The descent by a group of egocentric, flamboyant filmmakers on a small town has been the setup for a number of novels and a few movies. Rhys Bowen takes her crack at it with a tidy little story about a group of documentarians who invade a small village in Wales to capture the raising of a sunken German bomber on film. Llanfair is surrounded by abandoned mineshafts, and when the bombastic producer Grantley Smith is found murdered in one of them, Constable Evan Evans, Bowen's series hero, stumbles down more than a few dead ends before he uncovers the motive. Finding evidence of a stash of paintings from the National Gallery that were hidden at the scene of the murder, Evan uncovers a decades-old plot involving art forgery that doesn't really have much to do with the murder except coincidence. It does, however, keep the narrative moving, as does a love affair between the constable and the schoolteacher, who turns out to have been married to one of the filmmakers. All's well that ends well--except, probably, for the unfortunate title punning to which Bowen (Evan Help Us, Evanly Choirs, and so forth) seems addicted. --Jane Adams


From Publishers Weekly
When a documentary film crew arrives in the Welsh village of Llanfair to try to raise a WWII German bomber sunk in a lake, Constable Evan Evans finds he has more to do than simply keep the curious at bay in this light police procedural. The film's arrogant and conceited director, Grantley Smith, manages to offend just about everyone, including Evan. To complicate matters, Grantley's partner on the project, Edward Ferrers, turns out to be the ex-husband of Evan's sweetheart, Bronwen Price. When Grantley falls out of the local scenic railway train unharmed, it appears to be an accident. But it's clearly murder when Evan discovers his body in a pool of water in an abandoned mine, weighed down with slate. More suspenseful (and intriguing) are the recorded memoirs, interspersed with the main action, of old Trefor Thomas, who recounts how he and his greedy girlfriend schemed to steal a painting from the National Gallery collection stored in a Welsh mine during WWII. The two seemingly unrelated plot lines knit together nicely in the end. As in the four previous books in the series (Evans Above, etc.), Bowen's great strength is her endearing Welsh characters, from the modest Evan to such amusing locals as the saucy barmaid and the rival chapel preachers. This mystery is sure to appeal to those who prefer old-fashioned, heartwarming stories to tawdry tales full of graphic sex and violence. (Feb. 3) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.


From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-When a film crew arrives in the small Welsh village of Llanfair, Constable Evan Evans's assignment is to protect the crew from nosy locals. When the producer is found dead in the recesses of a slate mine, however, the complex relationships of the crew members require closer scrutiny. As part of the story focuses on the murder, a second story emerges. During World War II, one of the local miners was involved in art fraud and murder when treasures from the National Gallery were stored in one of the mines. Constable Evans delves methodically into the history of the mines as well as the personal histories of the film crew and he finds increasingly more evidence that joins the two stories, resulting in a surprise ending. Constable Evans is the best-developed character; the others, including the murderer, play their parts but don't add any depth. The author creates a vivid background for the novel by weaving in descriptive details about the area, the deadly mines, and the quickly changing weather. Adding bits and pieces of information about the local culture, she includes gossipy conversations and some colorful characters from surrounding small villages to capture a delightful sense of a people and their lives. Her descriptions of the slate mines are darkly foreboding, emphasizing grimly shadowed shafts and providing plenty of spooky atmosphere for murder.-Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VACopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
When filmmakers choose the Welsh village of Llanfair as the site for a World War II documentary, Constable Evan Evans (Evan and Elle) plays host. His duties become much more complex after the producer is found murdered in a mineshaft. Evans discovers many enemies and evidence of an old plot to hide stolen art. An exciting addition to the series. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Bowen's titles--this one follows Evanly Choirs, Evans Above, Evan Help Us, and Evan and Elle--offer the first hint of the impish sense of humor that characterizes this ongoing series starring Welsh police constable Evan Evans. This time Evans is assigned to keep well-wishers and gawkers away from some filmmakers shooting a documentary. The assignment leads to murder, the theft of some valuable paintings, and a decades-old conspiracy, but all this subject matter is somewhat overshadowed by the author's delightful storytelling style. Her dialogue is smart and immensely lifelike, and her portrait of a small Welsh town and its quirky inhabitants is utterly charming. Lots of people write small-town mysteries, perhaps because they seem so easy to do (all it takes is some eccentric people and a murder, right?), but few of them get it as right as Bowen does. Readers expecting hard-boiled intensity should look elsewhere, but fans of light, entertaining mysteries with an emphasis on appealing characters and intriguing plots will be thrilled. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When a documentary filmmaker is found dead in Llanfair, Constable Evans steals the scene, uncovering a deadly plot reaching back to World War II.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

When a documentary film crew arrives in the Welsh village of Llanfair to try to raise a WWII German bomber sunk in a lake, Constable Evan Evans finds he has more to do than simply keep the curious at bay in this light police procedural. The film's arrogant and conceited director, Grantley Smith, manages to offend just about everyone, including Evan. To complicate matters, Grantley's partner on the project, Edward Ferrers, turns out to be the ex-husband of Evan's sweetheart, Bronwen Price. When Grantley falls out of the local scenic railway train unharmed, it appears to be an accident. But it's clearly murder when Evan discovers his body in a pool of water in an abandoned mine, weighed down with slate. More suspenseful (and intriguing) are the recorded memoirs, interspersed with the main action, of old Trefor Thomas, who recounts how he and his greedy girlfriend schemed to steal a painting from the National Gallery collection stored in a Welsh mine during WWII. The two seemingly unrelated plot lines knit together nicely in the end. As in the four previous books in the series (Evans Above, etc.), Bowen's great strength is her endearing Welsh characters, from the modest Evan to such amusing locals as the saucy barmaid and the rival chapel preachers. This mystery is sure to appeal to those who prefer old-fashioned, heartwarming stories to tawdry tales full of graphic sex and violence. (Feb. 3) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

When filmmakers choose the Welsh village of Llanfair as the site for a World War II documentary, Constable Evan Evans (Evan and Elle) plays host. His duties become much more complex after the producer is found murdered in a mineshaft. Evans discovers many enemies and evidence of an old plot to hide stolen art. An exciting addition to the series. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal