The stylish, charming next novel in Ashley Weaver’s Edgar-nominated Amory Ames mystery series, set in 1930s England, A Deception at Thornecrest. “Thornecrest looked beautiful in the evening light. One would never imagine the turmoil that had just occurred within its walls.” Amory Ames is alone at her country house Thornecrest, enjoying her last few weeks of peace and quiet as she prepares for … weeks of peace and quiet as she prepares for the imminent arrival of her baby. Her husband, Milo, is in London on business, and Amory is content to catch up on her correspondence, organize the nursery, and avoid the well-meaning if rather overbearing company of the ladies in the village as they prepare for the Springtide Festival. But then a woman appears on her doorstep, claiming to be another Mrs. Ames, Milo’s wife.
Amory’s marriage has had its ups and downs in the past, but her faith in her husband has been restored, and Milo has been nothing but thrilled about becoming a father. Though the alleged second Mrs. Ames seems earnest, Amory is convinced she must be mistaken, a belief that Milo confirms upon his homecoming. However, when another unexpected visitor arrives at Thornecrest, secret identities and whirlwind romances appear to be becoming par for the course.
It’s not until the day of the festival, when Milo’s stable hand Bertie is found dead, that the strange characters appearing in town begin to seem more sinister, and Amory is determined to uncover the killer in the crowd.
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Murder Scars the Countryside
Not all is what it seems as murder scares the countryside in book 7 of the series. One can read this book without having read the others in the series and still enjoy it. The story takes place in 1932 Britain which is a happy and peaceful time. The story is much like a more modern British Country House Murder. There is no lack of suspects in the murder and the final denouement is quite a surprise. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
Amory Ames is at home patiently awaiting the birth of her first child when a young woman appears on her doorstep saying that she Mrs. Milo Ames … strange since Amory’s husband is also named Milo. Later in the week, another guest appears, this one saying he is Milo’s long-lost brother.
While Milo & Avery are sifting through this information, a local boy is murdered at the village fair. Milo’s brother is deemed the number once suspect and is arrested and thrown in jail.
So starts an absolutely adoring and delightful mystery. I love the time period this is set in and the banter between Milo & Avery is what really made the book come alive for me. Not to mention that despite being pregnant, Amory took charge, got involved and solved the mystery.
Now when I requested this from NetGalley I had no idea it was Book 7 . Thank goodness these can be read standalone with the character development from the first 6 books being the only thing missing. Whelp I guess I better get cracking because this is definitely one series I am going to go back and read from the beginning.
I received this E-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here in our mind and mine alone.
This is my first book by Ashley. After reading the first chapter I knew I should have read the first six books . There are a lot of reference to things that happened in the past. This makes some of the scenes hard to understand or leave a lot up to ones imagination of what might have happen.
That being said the book is about Amory and Milo who are about to have their first child. Amory is supposed to be taking it easy at their county home in the quiet village of Allingross. Milo is working in London and traveling back and forth as his business demands.
Amory is feeling the weight of being eight months pregnancy and not being able to do all she uses too.
She is surprised when a young woman shows up claiming to also be Mrs Ames ! From some of the back flashes we know that her and Milo must of hard time when they first got married. Things seem better now and they are working on strengthen the marriage. Amory really wants to believe Milo didn’t have anything to do with this woman, but he was a Hugh playboy before and women kind of fell at his feet. She is upset and hurt till she can ask Milo.
If this wasn’t enough soon after the Lady shows up so does a gentleman claiming to be Milo’s half-brother. One look at the family resemblance and Amory knows Darien is the one the lady married not Milo. But why was Milo’s half-brother using his name and not his own??
The plot thickens when shortly after Darien shows up one of Milo’s stable hands is murdered.
Everyone in the village is very upset with all these going on. Lots of the villages are trying to figure out who could have done such a thing. Other hint of Amory being involved with other investigation so, she can’t leave this one alone much to Milo’s upset. Just when one doesn’t think things could get any worst there is other murder.
WOW this book has a lot of twist and turns. It was somewhat easy to follow would have been better if one had the history of the first books. The characters were great, lots of drama, and suspense the who done it was great at the end. Still I wish I had read the rest of the books first. I think the interaction between Amory and Milo would have made more sense.
I received and ARC from the author and would like to thank her, and am giving my honest opinion voluntarily. This is a good story but try and read the others first if you can. If not, you will just have to use your imagination to fill in what might have happened before.
This was a very entertaining and engrossing read. I had not realized this was the 7th book in a series when I requested it from NetGalley but even so, I found it worked as a stand-alone. I wasn’t confused at all by the story line as it wasn’t a continuation from the previous book. Amory Ames is a very likable character and one who has a great mind for solving crimes. When Amory’s and her husband Milo’s stable hand Bertie is found dead, Amory is determined to find out who the killer is. I thought this was very well written, it kept me guessing as to who the murderer was, and, of course, I kept changing my mind many times when Amory would come up with another good possibility as to who the killer was. I was completely surprised at the end when the mystery was finally solved. Now that I’ve been introduced to Amory and Milo, I’m very interested in reading the first six books in this series. I think mystery lovers will thoroughly enjoy this book.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.
A Deception at Thornecrest is the seventh book in the Amory Ames historical mystery series by Ashley Weaver. Though I have some of the previous installments, this is the first one I have read. Yep, I started a series on the seventh book! Amazingly enough, I wasn’t lost in the least. There was enough background on the two leads to understand their essence, and the story stood alone. It was a fun ride, too! Glad I have others in the series to look forward to.
While her husband Milo is in London for business, Amory Ames is preparing for the upcoming birth of her child at Thornecrest, their home in the country. She is also helping the ladies of the village get ready for the Springtide Festival. Suddenly Amory has an unexpected visitor: a young woman claiming to be Mrs. Milo Ames. Huh?! Surely the woman is mistaken! Amory and Milo have had relationship issues in the past, but they have worked through their problems. When Milo returns, it’s confirmed that the woman is mistaken. However, an unexpected visitor comes to see Milo and Amory, and the young woman’s confusion now makes sense. On the day of the festival, a young man is found murdered. Did either of the two visitors have anything to do with the murder? Or was it one of the other village residents, all of whom seem to have secrets? Pregnant or not, Amory is determined to solve the mystery!
This was a fun, witty whodunit! As a romance it fell a little flat, no doubt because I missed six books that outlined Milo and Amory’s relationship. However, the mystery really shined here. I kept thinking I knew who killed the young man; however, when another murder occurred, I found I was way off the mark and got even more flummoxed. Besides Amory and Milo, there were some great supporting characters. Among my favorites were Milo’s half-brother Darien, neighboring horse-mad Lady Alma and the vicar and his wife. I enjoyed the snappy dialogue and the repartee between Milo and Amory. Don’t worry if you’ve missed installments; jump right on in and enjoy! I look forward to more adventures with Mr. and Mrs. Ames.
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
This author and series are both new to me and I enjoyed the read. Even though this is the seventh book in the series, I had no trouble with reading it as a standalone. Of course, I always become curious about the characters when I begin a series that I enjoy, so I have every intention of going back and reading the earlier books in the series. The main reason I want to read the earlier books is to see the history between Milo and Amory. I didn’t care much for Milo in this book and there were many, many, many hints that he might have been a womanizer during the earlier years of their marriage. If that is the case, I’m not sure whether I’ll continue or not unless there is some grand resurrection of him. While he didn’t appear to be a womanizer any longer, he still felt pretty cold to me in general. So, I fully intend to read at least the first book before I decide whether to continue with the series.
I enjoyed the mystery. It was well-written with plenty of red herrings to make you wonder whodunit. I always hate when the author introduces me to the victim and makes me like them before killing them off – and that is the case here. Well – I liked one of the victims anyway and that made me sad – especially as I learned of his hopes and dreams. Not everyone is who they appear to be and those who are, are hiding secrets. It is interesting to see Amory investigate and uncover those secrets and arrive at the conclusion to the murderer. I did think that came a bit out of left field – just all of a sudden, she had the answer.
Amory and Milo are at their country estate, Thorncrest, awaiting the birth of their first child – only a month to go. Amory is at home alone one morning when she has a caller who insists she is Mrs. Milo Ames. Amory is sure the woman has been duped and she’s sure Milo isn’t the one who duped her – but she does have to wonder just a bit. Later, a second visitor appears and the deception is solved.
When a horse trainer who works for both Milo and Lady Alma Bedford is found, dead, in a field at the Springtide Festival, it doesn’t take much to figure out that he was murdered. Since the young man had recently been involved in an altercation with a newcomer, there was an immediate suspect. When further incriminating evidence was conveniently found and the suspect was arrested, Amory thought it was just too easy, too pat. Against Milo’s wishes, Amory begins to investigate. When another murder that is obviously related happens, the suspect is released – but Amory continues her investigation. She learns more and more secrets that are held by some of the most respected people in the town – things she didn’t wish to know – but she had to learn all she could in order to identify the murderer. You’ll be surprised at the resolution.
I enjoyed the mystery portion of this book. It was interesting and the red herrings were believable – for the most part. What I didn’t enjoy was Milo and the relationship between him and Amory. I will read the first book in the series to see if I can begin to understand it better – but – well – bottom line is that I need a good romance to go along with my mysteries and I’m not sure this is a good romance. Of course, some things happened in this book that might make me change my mind once I read Book 8 in the series. Yes, I know this is probably a good representation of a ‘real-life’ marriage – but I read to get away from the ‘real-life’ things. Anyway, I intend to read Book 1 in the series and then maybe Book 8 when it comes out and will decide whether to continue from there.
If the mystery is what you are after, then this will be right down your alley. It is interesting and populated with unique characters. I will definitely try more books in the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
‘Amory Ames is alone at her country house Thornecrest, enjoying her last few weeks of peace and quiet as she prepares for the imminent arrival of her baby. Her husband, Milo, is in London on business, and Amory is content to catch up on her correspondence, organize the nursery, and avoid the well-meaning if rather overbearing company of the ladies in the village as they prepare for the Springtide Festival. But then a woman appears on her doorstep, also claiming to be Mrs. Ames, Milo’s wife.
Amory’s marriage has had its ups and downs in the past, but her faith in her husband has been restored, and Milo has been nothing but thrilled about becoming a father. Though the supposed second Mrs. Ames seems earnest, Amory is convinced she must be mistaken, a belief that Milo confirms upon his homecoming. However, when a second unexpected visitor arrives at Thornecrest, secret identities and whirlwind romances appear to be becoming par for the course.
It’s not until the day of the festival, when Milo’s stable hand Bertie is found dead, that the strange characters appearing in town begin to seem more sinister, and Amory is determined to uncover the killer in the crowd.’
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A Deception at Thornecrest is the seventh book in Ashley Weaver’s An Amory Ames Mystery series and is a historical mystery set in the 1930s.
This is the first book in the series in which we get the see the oft talked about Thornecrest, Milo’s family home, as he and Amory prepare for the arrival of their first baby. In this book I think they are perhaps at their most harmonious, even though there are still several moments of contention between them, but I think that’s part of the charm of their relationship
It’s a little thing, but I will mention that the Amory shone standing with Milo in front of the festival on the book’s cover is very clearly not pregnant even though she is heavily pregnant for the entirety of the book. Once again this is a little thing, but seems silly to me. I think we could have handled seeing a pregnant belly.
Family relationships were very much the central theme of this book, both the ones you make and the one you’re born into, which I loved so much because it tied so well into what everything happening for Amory and Milo. A Deception at Thornecrest has been one of favorites in the series, both because of the life changes happening and for the mystery itself. The reveal didn’t really take me by surprise, but there were enough layers that kept me guessing whether or not I was off the mark for a bit. I love that each case continues to be unique from the others they have encountered before and I’m excited to see what Weaver will cook up for the next book.
I’ve really enjoyed reading this series over the last month and recommend it others. But now I’m a little sad that I have to wait for the next book since I was able to read all of these back to back. I’ll just have to try to be patient.
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I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing and eARC of A Deception at Thornecrest by Ashley Weaver with me. This is my honest review.
I requested an ARC of this book, and these opinions are my own.
This is a new to me author & series, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is #7 in the Amory Ames series, but I did not feel like I was missing anything by not having read the prior books.
It is your typical old-school mystery with plenty of red herrings and twists that kept me guessing until the end. The characters were intriguing, and definitely made me want to know more.
Overall an enjoyable read.
4.5/5
I really enjoy this series, and this 7th installment doesn’t disappoint.
Amory and Milo are anticipating the birth of their first child at their country home when one of their stable hands is inexplicably murdered. A second death follows, and Amory feels compelled to investigate.
There isn’t as much physical action in this one, but of course Amory is 8 months pregnant. And I did miss Milo as he was away from home at intervals. But there are two new additions to the family here (and no, it’s not twins!) and a twisty denouement that kept me riveted.
Looking forward to number 8!
Many thanks to #NetGalley, #StMartinsPress and #MinotaurBooks for providing me the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.
I discovered the Amory Ames series and few months ago and read the previous installments as quickly as I could. I really enjoy this series and was so looking forward to this one in which Amory and Milo welcome their first child.
Amory and her husband Milo’s marriage got off to a rocky start and while Amory feels those days are behind them she can’t keep herself from doubting that when a strange woman arrives at her home claiming to be Mrs. Milo Ames and identifying Milo from a photo. The matter is quickly resolves when the second Mrs. Ames meets Milo and although there is a strong resemblance realizes he is not the same person. But another mysterious person is soon to land on their doorstep.
Days later, a young man who helped out in their stables is found dead. While it initially appeared that he been thrown from his horse, Milo suspects murder. However, he feels that “even if Bertie was murdered, it doesn’t mean we have to be involved” as the birth of their baby is imminent. But that doesn’t stop Amory especially when a person with connections to their family is arrested for his murder. While she won’t put herself in potential dangerous situations, there’s nothing wrong with asking questions.
So, we follow Amory as she asks questions, listens to gossip and relies on an old ally to help clarify her thoughts and provide advice. And finally all the pieces fall into play and the murder is solved. I wouldn’t have guessed who it was but it made sense in the retelling.
And then, at the end the added bonus of the baby’s birth. Sigh.
I received an ARC from the publisher but the opinions stated above are my own.
Ashley Weaver does it again! Ever since I discovered this series I was hooked, as we’ve followed Amory and Milo’s journey over the last six books I feel like as a reader I’ve been able to see them work through the good, the hard and of course the mysterious and this next instalment is all that and more!
As Amory enjoys the last few moments of peace and quiet before their baby’s imminent arrival, life is disrupted once again when a woman shows up on Amory’s doorstep claiming to be Mrs. Milo Ames! Amory & Milo have worked hard to get to where they are in their relationship and this feels like another critical moment of trust between the couple. While Amory is convinced this woman is mistaken, will some evidence to prove otherwise shake this relationship up once again?
When an unexpected new face shows up and a tragic death occurs, will we discover there’s more than one deception at Thornecrest afoot?
A big thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #ADeceptionatThornecrest #Goodreads #BookBub
I read this delightful mystery the latest in the Amory Ames mysteries by Ashley Weaver, through Netgalley.com.
I could not put the book down. It is distinctly a page-turner. From the first intriguing sentence the reader must know what are the currents running in this English town. Who is the mysterious young woman from London? What secret is the stable boy holding? Is the village girl finally settling on a suitor? What is the Deception? Is there only one?
One need not have read previous Amory Ames novels to appreciate the determined protagonist and her husband. I cannot wait to go back to the beginning and read them all now.