It’s the summer
of 1932, and young Drew Farthering is focused on one thing – getting the beautiful
American Madeline Parker to accept his proposal of marriage. She’s in love with
him, but she isn’t quite ready to say yes. Nevertheless, Drew is having his
will changed in Madeline’s favor, and is scheduled to meet with his lawyer.
Except the
meeting never happens. The lawyer is found murdered, with an odd note stuck to
his chest with a hairpin. The note, written in a beautiful cursive handwriting
on parchment paper, doesn’t seem to make much sense.
And then a
doctor is killed on a golf course belonging to Drew’s country club. And a note
is found pinned to his chest; same handwriting and paper but a different
inscription. And then there’s a third murder.
Something is clearly
awry in the village of Farthering St. John. And the murders are getting closer
and closer to Drew himself.
 |
| Julianna Deering |
Death
by the Book is
Julianna Deering’s second novel in the Drew Fathering mystery series. Published
in 2014, the stories are set in 1930s England – and they are meant to remind us
of the Golden Age of Mystery (the 1920s and 1930s). Deering’s stories have the
slight twist of also having references to faith. Others in the series include Rules
of Murder, Murder
at the Mikado, Dressed
for Death, and Murder
on the Moor. A sixth novel, Death
at Thorburn Hall, is scheduled for publication in November.
With the help of
his friend Nick Dennison, Drew begins to unravel the series of crimes. Madeline
plays a somewhat smaller role than she did in the first novel; and she’s almost
upstaged by a wonderfully domineering aunt who arrives from America to keep her
niece out of the clutches of “those foreigners” like Drew.
Death by the Book is an intriguing mystery, and kudos to
Deering for writing a story true to the Golden Age period.
Related:
Top photograph by Petr Kratochvil via Public
Domain Pictures. Used with permission.
Glynn, all your recommendations have me building a wish list that would break the bank, especially with Danny retiring at the end of the month. Lol! This sounds like a fascinating read, though, and have marked it as such. Blessings!
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