Murder, Sweet Murder

by Eleanor Kuhns

Overview

Will Rees accompanies his wife to Boston to help clear her estranged father's name in this gripping mystery set in the early nineteenth century. January, 1801. When Lydia's estranged father is accused of murder, Will Rees escorts her to Boston to uncover the truth. Marcus Farrell is believed to have murdered one of his workers, a boy from Jamaica where he owns a plantation. Marcus swears he's innocent. However, a scandal has been aroused by his refusal to answer questions and accusations he bribed officials. As Will and Lydia investigate, Marcus's brother, Julian, is shot and killed. This time, all fingers point towards James Morris, Lydia's brother. Is someone targeting the family? Were the family quarreling over the family businesses and someone lashed out? What's Marcus hiding and why won't he accept help? With the Farrell family falling apart and their reputation in tatters, Will and Lydia must solve the murders soon. But will they succeed before the murderer strikes again?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781448307326
Publisher:	Severn House
Publication date:	01/01/2022
Series:	A Will Rees Mystery , #11
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Eleanor Kuhns is the 2011 winner of the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel competition for A Simple Murder. The author of seven previous Will Rees mysteries, she is now a full-time writer after a successful career as the Assistant Director at the Goshen Public Library in Orange County, New York. www.eleanor-kuhns.com

Editorial Reviews

'Kuhns makes the most of having her lead operate in an unfamiliar setting en route to the satisfactory reveal. This series shows no sign of running out of steam'  – Publishers Weekly

'The ambience of early 1800s Boston makes for an interesting read’  – Kirkus Reviews

'Crisply drawn characters, combined with the immersive Boston setting, which beautifully delineates the life and times of the era, from the rich to the very poor, add up to a satisfying historical mystery’  – Booklist

'Plenty of interrogations, sleuthing, and complicated family secrets coming to life’  – The Historical Novels Review

'This sobering look at the cultural divide over slavery in the early days of the Republic deserves a wide audience. The intricate plot builds to a satisfying resolution'  – Publishers Weekly on Murder on Principal

'A complex mystery that focuses on the institutional racism still sadly ingrained in the nation’s psyche'    – Kirkus Reviews on Murder on Principal  

From the Publisher

2021-11-17
In 1801, two proven sleuths travel from Maine to Boston to solve several murders.

Weaver Will Rees and his wife, Lydia, have little to do with her wealthy family except for her half sister, Cordelia. When Lydia’s estranged father is accused of murdering a man in Boston, though, Cordelia begs them to come and prove him innocent. Although he hasn’t been charged, his family is shunned by society, ruining Cordelia’s marriage chances. Lydia is all too ready to suspect her father, but for Cordelia’s sake, she and Will make the journey to Boston. Lydia’s snobbish stepmother, Isabeau Farrell, looks down on Will and his family, but Lydia and Will still do their best to investigate the murder that Lydia’s father, Marcus, would prefer they ignore. For unknown reasons Marcus is trying to marry Cordelia off to his assistant, but she’s madly in love with a wealthy young man she sneaks out to meet. Marcus is estranged from his only son, James, who’s chosen to live with his uncle Julian. The young man who was killed had argued with Marcus, who insists their dispute was over wages, but Will finds out Marcus had cheated the man's family out of their Caribbean plantation. Will has faced moral dilemmas before, and the fact that much of Marcus’ wealth is built on sugar plantations worked by slaves makes it difficult for him to work up the appetite to defend him. Then Julian’s murder flushes more secrets out into the open.

Not many surprises, but the ambience of early 1800s Boston makes for an interesting read.

Kirkus Reviews