Drew Farthering wanted nothing more than to end the summer of 1932 with the announcement of his engagement. Instead, he finds himself caught up in another mysterious case when the family solicitor is found murdered, an antique hatpin with a cryptic message, Advice to Jack, piercing his chest.
Evidence of secret meetings and a young girl's tearful confession point to the victim's double life, but what does the solicitor's murder have to do with the murder of a physician on the local golf course? Nothing, it would seem--except for another puzzling note, affixed with a similar-looking bloodied hatpin.
Soon the police make an arrest in connection with the murders, but Drew isn't at all certain they have the right suspect in custody. And why does his investigation seem to be drawing him closer and closer to home?
As the second book in the Drew Farthering Mystery series, I was not sure what to expect from Death by the Book. The mystery in the first novel, Rules of Murder, had been great, but I had not been impressed by the character development and the rushed relationship between Drew and Madeline. However, I was slightly reassured by Death by the Book. The plot line and mystery were about as good as the first one, and the person behind the murders was quite shocking. The storyline also pointed out the importance of trusting one another and not allowing un-forgiveness to turn to bitterness by ignoring it. I enjoyed learning more about Drew and Madeline in this novel as their relationship deepened and as they discovered more about one another. Madeline's Aunt Ruth was a great addition to the story because she was different than from both main characters and acted both as comic relief and a supposed foil to their relationship. Overall, I found this novel to be an exciting and entertaining mystery that I enjoyed reading.
I received this novel for free from Bethany House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
No comments:
Post a Comment