|
[ Home ]
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
This story is set in rural New England in 1836. Josiah Beede has retreated from the demands of military and political life to run a farm, although his part-time legal practice is also more lucrative and time-consuming than he expected. His peaceful existence is disturbed when the dead body of a young woman is found on his farm. Contemporary distinctions between professional law enforcement and amateur sleuthing don't yet exist in this society. As a lawyer and a man of property Beede is obviously seen as having a certain status locally. Also, he has experience of dealing with things that is as good as any, as a former soldier. Stephen Huff, the local "constable" charged with some form of law enforcement is far from expert on what to do – he is just a local man holding a post which someone is elected or pushed into taking on annually. He asks Beede to help him. Another young woman, Alice Patterson, turns up asking after her friend and colleague Sharon Cudahy, and thus the name and identity of the dead girl are soon established, providing Beede a starting point for his investigation that takes him to travel around the area visiting the cotton mill Sharon worked in and the various people who might have had some link to her – mill owner, landlady, friends etc. Sharon was apparently distinguished from others by her religious background, Catholic not Protestant, her beauty and her lack of family in the area. A bit of an enigma in fact. The investigation unfolds at a slow pace, and as the clues are in Sharon's life Linsley has a chance to present us with lots of New England social history. I found this quite enjoyable and well presented, as it was convincingly integrated into narrative and dialogue. Even a look round the mill had its justification in the murder investigation. An interesting historical, of interest as much for the setting as for the mystery, which is plausibly constructed and well wrapped up, with a couple of twists, and I will look out for more in the series.
Reviewed by Luci Davin, February 2003
This book has more than one review. Click here to show all.
[ Top ]
QUICK SEARCH:
Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
[ Home ]
| 
