Having read the Sidney Grice/March Middleton detective series, I kind of knew what to expect from this book - quirky characters, unusual plots and a dash of humour to accompany the business of murder. I hadn't realised that this book is connected to the original series - Inspector Betty Church is the goddaughter of March Middleton, who turns up in this book in a supporting role.

The story follows Inspector Betty Church, who has lost her arm in an incident not really explained, as she sidelined by the police and sent to work in Sackwater, a small and very odd Suffolk town. There, she encounters a range of weird and wonderful characters, a lot of whom are fellow police officers: cutesy Dodo, cowardly twins Sandy and Algy, Briggsy of the dubious facial hair... A series of murders hit the small town and rumours of a vampire start to circulate because of the strange marks left on victims' necks. It's down to Betty and her band of incompetents and eccentrics to solve the crime before more of Sackwater's inhabitents are killed.

I really enjoyed this, although I did feel at times that the narrative meandered a bit. The lack of pace is made up for with quirky characterisation and witty wordplay, but just sometimes it felt a bit slow. However, I loved the wartime setting, the characters and the plot (suitably twisty with plenty of red herrings). I really hope this is intended as the first in a series because I'd definitely like to read more about Betty and the bunch at Sackwater Central Police Station.

My inner feminist (maybe not so inner) was screaming for joy at how Betty tackles the gender prejudices of the time in this book. I loved the plot as its well-conceived and imaginative there are some comedic gems in amongst it all.

Betty Church, is very much a woman in a man's world in the early 1900’s and she’s a female police officer. She is more than capable to look after herself, despite those who surround her. The author manages to add humour to the gender and social norms of the time. Betty Church is a wonderful creation and I'd like to read more about her.

Betty is reluctant to leave the police after losing part of her arm, leaving her with the only option which is to transfer from the Met to The Suffolk town of Sackwater where she grew up and thought she had left behind for good. After a visit to her Godmother (the famous investigator March Middleton), she is promoted to Inspector.

Everything is different for Betty in Sackwater, she’s the first woman police officer in the area, the times passes slower as the crimes are slightly lighter shade (reminds me a little of Hot Fuzz). Once Betty gets a case at the train station to investigate a missing bench. When Betty gets to the station there is no bench, instead there is a body (It’s in the synopsis not a spoiler). A smartly dressed man, stone-cold dead, with two distinctive puncture wounds in his throat. Sending the locals into a gossip frenzy about the Suffolk Vampire.

I loved Sidney Grice and March Middleton in the Gower Street detective series, so couldn't wait to read MRC Kasasian 's new book Betty Church And The Suffolk Vampire. It's filled with the same humour and has a cast of crazy characters, with a gruesome murder or two thrown in for good measure.
It's 1939 and Betty Church - one of the few female police officers - finds herself back in Sackwater the place she grew up, investigating a string of murders where the victims have puncture wounds to the throat which the locals believe is the work of the Suffolk Vampire. I loved this.

Thanks Head of Zeus and netgalley for this ARC.

M.R.C. Kasasian started a cool new series with ties to his Gower Street series. Loved Betty Church! No nonsense, in control with quirky crazy cast makes this a new series I can't wait to read more.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Heads of Zeus for an advance copy of Betty Church and the Suffolk Vampire, a police procedural set in 1939.

Reluctant to leave the police after losing part of her arm Betty Church's only option is to transfer from the Met to The Suffolk town of Sackwater where she grew up. To soften the blow, after the intervention of her Godmother, the famous investigator March Middleton, she is promoted to Inspector. Sackwater is not a hotbed of crime until the murders start and Betty is in the case of her life, hunting a killer the locals believe is a vampire.

I enjoyed Betty Church and the Suffolk Vampire which is a fun read with some dastardly crimes thrown in. Sackwater Central is not a model of police efficiency, in fact it has been referred to as a "dumping ground", so the efficient Betty has her work cut out trying to weld a motley bunch of incompetents into effective crime fighters. She is not perhaps as efficient in this as she would like but it is fun watching her try.

The plot is extremely silly but it is well conceived and imaginative. My one complaint is that it is a bit long so the initially amusing inept police officers become a one trick pony and tiresome by the end. With most of the novel taken up by Betty's efforts to deal with this ineptitude the crime element gets a bit lost in the chaos. And yet there are some comedic gems in amongst it all, not least Betty's withering put downs which had me laughing out loud at times.

With a first person narrative the novel centres on Betty, a woman in a man's world. She is capable and well able to look after herself, despite the oddballs who surround her. I found the rules regarding women police officers that she has to work with very indicative of the times if they are true, like no night shift in case they incite carnal desires in the men! The author manages to make fun of this and many other examples. Betty Church is a wonderful creation and I'd like to read more about her. 3.5*