It is an exceptional cold winter in Stockton Marsh where Wassail is celebrated, a pagan blessing of the apple orchards ,topped with plenty of cider,but this happy gathering is overshadowed by the death of one of the participants. Late as usual, he is found dead in the same orchard. We are quickly informed that his wife received an anonymous letter and that other letters are being distributed. It is clear that the Inspector Zig Batten and his team have to find a serial writer/murderer. The setting of a rural community in rural Somerset is very attractive, the characters, both main characters and bystanders are well developed but we are confronted by several POV’s and they all seem to talk to themselves Ex.: “You’ve got to stop doing this,Zig.Doing what Zig? This hanging about ,where dead bodies are”. Unfortunately several of them appear in the same chapter and blend into each other. Frankly,apart from being confusing is it also,and this is very personal,very annoying. Fact is,the storyline is full of opportunities but somehow it didn’t deliver. Mind you,it has a very attractive cover…