Publisher's Weekly Review
Hyde's evocative fifth Crime with Classics mystery (after 2019's Death with Dostoevsky) takes former literature professor Emily Cavanaugh and her new husband, Sheriff Luke Richardson, of Stony Beach, Ore., to a B&B on a grand English estate for a monthlong honeymoon. Their hosts, Sir James Fitzhugh and his American wife, Allison, have instituted several moneymaking schemes to contribute to the estate's upkeep, of which the B&B is one. The hosts are keeping James's extremely traditional grandmother, Lady Margaret, who was horrified that her darling grandson married an American, in the dark about such changes, as they know she would never approve. James and Allison are striving to live authentic lives, and Lady Margaret is desperate to maintain the family's position and keep up appearances. When a shocking murder occurs on the estate, Lady Margaret insists Allison is to blame, and Emily and Luke are thrust into the whodunit equivalent of an E.M. Forster novel. Literary references galore and plenty of chilling English manor house atmosphere more than make up for what amounts to not much of a mystery. Hyde knows how to hook the reader. Agent: Kimberley Cameron, Kimberley Cameron Assoc. (July)
Kirkus Review
"I'm counting on this being a corpse-free honeymoon," Lt. Sheriff Luke Richards tells his bride, the former Emily Cavanaugh. As if. The happy couple have distanced themselves from Oregon, the scene of their earlier mildly criminal adventures. They've booked a month's stay in England at Fitzhugh Manor, near Binsey, a village within shouting distance of Oxford. In fact, they're the very first paying guests to enjoy the hospitality of Sir James Fitzhugh and his American wife, Allison. Of course there are ripples in the pond. James' grandmother, Lady Margaret Fitzhugh, is in such denial about her grandson's decision to turn the manor into a guesthouse that Allison asks Emily and Luke to introduce themselves to the dragon as her friends. When Allison, who's excited about the fact that she and James have hired her ex-fiance, architect Adam Marshall, to design a housing development they plan to build on the estate, shares the news of her pregnancy with Emily, her happiness reminds her confidante painfully of the long-ago miscarriage that ended her own dreams of bearing children. And Penelope "Bunty" Fitzhugh, the distant cousin James never married, is clearly having it on with Conan O'Donnell, her partner in the Fitzhugh Stables, even though Lady Margaret regards him as a member of a distinctly lesser species. When a horseback riding accident begins to look like murder, Emily and Luke figure that they'd better solve it posthaste in order to reestablish peace in the family. Blink and you'll miss the reference to E.M. Forster, which is just as well, since it gives far too much away. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Oregonians Emily and Luke Cavanaugh set off on the trip of a lifetime: a honeymoon in England. Emily, a retired professor, is fascinated by the UK. Law officer Luke isn't as enamored, but he doesn't really care where they go as long as he's with Emily. They've booked into Fitzhugh Manor, a grand country house near Oxford. On arrival, they're delighted with both their accommodations and their genial and enthusiastic hosts, Allison and James. Also living there are James' slightly batty Uncle Roger and James' mother, the formidable Lady Margaret, who seems angry that the newlyweds are staying. Nonetheless, they're determined to enjoy their visit, but a few days later, a terrible tragedy occurs. At first it appears to be an accident, but, as details emerge, Emily and Luke begin to think there's more to it. As a lawman, Luke has to investigate, and when he and Emily eventually discover the truth, it is as heartbreaking as it is shocking. This engaging British cozy "with a twist" features likable characters, appealing descriptions of England, a meaty mystery, and a satisfying conclusion.
