Friday, November 29, 2013

Book Review: Death Comes To The Village


Author: Catherine Lloyd
Title: Death Comes To The Village
Publisher: Kensington Books
Publish Date: Nov 26, 2013
Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley
Book Blurb: 
A wounded soldier and a rector's daughter discover strange goings-on in the sleepy village of Kurland St. Mary in Catherine Lloyd's charming Regency-set mystery debut.

Major Robert Kurland has returned to the quiet vistas of his village home to recuperate from the horrors of Waterloo. However injured his body may be, his mind is as active as ever. Too active, perhaps. When he glimpses a shadowy figure from his bedroom window struggling with a heavy load, the tranquil façade of the village begins to loom sinister. . .

Unable to forget the incident, Robert confides in his childhood friend, Miss Lucy Harrington. As the dutiful daughter of the widowed rector, following up on the major's suspicions offers a welcome diversion--but soon presents real danger. Someone is intent on stopping their investigation. And in a place where no one locks their doors, a series of thefts and the disappearance of two young serving girls demands explanation. . .

As Robert grapples with his difficult recovery, he and Lucy try to unearth the dark truth lurking within the village shadows, and stop a killer waiting to strike again...


Review: I love a good cozy mystery and I really loved the regency setting. Historical cozies are my my absolute favorite.

It is a shame that this particular mystery just seemed to plod along at a snail's pace. It is the first book is the first book in the Kurland St Mary Mystery series and most of the time seemed to be spent getting to know the two main characters, Lucy Harrington and Major Robert Kurland.

More time seems to be spent on Robert and Lucy and what seems to be a possible romance then the actual mystery and that would be fine, if there ended up being a romance when you hit the last page. Instead, you end up unsatisfied and unsure of whether or not you want to anticipate the next book in the series.

I truly felt bad for Lucy. She wants a Season in London, but her father who is a rather lousy rector in my estimation would rather her be the daughter that cares for him. I think that's why the ending wasn't satisfying to me.

When all is said and done, I wanted Lucy and Robert to be a couple, but maybe that is something for the next book.

The mystery involves, things that go bump in the night, some thefts and finally a murder. Since the Major is unable to get about due to his injury, Lucy is the one that does the poking about. I have to admit, I had no clue who the killer was and when it was revealed I was more than a little bit surprised.

Hopefully when the next book comes around, there will be more mystery, now that we've been introduced to the primary characters. I think Ms Lloyd has created an interesting setting for this series and it should be one worth revisiting.

Rating: 3 flowers


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