"A Deed of Dreadful Note" by Patricia Meredith

Not only is this a rousingly good mystery in its own right, but this book has made me aware of a classic mystery author I can't wait to try:  Anna Katharine Green.  I've done a bit of looking into her and her books, thanks to this one, and I expect to try her mysteries soon!

A Deed of Dreadful Note is a fictional account of how Anna Katharine Green could possibly have gotten her ideas for the first mystery she ever wrote, The Leavenworth Case.  Anna's father is a lawyer who represents a young woman suspected of killing her wealthy uncle.  Anna befriends the young woman and tries to help her father and a private investigator named Sokol learn the truth about the murder so that her new friend can go free.

Not gonna lie: Sokol was my favorite character in this.  He's abundantly intelligent, socially awkward, afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis, and possessed of unsuspected kindness and charm.  I fell for him quite quickly.  The fact that Meredith created him as someone that Green could have used as inspiration for her first detective really has me wanting to try The Leavenworth Case!  

But that's not to say that Anna herself wasn't an awesome character.  I liked her a lot, and I am glad to see this is the first in a planned series because I would love to spend more time in her company.

Meredith has an easy, conversational style, and reading this book was a delight.  I actually read an advance copy of it, but when it releases on May 30, I plan to order a paperback copy for my shelves because I liked it that much.  And you can bet I'll be reading more by Meredith in the future!

I was given an advance copy of this book by the publisher, but I was not required to write a review.  All thoughts and gushing are my own true opinions.

Particularly Good Bits:

"The bloom upon a handsome sister's cheek will fade with the roses of departed summer.  But a woman who trains the mind builds up an endless storehouse of wealth from which she can produce treasures for her own enjoyment, as well as those about her."

Why is it that the only way for God to teach us patience is by throwing us into situations where we must practice exactly that?

Sokol might say he wanted to know my thoughts, but I knew he didn't mean it.  No one ever really wanted to know what another person was thinking.  There was a reason why God had given us mouthpieces that opened and closed.

"Let God handle the 'ifs.'  He's had more practice."

If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: PG for a couple of murders that are not depicted in a gory way, but which are also not glossed over.  There is one mild cuss word.  No smut or on-page violence.