Midsummer Murder: "A Shadow on the Lens" by Sam Hurcom

Midsummer Murder

“A Shadow on the Lens” by Sam Hurcom

Book review

In 1904 forensic photography is in its infancy, but Thomas Bexley is already recognised as one of its foremost exponents. His experience in scene-of-crime examination has also honed his investigative skills such that, despite not being formally an “inspector” (as he will be the first to admit), he has been retained by Scotland Yard as a specialist investigator. 

And so it is that on a bright summer’s day in June, he sets off to Dinas Powys, a rural village in South Wales, where he has been asked to assist with an inquiry into the gruesome murder of a young woman, Betsan Tilny.   Bexley prides himself in being rational and scientific, with much confidence in his skills.  He does not believe in God and still less in talk of spirits, ghosts and suchlike nonsense.   So, when the villagers start to blame the quasi-ritual killing on the Calon Farw, the monster supposedly roaming the woodlands around the village, Bexley is quick to dismiss this talk as idle superstition.  He is also equally unconvinced by the convenient thesis of Robert Cummings, head of the local council, that the murder has been carried out by an elusive “band of gypsies”.  

Bexley’s confidence starts to ebb when he falls prey to strange visions and hallucinations which seriously challenge his certainties.  Over the course of a feverish week in June, as he searches for the identity of the murder, he will face horrors human and supernatural: “it marked the change in my life, the death of the man I once was”.        

My reactions to the novel were not unlike that of its protagonist.  From the blurb, I was expecting a cosy, neo-Victorian murder mystery with a hint of the supernatural, my type of light summer read.  With Bexley’s arrival at Dinas Powys, however, things take a decidedly sinister turn and the novel quickly moves into folk horror realm:  the investigator is a rational outsider in a superstitious village where a young girl has been brutally murdered, a legendary monster is supposedly lurking in the woods, the inn where Bexley is staying could possibly be haunted and, to boot, the villagers clearly know more than they’re letting on.  Bexley was not expecting his investigation to become so complicated – in my case, I did not expect the novel to become so unsettling.  Shockingly for a supposed jaded fan of ghost stories, I found myself freaking out during a key scene in the crypt of an abandoned hamlet. 

Vintage photograph of Dinas Powys Castle

Sam Hurcom has published children’s stories. This is his debut novel, and I would suggest keeping it out of the reach of kids – it’s chilling stuff.  I must admit that there were some aspects of the book which did not fully convince me.  Thus, whilst the style generally has an “authentic” ring to it, there were some anachronisms here and there, including the use of “Ms.” for “Miss”, in a diary supposedly dating from 1904.  One should also not expect much character development – as in much crime fiction, the story is mainly plot-driven. 

Ultimately, however, the book delivers.  And whilst A Shadow on the Lens is enjoyable as a “historical crime” novel, with plenty of red herrings along the way, what marks it from a crowded market is its unexpectedly dark, Gothic element which is conveyed very effectively.  Huron, who was raised, and still lives, in Dinas Powys, claims to be inspired by the landscape of the area.  If that’s the case, I would rather not roam there at night.

Hardcover, 288 pages

Expected publication: September 5th 2019 by Orion Publishing Group

The Cadoxton River, near Dinas Powys Hillfort, by Jaggery CC via Wikimedia Commons