Death by the Book
by
Julianna Deering
When murders occur in the small English village of
Farthering St. John, Drew Farthering, resident of the local manor, finds
himself drawn into the investigation and eventually, working with the
police. The killer leaves the calling
card of a cryptic message attached to the dead with a hat pin. Drew and Birdsong, the constable, have a
tenuous relationship, but Drew is a thinker, and even Birdsong begins to have
respect for his opinions as they search for the killer.
Drew is truly a gentleman – tactful, unpretentious and
friendly to all – and deeply in love with an American girl, Madeline, who dallies
in giving him an answer to his marriage proposal. Enter also, Madeline’s grumpy aunt, come to
protect her poor niece from Drew’s
advances. The dialogue among these
characters is charming and clever, and definitely a strong point of the novel. Using lines from Shakespeare’s plays as part
of the killer’s clues was also intriguing.
It was refreshing to read an “old school” murder mystery
where romance and violence do not dominate, and red herrings and clever
detective work take prominence. I was
also totally inept at guessing the identity of the killer until almost the
reveal!
This is the second of the Drew Farthering Mystery Series,
which begins with Rules of Murder.
I only give five star ratings to books that capture me completely, and
this is one of those books.
This book was provided to me by Bethany House Publishers for
my honest review.
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