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Review Date: 2/6/2017
"Cut to the Quick"is a well written mystery. The first book in a series, it features Julian Kestrel, a Regency dandy, as the detective. When a young woman is found dead in his bed while he is visiting a friend, his servant, Dipper is suspected of having killed the woman, who seems to be unknown to all the house's inhabitants. Believing Dipper to be innocent, and knowing that having a non-family member convicted of the crime would please everyone, Kestrel forces his host to allow him to investigate. His host, who is also the local magistrate, would prefer Kestrel kept out of it, but can't deny that investigating his own family is a conflict of interest.
I don't like contrivances in murder mysteries, and here there are only two. The first one is completely necessary, because without it Kestrel wouldn't be in the house, so it's forgivable. the second contrivance, however, while necessary to tie up all loose ends, is too strained. Despite that, the book was well worth reading.
I don't like contrivances in murder mysteries, and here there are only two. The first one is completely necessary, because without it Kestrel wouldn't be in the house, so it's forgivable. the second contrivance, however, while necessary to tie up all loose ends, is too strained. Despite that, the book was well worth reading.
Review Date: 8/4/2017
I thoroughly liked Eleanor Trewynn, the accidental amateur detective in Manna From Hades. She finds a dead body in the charity second-hand shop she has started and lives over. Although she's perfectly happy to leave the detecting to the professionals, including her niece, the first female detective in area, her knowledge of people in general and her community in specific has her solving the murder first.
I look forward to reading the next installment.
I look forward to reading the next installment.
Review Date: 6/16/2024
Well written, obviously meant to be the first in a series. The ending is plausible but somehow hurried.
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