Death by the Book By Julianna Deering (BETHANY HOUSE)

It is 1932 in Farthering St. John, England. The quiet community is interrupted by a series of murders. Each murder is similar. There is a handwritten note pinned to the front of the bodies. On the note is a quote from a play. The note is pinned to the front of the body with a Victorian hat pin. The handwriting is always the same. Other than the similarites in the way the bodies are left, there is nothing else. Just very hard cases to solve. Between Inspector Birdsong and his unasked amateur sleuth, Drew and Madeleine, the love interest of Drew and a friend named Nick, these seem like unsolvable crimes. Finally, the wrong man, sweet Roger, ends up in a prison cell. Death by the Book by JULIANNA DEERING is wicked fun at its best. There is even a cantankerous aunt, Aunt Ruth, from America. She is related to Madeleine. There is also an American tourist, Freddie. This is not a Christian mystery which is sweetie pie and peaches. It's a mystery with Christian messages underlying the plot like Drew's calling on God's protection when he was in real danger. However the plot and characters are three dimensional. The Thirties come alive in this small village with the old man who rides his bike regularly and a time when every one knew their neighbors name, and people like Aunt Ruth weren't scared to speak their mind.

I look forward to reading more or all of Julianna Deering's Christian mysteries. By the way, I never did figure out whodunnit which is wonderful. I did learn the name of a new poison, Veronal. I am always use to seeing Laudanum and Arsenic in the classic mysteries from the past. I thoroughly enjoyed the romance between Drew and Madeleine. What a fine man! He's a great sleuth and a charmer.

I had a couple of problems. After Roger was put in jail,  he seemed to have gotten lost there. Did the author forget to go back and get him released? He was such a nice guy. Some characters you just knew couldn't have committed such horrible crimes. Since I love estates, I would have also liked to see descriptions of the estate: vintage pieces of art, busts, wallpaper, an antique table described. I didn't feel like I ever sat down in a room.  Thank goodness for Mr. Chambers. I do like a mystery with a cat or dog. Is it possible to have a good mystery without one of these furry dolls roaming around the estate or community? Loved it. juliannadeering

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