The mist-shrouded moors of Devon proffer a trove of delights for two vacationing zoologists—but also conceal a hoard of dark secrets reaching down to the fathomless depths of the ocean.Miss Merula Merriweather barely saved her uncle from the gallows after he was wrongly accused of murder—and now, she’s left the bustle of Victorian London to recuperate in the fresh air of Dartmoor with her fellow … Dartmoor with her fellow zoologist, Lord Raven Royston. The trip offers a unique treat, as they’ll be staying with a friend of Raven’s, who owns a collection of rare zoological specimens—including a kraken, a sea monster of myth and legend.
But all is not right in the land of tors, heaths, and mist. Their host’s maid has vanished without a trace, and the townspeople hold him responsible, claiming that his specimens are alive and roam the moors at night, bringing death to anyone who crosses their path. Merula and Raven are skeptical—but the accusations become more ominous when they find several specimen jars empty.
As the two hunt for clues across a desolate and beautiful landscape, a stranger appears bearing a shadowy secret from Merula’s past. Could there be a connection between her family history, the missing girl, and a fearsome monster that could be on the loose? The race is on to find the truth.
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Death Comes To Dartmoor is the second book in the A Merriweather and Royston Mystery series.
Merula Merriweather and Lord Royston have set off for Dartmoor to visit with a fellow zoologist and friend of Royston, Mr. Oaks. Mr. Oaks has a rather extensive collection of rare specimens which includes a kraken, a sea monster of myth and legend.
When they arrive Mr. Oaks seems to be rather deranged. Royston with the help of his valet, Bowsprit, get him settled in his bedchamber. They are rather surprised that there are no servants in the house as their visit was expected. They are awakened the next morning by a vicious mob who want to hang Oaks. Mr. Bixby, a neighbor of Oaks, shows up and can calm the mob and get them to leave. He informs Merula and Royston that the maid that worked at Oaks home was found murdered and the mob believes that she was murdered by a kraken that Oaks owns.
As Merriweather and Royston begin to investigate to clear Oaks name they find many suspects may have killed the maid. The spurned boyfriend, Ben Webber seems to be high on the list. Also going on is a battle between some of the residents of the town that want a railroad to service the local community to be in more tourist. The wreckmaster, who has had a stranglehold on the town for many years wants things to stay the way they are. Even the neighbor, Mr. Bixby ranks high on the miss of suspects. Hopefully, they will find the murderer before any other deaths occur.
A subplot to the story concerns Merriweather’s search for the identity of her parents. There are a group of traveling actors near the Oaks home and one of them claims to know who her parents are but is reluctant to share the information with her. Merriweather hopes they will be around long enough to convince the man to tell her what he thinks to know about her parents.
This a well-plotted and told story with an interesting cast of characters. The story’s setting and time seemed to be properly researched and written.
“Death Comes to Dartmoor” is the second installment in the “A Merriweather and Royston Mystery” by Vivian Conroy. It is a great historical mystery series that takes place during the Victorian era.
The mist-shrouded moors of Devon proffer a trove of delights for two vacationing zoologists—but also conceal a hoard of dark secrets reaching down to the fathomless depths of the ocean.
Miss Merula Merriweather barely saved her uncle from the gallows after he was wrongly accused of murder—and now, she’s left the bustle of Victorian London to recuperate in the fresh air of Dartmoor with her fellow zoologist, Lord Raven Royston. The trip offers a unique treat, as they’ll be staying with a friend of Raven’s, who owns a collection of rare zoological specimens—including a kraken, a sea monster of myth and legend.
But all is not right in the land of tors, heaths, and mist. Their host’s maid has vanished without a trace, and the townspeople hold him responsible, claiming that his specimens are alive and roam the moors at night, bringing death to anyone who crosses their path. Merula and Raven are skeptical—but the accusations become more ominous when they find several specimen jars empty.
As the two hunt for clues across a desolate and beautiful landscape, a stranger appears bearing a shadowy secret from Merula’s past. Could there be a connection between her family history, the missing girl, and a fearsome monster that could be on the loose? The race is on to find the truth.
The characters are well developed and likeable. The description of moors in Devon was realistic and in true spooky fashion. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep me wanting to find out what will happen next. The book is engaging from start to finish, grabbing you from the very beginning.
I highly recommend this series but I also suggest that the books be read in the order they are written.
I requested and received an Advanced Reader Copy from Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
suspense, superstitions, action, whodunit, scary-good, folklore, England *****
Dartmoor. The very name conjures up darkness, fears, and folklore. This story embodies all that and more! I found it rather Sherlockian in its relentless search for the realities that fed the fear of the locals as well as the misdirection and astounding plot twists. Which is my way of saying that I loved it! The publisher’s blurb is better than most, and spoilers are disrespectful to the author, so I can only suggest that if it looks intriguing, you won’t regret reading it.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thanks again!