My enormous thanks to Jeremy Vine for sending me a copy of Murder on Line One. It’s my pleasure to share my review today.
Jeremy previously featured here on Linda’s Book Bag when I reviewed his novel The Diver and the Lover.
Murder on Line One will be published by Harper Collins on 24th April and is available for pre-order through the publisher links here.
Murder on Line One
There’s a killer on the airwaves … and they’re calling for you.
Darkness looms over sunny Sidmouth, when an unsolved murder comes to the attention of late-night radio talk show host Edward Temmis.
Recently sacked from his beloved job after a devastating tragedy, Edward is cast adrift – until he meets Stevie, whose grandmother, a devoted listener, died in a suspicious fire last year. Well, nobody hurts his listeners and helping Stevie might just give him the purpose he needs.
Joined by his old fling, Kim, they discover Stevie’s grandmother wasn’t the only one of his listeners targeted – this is just the tip of the iceberg.
But who is pursuing his ageing audience and why? And can Edward, Stevie and Kim get to the bottom of this mystery before it’s too late?
My Review of Murder on Line One
Grieving radio presenter Edward Temmis is in the thick of things!
Murder on Line One is a hugely entertaining read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but what I got was an engaging mystery, threaded with a sense of justice and a concern for the downtrodden or the misfits in society. There’s also warm and humane humour, especially through Stevie’s direct speech, that adds an extra layer of enjoyment.
I found the plot both fast paced and intriguing and loved the hooks at the ends of chapters that propel the reader into wanting to discover more. Murder on Line One has a kind of mycorrhizal structure, with tentacles spreading within the local community, linking events and characters together very intricately. It took me a little while to settle into those links, but once I did I thought they were brilliantly executed; as was the manner in which the story was resolved. I loved the sense of small coastal town claustrophobia that is so clearly depicted too because it placed me there with the characters.
I thought those characters were excellent. The triumvirate of Edward, Kim and Stevie is brought together perfectly, so that the potential for future stories is set up and leaves the reader definitely wanting more. Their lives, their interaction, and the developing relationship between them, especially that between Edward and Kim, feels authentic, natural and realistic. I was incredibly convinced by the way Edward’s grief is illustrated because it has a resonant depth that is emotional and relatable. I found myself very moved at times as I was drawn into his back story.
Equally engaging, given one of the author’s day jobs as a radio presenter, is the self-deprecating humour surrounding Edward. His removal from the radio station, his need for approbation and his realisation that he has quickly become persona non grata, feels warm, humorous and sensitively handled.
Murder on Line one might, perhaps, be defined as cosy crime with an added edge. The themes threaded through the narrative are modern, authentic and only too prevalent in the real world. Obviously I don’t want to spoil the plot for others, but Jeremy Vine illustrates what could easily happen to any one of us, or to someone we know. With sensitive consideration of mental health, guilt, shame, and the impact of scams, there’s an understanding of human nature that permeates the story so that it is absorbing and thought-provoking as well as interesting.
If I’m honest, I never really have high hopes for books written by authors better known in other spheres, but here Jeremy Vine has confounded me. There’s very much a sense of him in the writing, there’s a wickedly clear understanding of the politics of radio broadcasting and, above all else, there’s a simply smashing story that is huge fun to read.
I thought Murder on Line One was totally absorbing, witty and entertaining. I thoroughly recommend it.
About Jeremy Vine
Jeremy Vine is a well-known British broadcaster who presents a daily show on BBC Radio 2 called The Jeremy Vine Show — and also a self-titled daily news and chat programme on Channel 5. This is why he likes strong coffee.
He has been Sony Speech Broadcaster of the Year, and won Interview of the Year for the seminal moment when Gordon Brown put his head in his hands during the 2010 election campaign. Jeremy also does the BBC election graphics and rides a penny farthing, although not at the same time.
The Diver and The Lover was his first serious novel. It came out of a chance encounter with a painting. Born in 1965, he of course loves the music of Joy Division, The Cure and Elvis Costello. He is married to Rachel and they have two teenage daughters.
For further information, follow Jeremy on Twitter/X @theJeremyVine, or find him on Facebook, Bluesky and Instagram.
English (US) · 