing sense of the setting. Equally rewarding is his portrayal of the lives of the cadets, gunners and NCOs. All in all it is a well balanced, clearly written and (unusually for a self-published work) very well proof-read story!Glynn Jenkins' knowledge of music and of the church adds two other unusual and welcome dimensions to the developments of the novel.Whether readers are familiar with military ways, or coming to them for the first time, this is an intriguing and entertaining work which promises further enjoyment to come, in the rest of the series about young cadet Tom (the detective's nephew) and his fellow members of Prince Albert's Troop.

A good story, well written which was a pleasure to read. You learn a great deal about horses and riding in general and a lot about life in the Royal Horse Artillery in particular. The forensics and plot are a little weak but it is a good story well told . I can see great potential in the development of the main characters and I am looking forward to the next instalment. The plot and its background would make great television; most entertaining. Rags

A thoroughly enjoyable read! While a reader might expect a cautionary tale about toxic,self-destructive masculinity, they are treated instead to an insight into and celebration of the vulnerability and tenderness that one finds in all male environments. Jenkins clearly loves his subject matter as much as his characters and his enthusiasm for both is infectious; his style and tone as reassuring as the army routines he depicts. I am so glad to have discovered ‘A Ceremonial Death’ and will be reading the other novels in the series.

Congratulations to Dr Jenkins for this compelling read. This is not so much a 'whodunit' but, as Derek Nimmo might have asked "Who did what, with what and to whom?" because this is classy English. The narrative (and nearly all the characters) share the author's polished useage. The descriptions are vivid (the passage which paints the trumpet major in full blow is masterly) and there are plenty of blind alleys to distract and keep us guessing as to which of any number of handsome young men, all stripped to the waist (each with a glistening torso) might have been responsible. Thoroughly enjoyable and fully deserving of a 5 star rating.

A plot with a twist, an unusual setting, engaging characters and barrack room banter. You can almost smell the horses and the stables.

Great chronology of bed time reading!

As well as being a 'whodunit' this book gives a great look into the Royal Horse Artillery. Well written, especially as a first novel in a series. All the more special for me as my father was in the RHA

As an avid reader of detective fiction, I'm always delighted to discover a "new" author. I felt this book was elegantly written, with enough detail to build a vivid picture in the imagination, but not so much that is clogged the pace of events. Many of the characters stood out as individuals, in particular, Toms One and Two, and Green, but there were plenty of others. The conversations sounded natural and there was a surprising amount of humour, given it was a murder mystery. The unusual setting and the associated ceremonials were presented with detail but not too much. If I have any criticism, it was that the character of Ashley felt a bit of a cipher. The tradition of having a detective who has no physical quirks or fatal character flaws is well established - a notable example (by Michael Innes) is Sir John Appleby, who produces an abundance of harmless literary quotes, but is physically nondescript. He is deliberately presented as an "Everyman" and the reader feels that Appleby is often emotionally affected by the events in the stories. Here, I felt that the author sought a similar approach, with a detective who would not detract from the story, but I felt there was no convincing character growth going on with Ashley. Aside from this, I really recommend this excellent story and look forward to reading as many more as the author can produce!