My Readers Guide to Death at the White Hart will discuss this new book by the creator of Broadchurch. This guide will have Jen’s Quick Take, plus a Death at the White Hart character list and spoilers for the ending. Is Death at the White Hart for you? Let’s discuss!
Readers Guide for Death at the White Hart
- Jen’s Quick Take on Death at the White Hart
- Character (suspect?) list for Death at the White Hart
- Spoilers for the ending of Death at the White Hart
Jen’s Quick Take on Death at the White Hart
- Death at the White Hart is technically a police procedural
- It also had a omniscient narration that might take some getting used to
- AND multiple narrators (I stopped counting at ten)
- I think the point was to introduce the reader to the residents of a small village.
- I know not everyone will like this writing style and it did take me some time to get used to it.
- In a procedural, I like to have a closer relationship with the investigator and prefer get to know the suspects through them.
- It also felt a bit cinematic (which makes sense as Chris Chibnall is a TV writer on Doctor Who and Broadchurch.
- BUT ultimately, for me as a reader, this approach gave me a little insight into many people, but not deep insight into anyone but Nicola, the lead investigator.
- I didn’t find the conclusion as satisfying as I hoped. (I will get to that in the spoiler section.)
- Release date: June 10, 2025. Thanks to much to Viking Books for the advance copy!
Character List for Death at the White Hart
Residents of Fleetcombe
- Jim Tiernan: victim and manager of The White Hart pub in Dorset
- Frankie Carter: non-binary; works at town hair salon
- Patricia Tiernan: victim’s sister
- Christine Wilson: owns the White Hart
- Irina: victim’s partner; Ukrainian refuge
- Eddie Godfrey: delivery driver
- Shannon: independent young girl who wanders around town
- Deekins: local farmer whose deer was killed. Was also harassing people who crossed his property.
Police Officers investigating the murder:
- DS Nicola Bridge: grew up in the area and moved back after working in Liverpool
- DC Harry Ward: grew up in town; son of the butcher
- Mac: police officer
- Reeta: police officer
- Mel Hardiman: police officer
- Adams: pathologist
Other Characters:
- Ewan: person who discovered the victim’s body
- Ayesha Barton: works at Fox a rival pub in Fleetcombe
- Mick: Ayesha’s finance
- Dino Jones: was in prison with Jim Tiernan; owns a chain of hair salons
Spoilers for the Ending of Death at the White Hart
Jim Tiernan, manager of The White Hart pub in Fleetcombe, was found dead with antlers strapped to his forehead.
Who killed Jim? Did his murder have to do with:
- his time in prison?
- the financial discrepancies at the White Hart?
- cranky local farmer Deekins, whose deer’s antler’s ended up on Jim?
- the affair he was having? Did his parter or her partner kill him?
- some murders from the 1920s where other victims had antlers put on them?
No, Jim’s death had NOTHING to do with any of the above.
- Jim was killed by his resentful and jealous sister Patricia.
- Patricia was tired of him creating drama and messing up her relationships with his messy behavior.
- She killed him and then decided to use a series of 1920s murders in the village (with antlers) to draw attention away from her.
- She injected him with morphine, used the antlers from a deer that Jim’s friends had left in his walk-in fridge as a joke, and stole Eddie’s van to transport the body.
I don’t know… I LOVE a procedural and loved Broadchurch but felt underwhelmed by Death at the White Hart. If you read it tell me your thoughts. If you loved it, please tell me!!!