The Coroner (Coroner Jenny Cooper series) Paperback – 29 Oct. 2020

Jenny Cooper is the newly appointed coroner in a lightly fictionalised Bristol, which came as a slight surprise when I discovered it - it's the city where I have lived for 30 years, and it's quite fun to identify the locations. Her predecessor died on the job, and Coroner Cooper begins to have doubts about some of his decisions. And it starts to look as if things have been hushed up - but what things? and how? and by whom? and of course why?It doesn't help that she came to the job with a background of nasty divorce, nervous breakdown and panic attacks, nor that she needs a constant diet of Temazipam to keep the habdabs at bay. So is there really a criminal, murderous conspiracy, or is it all in the warped paranoid mind of a man-hating menopausal woman?One of the best thrillers I've read, made even more catchy for taking place round the corner, and not in Tokyo or Washington DC

This is first book about Jenny Cooper a newly appointed Coroner in Bristol, SW England. It introduces us to a struggling 42 woman who has endured a recent marriage break-up, with her teenage son chosing to stay with his Dad, a new remote home and a serious drug addiction following a nervous breakdown. Having lied on her application about her current medical issues she throws herself into her new job.Unfortunately, she can hardly manage with all the demands on her and when a couple of cases appear to reveal some sort of conspiracy where people individually or collectively seek to bury post mortum findings and suppress detailed investigation and formal inquests she quickly runs out of allies and wonders who she can trust. Indeed it seems that her tendancy to self destruct means her best intentions will end in failure even though we understand she has right on her side.This examination of her character and flawed nature means we have a wonderful female lead to drive the story which is always interesting and at times quite frightening as forces conspire to prevent her uncovering the truth.The other great aspect of this account is it is seen from a fresh and original perspective that of a Coroner seeking facts in the mystery and anguish of sudden and unexplained death. In this novel that plot is very well thought out and centres on the death of two young people who appear to have died by their own hands. Jenny feels the questions of what led up to their suicides need to be ask and when no-one else appears to want those answers or find possible cause she gets drawn into a deep conspiracy.M R Hall writes very well and carries you effortlessly into this less familiar world. You warm to Jenny Cooper but feel frustrated that her human failings often get in the way of revealing the truth. Her mistakes and honesting at times make her a well rounded focus to follow.At times it rivals the courtroom drama of a Grisham novel and that sense of impotency when pitted against financial intersts and government self-preservation.The best aspect of this book is it is the first of an established series which bodes well for the reader who continues to share the fall and rise of Jenny Cooper.

I love fiction which mirrors real life events: in this case the death of 15-year-old Gareth Myatt in a privately run secure training centre in 2004. Before discovering this series I had always imagined a coroner, if I thought about the subject at all, as a serious, respectable 50+ male presiding over his court making earnest judgements. I certainly never envisaged an attractive, neurotic 40- something female with a grass-smoking boyfriend. Of course Jenny doesn't partake herself, though I can't help thinking it might be a more pleasant alternative to all the temazepam and bottles of red wine which fuel her increasingly dangerous investigations.On starting her new job as Severn Vale coroner, Jenny Cooper feels duty bound to reopen two cases dealt with by her deceased predecessor: those of Danny Wills, a 14-year-old boy, and 15-year-old Katy Taylor, both of whom had been held in the privately-run Portshead Farm Secure Training Centre - a prison for children. I have always felt uncomfortable about private companies running such places for profit, and Jenny's investigation doesn't cast good light on this fictional one, its staff and government supporters.Jenny's doggedness and persistence are impressive - we feel sure she will get to the bottom of this if her opponents don't manage to silence her one way or another. Her personal relationships are interesting: her assistant Alison, helpful Welsh policeman, judgmental ex-husband, gardener/new boyfriend. I can't help feeling sorry for her son Ross, the same age as the young people whose deaths are being looked into, who barely gets a mention as his mum is too busy searching for the truth (and swallowing tranquillisers and wine).I loved this book and will read my way through the series, hoping to discover the cause of Jenny's panic attacks and see her kick the temazepam habit for good!

A bit long but if you stay with it your reward will be a fine mystery. Don't expect the series on tv.

Excellent book and excellent CBC TV series.

First time author for me and what a story, so well worth reading.

GOOD,,,SEEMS THE AUTHOR WAS A DETECTIVE HIMSELF

For the first book in a potential series, it's a reasonable start. I found that the story dragged a bit, and Jenny, the coronor, wasn't a very likeable character. But that could change as Jenny becomes more adept at her job and looses her dependance on drugs to get her through the day. She's been through a lot lately - recently divorced, changed jobs, had a breakdown and suffers from panic attacks. She has a lot to deal with .