Writer’s apprentice Lena London is happily working on a new collaboration with her idol and bestselling suspense novelist and friend Camilla Graham, but her joy is short-lived when a dark cloud descends upon the quaint town of Blue Lake, Indiana…Lena’s best friend, Allison, is in a panic. On a walk in the woods by her home, Allison discovers the body of her mail carrier, an argumentative man … argumentative man who recently had a falling out with Allison’s husband. Lena quickly realizes that Allison has nothing to worry about as the murder weapon points to a different suspect altogether: Lena’s embattled boyfriend, Sam West.
Sam was cleared of his wife’s murder when she was found alive, and now someone is trying to make him look guilty again. Surveillance video of a break-in at his house shows a shadowy figure trying to incriminate him by stealing the weapon from his desk. Lena and Camilla work on a suspect list, but a threatening note and a violent intrusion at Graham House prove that the devious killer has decided to write them into the plot.
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A Dark and Twisting Path by Julia Buckley takes us to Blue Lake, Indiana. Lena London along with her employer, Camilla Graham have returned from England to Graham House. Lena is thinking about her father’s upcoming visit when she gets a call from her friend, Allison Branch asking her to rush over. Allison has found mail carrier, Eddie Stack dead at the back of her property with Sam’s letter opener in his chest. It looks like the killer is trying to set up Sam to take the fall for Eddie’s murder. When they look at Sam’s surveillance footage to see how the guilty party obtained the letter opener, they see a figure in black break into Sam’s home. The individual took the unique letter opener along with a piece of paper. Lena along with Camilla delve into the case. But then Lena receives threatening notes and someone breaks into Camilla’s home. Lena is even more determined to identify the killer. What did Eddie see that got him killed?
A Dark and Twisting Path cannot be read as a standalone. You need to read the book in A Writer’s Apprentice Mystery series in order. The mystery that has been in all three books is coming to a head in A Dark and Twisting Path. It involves Sam, his ex-wife (Victoria), Victoria’s missing daughter (Athena) and the ruthless Nikon Leandros Lazos. I was happy that to see that this particular thread is wrapped up. I thought the mystery was complex and multilayered. Information is revealed a little at a time as the story progresses. However, the mystery plays out in the background. Other issues seem to overshadow it (unfortunately). The writing is good, but the pace is a little slow. The pacing does pick up near the end. Lena is a developed character. She is smart, engaging, loyal and creative. Lena, along with the other characters, are relatable and likeable. There is quite a bit going on in A Dark and Twisting Path. There is the murder, threatening notes, the kidnapped child, burglary, Lena’s father visiting, Lena and Camilla working on a new book, lunches, romance, dinners, adorable animals, and some man with a beard keeps popping up. I felt A Dark and Twisting Path was the best book in this series. At the end of the book, there is a hint at the mystery to come in the next A Writer’s Apprentice Mystery. I am giving A Dark and Twisting Path 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Lena London and Camilla Graham have just returned from their first joint book tour when Lena gets a call from her friend Allison. Allison has found a dead body on the edge of her property. Lena goes over to be with Allison only to recognize the letter opener sticking out of the victim as one she gave her boyfriend Sam. Who is trying to frame him for murder now?
After the second book in the series, I was anxious to see what would happen to these characters next and how the cliffhanger would be resolved. I’m thrilled to say I was very satisfied with how things developed here, and I am confident that fans of the series will be as well. If you aren’t familiar with the series, it borrows heavily from Gothic stories, so this isn’t a typical cozy plot, but that doesn’t make for a bad story in the slightest. The pages turned all too quickly. I was annoyed by some timeline issues early on, but those were minor overall. Lena is a strong heroine, and the rest of the cast are charming and eccentric. If you haven’t started this series yet, I recommend it; I just don’t recommend you start here. You really need the previous two books to fully appreciate what happens here.
Another hit. I love this series, the characters, the setting, the storylines, just everything. Author Julia Buckley takes the basic old fashioned cozy mystery and turns it into a fresh, new and utterly entertaining read.
It was a very interesting mystery. I would real more of the author’s books.
I’ve stalked this cozy series. I confess. I’m a stalker reader reviewer. After dangling from an imaginary rope off the previous two stories’ cliffhanger endings, I was ready for a rescue, resolution, and major satisfaction of seeing Lazos brought down by the end of book three. Let’s just say I had a smile on my face at The End.
I continue to be mesmerized by the main characters; famous writer—Camilla Graham; her talented apprentice—Lena London; and Sam West—an innocent, yet publicly misunderstood man who is Lena’s lover. The author skillfully delves into these characters developing lives; past and present. As the secondary cast of characters continues to expand I was awed by several of Ms. Buckley’s unpredictable plot twists. Just wowed! I love the beautiful setting for Camilla’s home in Blue Lake, Indiana, and how the author can turn that serenity into a brooding, frightening atmosphere in a mere paragraph or so; justifying for this reader, the title “A Dark and Twisting Path”. I think that also describes Nikon’s mind—dark and twisted.
Animal lovers will enjoy Camilla’s German Shepherds, Heathcliff and Rochester, and Lena’s Cat, Lestrade. The ending to book three is satisfying in more ways than one. This series definitely should be read in the order it was published, beginning with book one, to best grasp the story. I highly recommend the series—it is one of my favorites!
I reviewed a digital ARC provided by NetGalley and Berkley Publishing. Thank you.