From the authors of the best-selling series CHERRINGHAMA young poacher is found shot dead in the woods of a grand estate near Mydworth. A sad accident it would seem. But the boy’s mother is convinced it is murder and when Harry and Kat investigate, they find the poacher’s life was not as innocent as he made out …Co-authors Neil Richards (based in the UK) and Matthew Costello (based in the US), … (based in the US), have been writing together since the mid-90s, creating innovative content and working on major projects for the BBC, Disney Channel, Sony, ABC, Eidos, and Nintendo to name but a few. Their transatlantic collaboration has underpinned scores of TV drama scripts, computer games, radio shows, and the best-selling mystery series Cherringham. Their latest series project is called Mydworth Mysteries.
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England, small-town, murder, murder-investigation, cosy-mystery, 1920s, situational-humor, verbal-humor*****
American Kat Reilly and Brit Sir Harry Mortimer are beginning to settle into married life together in Mydworth in the aftermath of their dramatic entry into the village. The women’s help organization contacts Kat on behalf of the grieving mother (wife of a nasty drunk) whose (known) poacher son who died in an alleged hunting accident. Together the couple does an excellent job sleuthing with their trademark sense of humour. Full of twists and red herrings with characters who certainly are and well done imagery. Looking forward to listening to more of this series enjoyably narrated by Nathaniel Parker!
Set in the 1920s near a great estate in England, this mystery will keep you wondering “Who did it?” until the end. Harry and his American wife, Kat, decide to investigate the death of a young man poaching on an estate. They do not believe his death was accidental.
Harry and Kat are quite charming, and it is delightful to go along with them as they peruse the neighborhood talking to people in search of clues to support their suspicion that a young man was murdered.
The secondary characters serve well to provide information and give readers clues to ponder. The physical details of the village add their own kind of charm, and the historical tid-bits fill out the imagery of the 1920s to perfection. People aren’t always as they seem, and Harry and Kat get to the bottom of things in a clever way.
It’s not a high-stress, page-turning type of story, but rather escapist reading, best enjoyed with a cup of tea. Readers are sure to enjoy putting pieces together. This story is an entertaining tale while being a fun intellectual exercise. I recommend this book to those who love light-hearted historical mysteries.
Series: Mydworth Mysteries #2
Publication Date: 9/30/19
Number of Pages: 119
American Kat Reilly and Brit Sir Harry Mortimer are beginning to settle into their new life together in Mydworth. Kat is still a bit concerned that life in the quiet English countryside will be too quiet – especially since she’s not too fond of afternoon teas and other gentrified activities. Luckily, they’ve managed to keep busy with some local investigations – so maybe things won’t be too dull.
As much as Kat loved spending time admiring Harry working on his old motorbike that had been in storage since the war, she was really happy when their new phone rang. Nicola Green, from the WVS (Women’s Voluntary Service), was calling to ask Kat and Harry to stop by her office because she needed to speak with them.
The mother of a young poacher, Syd Buckman, doesn’t believe that her son died in an accident. Yes, the police have ruled that it was an accident, but she just doesn’t believe it. Her son was too good with guns to make such a rudimentary mistake. So, she approached Nicola and asked for her help and advice. Nicola, in turn, contacted Kat and Harry because of their reputations for solving mysteries.
At first, Kat and Harry were inclined to believe it really was an accident – but the more they learned, the more they became sure that Syd’s death wasn’t accidental. Why would anyone want to kill the young man? There are plenty of potential suspects around – other poachers, the owner of the land on which he was poaching, the land steward, a friend with whom he’d had an argument, even his father.
The investigation continues apace and leads in many directions – until at last, the final clues are revealed and the murder is finally solved.
I am really enjoying this series that reminds me a bit of the old Thin Man movies with the lighthearted banter between Kat and Harry – except Kat is more of a fully participating partner than Nora was in the movies. Definitely an entertaining read!