This well-researched mystery series entry will please fans and newcomers alike.
In the 12th book in Kuhns’ historical mystery series, Will Rees and Constable Rouge are called upon to solve the murder of a traveler from out of town.
This installment returns readers to the Will Rees and his wife Lydia’s farm, adjacent to a Shaker community in Durham, Maine, in 1802.Rees and the constable find an out-of-town farm owner named Hans Bergin, dead in the trees along the side of the road; he was apparently bludgeoned to death. Notorious for his interest in young women, Bergin had upset members of the local Shaker community by insisting on seeing the “naked ladies dancing” there, even though the existence of such a spectacle was just hearsay. With little information to go on, Rees, Rouge, and Rees’ spouse set out to solve what almost becomes an increasingly complicated case. As more murders come to light, it becomes clear the investigation is necessary to ensure the safety of all the townspeople. Just when it seems the case might never be solved, an important missing piece of the puzzle is discovered, and an unlikely killer is revealed. Kuhns’ suspenseful historical whodunit features fast-paced action, but it also compellingly addresses important topics with sensitivity and depth, including post-traumatic stress disorder, war, infidelity, religion, and sexual assault. These elements effectively add to the plot without overwhelming it. Kuhns also includes well-researched facts about the American Revolutionary War, the Shaker community, and traditions of the era. The novel provides details about the Battle of Minisink, as well, which is vital to a large portion of the plot and especially important to the development of Shaker Ephraim Sewall’s character.Lastly, Lydia Rees is a refreshing presence in a setting in which women were often sidelined; she uncovers key evidence the men overlook, crucial to solving the case.
This well-researched mystery series entry will please fans and newcomers alike.Pub Date: May 15, 2025
ISBN: 9798312662825
Page Count: 245
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: June 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A fresh and clever whodunit with an engaging twist.
A 16-year-old savant uses his Groundhog Day gift to solve his grandfather’s murder.
Nishizawa’s compulsively readable puzzle opens with the discovery of the victim, patriarch Reijiro Fuchigami, sprawled on a futon in the attic of his elegant mansion, where his family has gathered for a consequential announcement about his estate. The weapon seems to be a copper vase lying nearby. Given this setup, the novel might have proceeded as a traditional whodunit but for two delightful features. The first is the ebullient narration of Fuchigami’s youngest grandson, Hisataro, thrust into the role of an investigator with more dedication than finesse. The second is Nishizawa’s clever premise: The 16-year-old Hisataro has lived ever since birth with a condition that occasionally has him falling into a time loop that he calls "the Trap," replaying the same 24 hours of his life exactly nine times before moving on. And, of course, the murder takes place on the first day of one of these loops. Can he solve the murder before the cycle is played out? His initial strategies—never leaving his grandfather’s side, focusing on specific suspects, hiding in order to observe them all—fall frustratingly short. Hisataro’s comical anxiety rises with every failed attempt to identify the culprit. It’s only when he steps back and examines all the evidence that he discovers the solution. First published in 1995, this is the first of Nishizawa’s novels to be translated into English. As for Hisataro, he ultimately concludes that his condition is not a burden but a gift: “Time’s spiral never ends.”
A fresh and clever whodunit with an engaging twist.Pub Date: July 29, 2025
ISBN: 9781805335436
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Pushkin Vertigo
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
A top-class cozy infused with dry wit and charming characters who draw you in and leave you wanting more, please.
Four residents of Coopers Chase, a British retirement village, compete with the police to solve a murder in this debut novel.
The Thursday Murder Club started out with a group of septuagenarians working on old murder cases culled from the files of club founder Elizabeth Best’s friend Penny Gray, a former police officer who's now comatose in the village's nursing home. Elizabeth used to have an unspecified job, possibly as a spy, that has left her with a large network of helpful sources. Joyce Meadowcroft is a former nurse who chronicles their deeds. Psychiatrist Ibrahim Arif and well-known political firebrand Ron Ritchie complete the group. They charm Police Constable Donna De Freitas, who, visiting to give a talk on safety at Coopers Chase, finds the residents sharp as tacks. Built with drug money on the grounds of a convent, Coopers Chase is a high-end development conceived by loathsome Ian Ventham and maintained by dangerous crook Tony Curran, who’s about to be fired and replaced with wary but willing Bogdan Jankowski. Ventham has big plans for the future—as soon as he’s removed the nuns' bodies from the cemetery. When Curran is murdered, DCI Chris Hudson gets the case, but Elizabeth uses her influence to get the ambitious De Freitas included, giving the Thursday Club a police source. What follows is a fascinating primer in detection as British TV personality Osman allows the members to use their diverse skills to solve a series of interconnected crimes.
A top-class cozy infused with dry wit and charming characters who draw you in and leave you wanting more, please.Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-98-488096-3
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Pamela Dorman/Viking
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
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