What happened that night by Nicci French

What Happened That Night is another riveting story from bestselling Nicci French. A reunion of old University friends sets the scene. Tyler Green, a convicted murderer of his friend Leo during  a graduation party in 1933, has been released after 30 years in goal. He has asked  the people who were at the party to reunite and what a reunion it is! Tyler has always maintained his innocence, but his friends, except for Leo, deserted him after the trial, and went on with their lives. The wine flows and secrets are revealed as the group has dinner and then a terrible discovery is made. A member of the group has been brutally murdered. Detective Inspector Maud O’Connor is called to the scene and as she investigates, she becomes increasingly aware that although Tyler is the obvious suspect, there are many links to be explored.

French cleverly provides a detailed background of all the eight characters, showing their strengths and flaws, how the years have treated them, giving the reader reason to wonder which of them committed the murder. It looks to be a classic locked room case, with each suspect being able to give themselves an alibi and Detective Inspector Maud O’Connor must use all her ingenuity to uncover the truth.

This is the third book in the Maud O’Connor Mysteries series, following Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter?  and Last days of Kira Mullan and is hard to put down. I look forward to reading more books by this clever author duo and fans of locked room mysteries are in for a treat.

Themes: Murder, Detectives.

Pat Pledger