A copy of Vanessa Kelly‘s Murder in Highbury showed up in the mail one day from Between the Chapters. I think I must have won it, but I was never quite sure how. LOL
Less than one year into her marriage to respected magistrate George Knightley, Emma has grown unusually content in her newfound partnership and refreshed sense of independence. The height of summer sees the former Miss Woodhouse gracefully balancing the meticulous management of her elegant family estate and a flurry of social engagements, with few worries apart from her beloved father’s health . . .
But cheery circumstances change in an instant when Emma and Harriet Martin, now the wife of one of Mr. Knightley’s tenant farmers, discover a hideous shock at the local church. The corpse of Mrs. Augusta Elton, the vicar’s wife, has been discarded on the altar steps—the ornate necklace she often wore stripped from her neck . . .
As a chilling murder mystery blooms and chaos descends upon the tranquil village of Highbury, the question isn’t simply who committed the crime, but who wasn’t secretly wishing for the unpleasant woman’s demise. When suspicions suddenly fall on a harmless local, Emma—armed with wit, unwavering determination, and extensive social connections—realizes she must discreetly navigate an investigation of her own to protect the innocent and expose the ruthless culprit hiding in plain sight.
Meh. This was okay, but I was bored with a lot of it, especially in the beginning, which I found really repetitive. Things happen, and then the reader sits through the event being relayed several times. Plus, I guessed the murderer quite early. What saved this from being a total flop for me was the interactions between Emma and George. It’s very sweet. And though the book’s romance is closed-door, I found it endearing that the reader is in on the closing of that door. All in all, this isn’t a real winner for me, but it’s not horrid either.
Other Reviews:
Reading is My Superpower: Book Review Murder in Highbury