'A wounded solider and a rector's daughter discover strange goings-on in the sleepy village of Kurland St. Mary in Catherine Lloyd's charming Regency-set mystery debut...
Major Robert Kurland has returned to the quiet vistas of his village home to recuperate from the horrors of Waterloo. However injured his body may be, his mind is as active as ever. Too active, perhaps. When he glimpses a shadowy figure from his bedroom window struggling with a heavy load, the tranquil facade of the village begins to loom sinister...
Unable to forget the incident, Robert confides in his childhood friend, Miss Lucy Harrington. As the dutiful daughter of the widowed rector, following up on the major's suspicions offers a welcome diversion--but soon presents real danger. Someone is intent on stopping their investigation. And in a place where no one locks their doors, a series of thefts and the disappearance of two young serving girls demands explanation...
As Robert grapples with his difficult recovery, he and Lucy try to unearth the dark truth lurking within the village shadows, and stop a killer waiting to strike again...'
My thoughts:
I absolutely love cozy quaint English mysteries and this book was such a book. I loved the small village of Kurland St. Mary and the eccentric Major Kurland and devoted Lucy Harrington. These characters really made this book and I thought that it was a great debut to a new cozy mystery series. I like the author's writing style and was a little surprised by the ending. That is always a plus when it comes to a mystery. The only thing that was a little different about this one is that the murder is discovered towards the end of the book. There is the suspicion of the murder, but no confirmation until later in the book, almost towards the end. It was a little odd, but really didn't take anything away from the overall storyline.
Lucy Harrington is the local rector's daughter. Her mother has passed away and her father has come to rely heavily on her for the managing of the household. Lucy is tired of not being able to discover life and become a wife and being tied down to the rectory. So when Major Kurland describes something he seen in the dark of the night, she decides that she will investigate. Soon she learns of two missing serving girls and a string of thefts that keep occurring in the village. She is determined to discover the secrets and learn what is going on in her beloved village with the help of the moody Major Kurland.
I thought that this book was a light and fun read. I enjoyed this one a lot and see myself continuing with this series. I love the fact that this book takes place in England, in a small village and is set in the Regency-era. I absolutely adore historical themed cozies and this one was no different. If you are looking for something fun and different, then this is a series you should definitely check into.
Overall Rating: 4
Title: Death Comes to the Village
Author: Catherine Lloyd
Series: Kurland St. Mary Mystery #1
Publisher: Kensington
Publication Date: November 26, 2013
Pages: 288
Genre: Historical Mystery
Get It: Amazon; Barnes & Noble
Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for my honest review. I reviewed this book without compensation of any kind. All thoughts and opinions are solely mine.