Mostly Murders

A True Crime Podcast-style Book Review

Karston, Ohio, 1900. Jenny Jenkins is surprised by the sound of an automobile. She hurries out on the porch, and sees her husband, Constable Richard Jenkins in the passenger seat with his right arm in a sling.

Welcome to Mostlymurders, the bookstagram account where we look at fictional murders and ask ourselves a very important question: is this
worth reading? I am your host, Mostly, and I am joined here by my good friend Book. Today we are looking at A Killer in Karston, a historical mystery short story by D. S. Lang.

Mostly: As you heard in the intro, this story begins with Richard Jenkins coming home with a broken arm. His wife Jenny worries about him, this is after all in the year of 1900, and back then even a broken arm could be a serious health issue, or even a death sentence due to infections.

Book: Life must have been so tough back then! Imagine dying from a broken arm? That would never happen today!

Mostly: Very true, Book, a broken arm today is a much smaller health concern than it was 126 years ago. But back to the story. Richard’s arm needs time to recover, but after a few days rest at home, the town baker is found dead and the coroner suspects foul play, so Jenny steps up as a combined driver/secretary, allowing Richard to investigate the case while sparing his broken arm.

Book: Jenny and Richard are such a cute couple. That was my favourite part of this story, the trust and respect they have for each other, and the way they take care of each other, so cute!

Mostly: They really are a cute couple. I also really liked the way Richard lets Jenny be a part of the investigation. Even today, there are people who think women shouldnt be investigating crime, but luckily Richard doesn’t subscribe to that kind of thinking.

Book: Do you think it’s realistic for a small-town, early 1900s constable to let his wife participate in a murder investigation?

Mostly: I don’t know. Probably not, but does it matter? It’s historical fiction, not historical facts. The role of fiction isn’t necessarily to tell us exactly how the world was at a given point in time. Sometimes the value of fiction is to show how we want the world to be, to guide readers towards values of respect and kindness and love between life partners, regardless of how things might have been in the real world.

Book: Wow, I love that. Respect through fiction! I should make all my dates read historical mysteries from now on!

Mostly: I actually quite like that idea, Book! Just send them my way if they need any book recommendations! And speaking of recommendations, I really liked this short story. It’s well-paced, with interesting characters, and the mystery feels very fitting for the time period. D. S. Lang is the author of two historical mystery series, The Arabella Stewart Historical Mysteries, and the Doro Banyon Historical mysteries, and if this short story is anything to go by, both of those series are well worth a read!

Historical mystery – Historical fiction – Short story