Hot on the heels of my first post for the #Dewithon comes my second! And it’s perhaps a slightly unexpected one, but when it popped through the door recently it immediately bypassed Mount TBR as I knew it would be the perfect choice! The book is “Impact of Evidence” by Carol Carnac, and it’s a new title in the British Library Crime Classics range. Although Carnac (also known as E.C.R. Lorac) did not hail from Wales, the subtitle of the book is “A Welsh Borders Mystery” and Paula at Book Jotter confirmed it would qualify! A short read at 221 pages, it was a wonderful way to while away a few hours whilst ticking another box for the #Dewithon!

Lorac/Carnac were pseudonyms of Edith Caroline Rivett, and she’s made a good number of appearances on the Ramblings under the Lorac guise. Only one of the Carnac titles has been reissued by the BL so far, “Crossed Skis“; however, I thought that was a standout, with a wonderfully evoked post-WW2 setting and a really clever mystery. So I was very keen to read this new reissue, one which features regular Carnac sleuths in the form of Chief Inspector Julian Rivers and Inspector Lancing. They were an entertaining pairing in “Crossed…”, and proved so once more when dispatched to Wales!

First published in 1954, “Impact” is set deep in the countryside, in a part of the Welsh Borders which is being subject to some very extreme weather. Heavy snows are followed by rain and rapid thaws, leading to flooding, broken bridges, blocked roads and isolated villages/farmsteads. The Lambton family, long-time local farmers, hear a crash in the distance; and after fighting through the elements, they find that another resident, Bob Parsons, has collided with the car of Dr. Robinson, an old retiree who should never have still been driving. Doddery and with bad sight, all agree that he shouldn’t have pulled out in front of Parsons’ jeep, and frankly it’s a miracle that the latter is still alive. The doctor, unfortunately, was not so lucky, but when the Lambtons and a local couple, the Derings, manage to retrieve his body from the bottom of a gulch, the plot thickens.

In the back of the doctor’s car is another dead body, and nobody knows who it is. In fearsome weather conditions, the rescuers manage to retrieve the remains of this man too, and both are taken off to higher ground, along with Parsons, who’s suffering from concussion. Obviously, some official involvement is required, but with the area cut off by the flooding, the decision is made to approach Colonel Wynne, the local magistrate. Fortunately, he’s able to pull strings and get a local inspector in to investigate. However, when the inspector suffers a mysterious fall, there’s no option but to call in Scotland Yard and so enter Rivers and Lancing, ready to investigate. Fortunately, Wynne can arrange with the army to get them transported in, and it’s here that the fun really begins. With a number of suspects, a mystery corpse, some hostile neighbours, hints of blackmail and interesting backgrounds being revealed, we’re all set for a cracking mystery!

I won’t say more about the plot, but “Impact” is certainly another cracking mystery from Carnac. There are twists and turns aplenty, and as usual with the best crime books I ended up suspecting everyone! The eventual solution was totally unexpected as far as I was concerned – I didn’t anticipate the guilty party at all! – and the end of the books was very satisfying.

However, as with all of Carnac’s writing, which struck me strongly was the scene setting and the atmosphere. She captures brilliantly the isolated Welsh landscape and a world with limited technology. Phone lines are physical and so often down because of the extreme weather; transport is often limited and many of the country folks rely on going by foot or very primitive and erratic cars; when a farm is cut off, it’s often only a neighbour with a tractor who can get through with supplies; and although there is a sense of community becauses of the isolation of these areas, there’s also the feeling of underlying tensions… As usual, Carnac conjures all this vividly and the quality of her writing adds to the enjoyment of the book.

As I mentioned, “Impact” is not a long book but it does pack so much into its 221 pages. There’s a lovely cast of characters, from the Lambton family, a traditional band of farmers, through the Derings, a nice and sensible young couple who you really don’t want to be involved in the crime, to the Evanses, a rather dubious and sloppy pair of farmers. The detecting duo of Rivers and Lancing are wonderfully painted, and I really enjoyed their interactions, and their leaps of intuition. There’s plenty of tension at points, particularly as the action moves to its climax, and this really is an atmospheric read.

So “Impact of Evidence” was a thoroughly enjoyable read from start to finish, and I absolutely loved it as you might be able to tell. Carnac is one of my favourite discoveries from the BL Crime Classics range, and I really hope that more of the books featuring her two series detectives are reprinted. On the strength of the two I’ve read they’re remarkably good and really memorable – highly recommended from me!