--- product_id: 24194280 title: "In Bitter Chill: A Mystery (Inspector Francis Sadler)" price: "27572CFA" currency: XOF in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.sn/products/24194280-in-bitter-chill-a-mystery-inspector-francis-sadler store_origin: SN region: Senegal --- # In Bitter Chill: A Mystery (Inspector Francis Sadler) **Price:** 27572CFA **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** In Bitter Chill: A Mystery (Inspector Francis Sadler) - **How much does it cost?** 27572CFA with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sn](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/24194280-in-bitter-chill-a-mystery-inspector-francis-sadler) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description In Bitter Chill: A Mystery (Inspector Francis Sadler) [Ward, Sarah] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. In Bitter Chill: A Mystery (Inspector Francis Sadler) Review: flawed but enjoyable mystery set in England - This debut novel, set in England's Peak District, has many good qualities: the characters were well written and interesting and the premise, of two girls kidnapped and the repurcussions even after thirty years, was immediately intriguing. I found myself thinking about the book when I was busy elsewhere and anxious to get back to it. HOWEVER there were several weaknesses that detracted from fully enjoying it. For instance, while the characters were interesting, their actions were often unmotivated or not followed up. The lead detective is described many times as handsome but also as having a number of personal proclivities that would put women off, yet everyone who meets him thinks about him romantically -- it was immature. There was very little tension and at one point, where someone actually was being attacked, like the best (worst) epistolary novels of the 19th century, the person begins a nice little multiple paragraph think-in before we go back to the physical attack! Bizarre. The case was not exciting but it was confusing. There are many people and families and sometimes people in the same family have different surnames etc etc. It was difficult to follow at times but tangling it out wasn't that rewarding anyway, and by the time we got the big revelation it was already pretty obvious -- and I'm not usually that great at figuring out whodunnit. The book shows promise, especially in the characterizations and dialogue, but there were too many flaws to give it five stars. I would probably read the sequel -- but I would wait until the price came down a fair bit. (I've just looked it up and the aggregate rating for the sequel (A Deadly Thaw) is a full star lower, so I guess things didn't improve?) Review: A Genealogical Murder Mystery - In Bitter Chill Sarah Ward’s second book is very different than the The Birthday Girl, which is a “cozy” set on an island off the coast of Wales, in a hotel, during a blizzard—a strong, stylish mystery reminiscent of those by Agatha Christie. In Bitter Chill follows the trend of contemporary crime fiction, with a male detective, DI Francis Sadler, and a female partner, DC Connie Childs. They are investigating a suicide and a homicide, but when they begin pulling strings, the case leads to a 1978 abduction of two girls: one who still missing, and Rachel, who was returned but with an impaired memory of the events. Ever since, Rachel has suffered unwanted notoriety and been plagued with anxiety. Who was responsible and what happened to her childhood friend, Sophie? While Rachel’s career as a genealogist is a way to explore the nooks and crannies of other people’s families, her interest stemmed from the desire to discover clues about her own background, especially as it related to the unsolved case. Because of the revived attention due to the recent suicide and murder, Rachel—who is connected to both—finds herself dead center in the current police inquiry and is renewed in her obsession to learn what happened in 1978, why she and Sophia were kidnapped and by whom. Her investigation runs parallel to and intersects with the activities of Sadler and Childs. Sarah Ward has definitely upped her game with this outing. The characters are well-drawn—especially Rachel—and the plot is complex, incorporating a fresh premise using genealogy as the structure around which the novel is wrapped. Ward has created a devious puzzle that will intrigue readers as Rachel’s “family tree” is shaken to its roots. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #11,023,091 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #12,061 in Police Procedurals (Books) #22,484 in Women Sleuths (Books) #1,274,443 in Literature & Fiction (Books) | | Book 1 of 4 | DC Childs Mysteries | | Customer Reviews | 3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars (2,789) | | Dimensions | 5.7 x 1.16 x 8.47 inches | | ISBN-10 | 1250069173 | | ISBN-13 | 978-1250069177 | | Item Weight | 14.4 ounces | | Language | English | | Print length | 320 pages | | Publication date | September 29, 2015 | | Publisher | Minotaur Books | ## Images ![In Bitter Chill: A Mystery (Inspector Francis Sadler) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91dwFcZ+J3L.jpg) ![In Bitter Chill: A Mystery (Inspector Francis Sadler) - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/919pR62TmzL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ flawed but enjoyable mystery set in England *by A***S on October 16, 2016* This debut novel, set in England's Peak District, has many good qualities: the characters were well written and interesting and the premise, of two girls kidnapped and the repurcussions even after thirty years, was immediately intriguing. I found myself thinking about the book when I was busy elsewhere and anxious to get back to it. HOWEVER there were several weaknesses that detracted from fully enjoying it. For instance, while the characters were interesting, their actions were often unmotivated or not followed up. The lead detective is described many times as handsome but also as having a number of personal proclivities that would put women off, yet everyone who meets him thinks about him romantically -- it was immature. There was very little tension and at one point, where someone actually was being attacked, like the best (worst) epistolary novels of the 19th century, the person begins a nice little multiple paragraph think-in before we go back to the physical attack! Bizarre. The case was not exciting but it was confusing. There are many people and families and sometimes people in the same family have different surnames etc etc. It was difficult to follow at times but tangling it out wasn't that rewarding anyway, and by the time we got the big revelation it was already pretty obvious -- and I'm not usually that great at figuring out whodunnit. The book shows promise, especially in the characterizations and dialogue, but there were too many flaws to give it five stars. I would probably read the sequel -- but I would wait until the price came down a fair bit. (I've just looked it up and the aggregate rating for the sequel (A Deadly Thaw) is a full star lower, so I guess things didn't improve?) ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Genealogical Murder Mystery *by L***N on August 29, 2023* In Bitter Chill Sarah Ward’s second book is very different than the The Birthday Girl, which is a “cozy” set on an island off the coast of Wales, in a hotel, during a blizzard—a strong, stylish mystery reminiscent of those by Agatha Christie. In Bitter Chill follows the trend of contemporary crime fiction, with a male detective, DI Francis Sadler, and a female partner, DC Connie Childs. They are investigating a suicide and a homicide, but when they begin pulling strings, the case leads to a 1978 abduction of two girls: one who still missing, and Rachel, who was returned but with an impaired memory of the events. Ever since, Rachel has suffered unwanted notoriety and been plagued with anxiety. Who was responsible and what happened to her childhood friend, Sophie? While Rachel’s career as a genealogist is a way to explore the nooks and crannies of other people’s families, her interest stemmed from the desire to discover clues about her own background, especially as it related to the unsolved case. Because of the revived attention due to the recent suicide and murder, Rachel—who is connected to both—finds herself dead center in the current police inquiry and is renewed in her obsession to learn what happened in 1978, why she and Sophia were kidnapped and by whom. Her investigation runs parallel to and intersects with the activities of Sadler and Childs. Sarah Ward has definitely upped her game with this outing. The characters are well-drawn—especially Rachel—and the plot is complex, incorporating a fresh premise using genealogy as the structure around which the novel is wrapped. Ward has created a devious puzzle that will intrigue readers as Rachel’s “family tree” is shaken to its roots. ### ⭐⭐⭐ Good characters, mediocre plot *by A***E on July 26, 2017* I had a bit of trouble keeping the families straight in the police procedural. A suicide followed by a murder connect back to a kidnapping/possible murder that took place many years before. Rachel is an eight-year-old kidnapping victim -- the one who got away -- is now grown. She is a genealogist by profession. From there, the plot line evolves into a series of illegitimate births, adoptions, long held family secrets, and unsuspected incest. The police personal are interesting, particularly Connie and Sadler, but the plot was unconvincing, unnecessarily convoluted, and depended far too much on coincidence. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sn/products/24194280-in-bitter-chill-a-mystery-inspector-francis-sadler](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/24194280-in-bitter-chill-a-mystery-inspector-francis-sadler) --- *Product available on Desertcart Senegal* *Store origin: SN* *Last updated: 2026-06-01*