Thursday, July 23, 2015

COZY MYSTERY: Rules of Murder by Julianna Deering


ABOUT THE BOOK

Drew Farthering loves a good mystery, although he generally expects to find it in the pages of a novel, not on the grounds of his country estate. When a weekend party at Farthering Place is ruined by murder and the police seem flummoxed, Drew decides to look into the crime himself. With the help of his best friend, Nick Dennison, an avid mystery reader, and Madeline Parker, a beautiful and whip-smart American debutante staying as a guest, the three try to solve the mystery as a lark, using the methods from their favorite novels.

Soon, financial irregularities at Drew’s stepfather’s company come to light and it’s clear that all who remain at Farthering Place could be in danger. Trying hard to remain one step ahead of the killer–and trying harder to impress Madeline–Drew must decide how far to take this game.

REVIEW

I'm a big fan of cozy mysteries and I'm on a kick right now, so don't be too surprised if you see a lot of these reviews in coming weeks.

Drew Farthering is a proper 1930's English gentleman who arrives home to find his bedroom occupied by a man he detests.  But things start to look up when his stepfather's niece arrives for a visit and he finds her attractive and intriguing.  Unfortunately, things take a turn for the worse when the man Drew found in his bedroom is found dead in the greenhouse.  The unveiling of secrets and additional deaths make it clear that a lot of things that Drew thought he knew may not be what they seem to be, including his stepfather.  As the stakes get higher, Drew and Madeline (the niece) and Drew's friend, Nick, set out to find some answers.

I enjoyed this mystery, not only because of the great twists and turns but also because Drew, Madeline, and Nick are very charming characters that I couldn't help but like.  The author does a great job of spreading out the reveals and twists throughout the book.  The setting and time period also make the book unique.  I felt truly invited into the small English village with all it's beauties and idiosyncrasies.  I am very much looking forward to reading the other books in the series.

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