"Murder on the Moor" by Julianna Deering

I've done it!  I've finished all six Drew Farthering Mysteries by Julianna Deering!  I read them all out of order, but now I've read them all.  Huzzah!  I look forward to rereading them one day in the proper order.

I liked this one tons, especially because it kept giving little nods to The Hound of the Baskervilles, one of my favorite books ever.  It even had a massive dog living out on the moor, but not a spectral hound or anything.  And Drew and Nick took aliases from that book sometimes, which was especially amusing.

The book centers around a friend of Drew's from his schoolboy days who's recently married a beautiful woman and moved out to his family's ancestral home by the moor.  It's got a few shades of Rebecca here and there too, but nothing super tragic or awful like what happens in that book.  And there's a handsome, ascerbic Welshman around too, so there are hints of Wuthering Heights too.

Anyway!  The vicar at the little town nearby gets murdered.  Who would want to hurt him, and why?  Also, there are mysterious fires out on the moor, sheep get killed in weird ways, and there are altogether too many odd things going on for anyone to ignore.  Drew and Madeline arrive to help the local police untangle the mysteries, staying with Drew's friend and his new bride, and tensions on all sides keep the amateur detectives plenty busy!

Particularly Good Bits:

Drew shrugged.  "There are always strange happenings on moors, aren't there?  Half the books written in England wouldn't exist if it weren't for that" (p. 87).

If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It:  PG-13 for violence, danger, and polite implications that someone's wife might be having an extra-marital affair.

This is my 15th book read and reviewed for the Mount TBR 2019 reading challenge.  Don't think I'll make my goal of 24, but oh well.

"Murder at the Mikado" by Julianna Deering

I have mixed feelings about this one.  I had a great time reading it because of all the stuff about Gilbert and Sullivan productions, but the mystery itself dragged in places, and I got very, very frustrated with Madeline all through the book.  So it's probably my least-favorite Drew Farthering Mystery so far.

Drew and Madeline are putting the finishing touches on their wedding plans when a woman from Drew's past shows up and asks him to clear her of the suspicion of murder.  We learn lots of stuff about Drew's past, which is cool.

The reason I enjoyed all the stuff about the Gilbert and Sullivan productions is that I was in three of their light operas when I was in college!  I was only in the chorus, never one of the named characters, but it was incredibly fun.  So when I took a Bookstagram photo of this book, I hauled out my scores to serve as a backdrop :-)

Particularly Good Bits:

Life was fleeting and unsure, how well she knew that just now, but she couldn't be afraid to live it.  She couldn't be afraid to take those blessings God had sent her (p. 314).

If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It:  PG-13 for non-racy discussions of a young man spending one night with a woman he's not married to, discussions of children conceived out of wedlock, mild kissing scenes, and non-gory scenes of dead bodies.

This is my 5th book read and reviewed for the Mount TBR Challenge this year.  

"Death by the Book" by Julianna Deering

The more Drew Farthering Mysteries I read, the better I like them!  I've been reading them all out of order, but it hasn't mattered, as each one has been fun in and of themselves.  And I have enough practice reading book series that I can add to the timeline in my head a little helter-skelter, as needed.

In Death by the Book, Drew Farthering, his girlfriend Madeline, and his pal Nick Dennison must solve a series of seemingly random murders.  Each murder draws closer and closer to Drew himself, which is worrisome.  Also, Madeline's Aunt Ruth arrives from America, determined to separate Madeline and Drew for good.  Toss in a lot of cryptic messages left at the murder scenes and Inspector Birdsong being his usual gruff self, and you have a charming entry into the series.

(From my Instagram)

If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It:  PG-13 for violence, danger, kissing, and Aunt Ruth implying that Drew is trying to steal Madeline's virtue, as it were.

This is my 15th book read and reviewed for the Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2018!

"Death at Thorburn Hall" by Julianna Deering

Even though I've been reading them all out of order, I am thoroughly enjoying this series.  Drew Farthering is a likable, believable gentleman.  I really enjoy spending time with him, his wife Madeline, his best friend Nick Dennison, and Madeline's friend Carrie.  They're sweet, fun, kind people, and I like them.

In this sixth book of the series, the four of them are invited to Thorburn Hall, home of Drew's cousin, Lady Louisa Rainsby, and her family.  They're all going to enjoy watching a local golf tournament, along with a few more house guests.  But then, as you might have guessed by the book's title, someone dies.  The police make a hasty arrest, but Drew and Nick are convinced the killer is still free.

This is a bit different from the other Drew Farthering books I've read in that it involves a wider world than just England and the United States.  There's a bit of political intrigue and spying involved here -- this takes place between the world wars, and Germany has come under the leadership of Adolf Hitler.  Various people's thoughts and beliefs about Hitler's ideas get tangled up in the mystery, and I'm pretty sure that future books will continue exploring the gradual slide toward World War II.

Oh, and the recurring theme of cats continues, with a new kitten arriving on the scene partway through the adventure.

As always, there are elements of the characters' Christian faith woven throughout the story, though I found them a bit sparser here than in Rules of Murder or Dressed for Death.

(From my Bookstagramming adventures.)

Particularly Good Bits:

"At some point we have to trust God with our lives, don't we?  Otherwise we spend our days huddled in a corner afraid to take a step outside.  But what a weaste that is when there's so much we're meant to do with the time He's given us" (p. 324).

If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: a soft PG-13 for violence, dangerous situations, innuendo about a married woman being unfaithful, cigarette smoking, and some mild kissing. No bad language.

This is my 11th book read and reviewed for the Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2018.

"Rules of Murder" by Julianna Deering

Remember when I read Dressed for Death for the INSPYs and loved it?  And I said I intended to read the previous books in the series?  Well, I've now read the first book, and I am definitely a fan!

Rules of Murder introduces Drew Farthering, a wealthy British man of marriageable age with a fondness for mystery books.  He and his best friend Nick return to Farthering Place, which is home to both of them -- Drew inherited it from his father, and Nick's father is the butler, but the boys grew up together and are great pals.  Drew's mother and stepfather are throwing a big party, during which Drew meets his stepfather's American niece, Madeline Parker.  And also during this party, someone gets shot.  In the face.  Rather reminiscent of Vera Caspary's Laura in that way.

More people die.  Drew and Nick decide to try to follow a list of advice from their favorite mystery author and figure out who the murderer is.  They are both an aid and an impediment to the official police investigator, one Inspector Birdsong, who is alternately amused and annoyed by them.

Also, Drew and Madeline find themselves mutually attracted to each other.  Drew thinks it's love, Madeline thinks it's too soon to tell, and I was very pleased by how well the author avoided the usual "insta-love" traps and pitfalls.

Then there's the fact that Madeline is a practicing Christian.  Drew kind of is for most of the book -- he believes more than he doesn't believe, sort-of.  So the story also involves him beginning to wonder if faith in God should involve more than just going to church now and then, if you should be living your life in a way that reflects your faith.

All in all, a fun first book in what promises to be an enjoyable series!

If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It:  a soft PG-13 for violence, dangerous situations, innuendo about a married woman being unfaithful, and some mild kissing.  No bad language.  On my #RebelliousWriting reading list it goes!

"Dressed for Death" by Julianna Deering

I've been wanting to read Julianna Deering's mysteries starring Drew Farthering for several years now, but I've just never gotten around to them.  And now I've read the fourth book in the series first, which is a bit topsy-turvy, but I fully intend to go read the first three books soon.  Possibly later this summer, as this was a fast and enjoyable read.

Drew Farthering and his wife Madeline attend a house party at the home of one of Drew's old classmates, Tal Cummins.  A week-long house party with a Regency theme, so they have to dress and behave like they're in a Jane Austen novel for a week, basically.  That's all well and good, but when another guest dies, secrets get revealed that change the lives of many people there, and Drew finds he can't necessarily save the day for everyone there.  

Also, there's a kitten.

This was such a fun mystery!  Yes, there was death and ruin and so on, but it never got ugly or terribly sinister.  Definitely not creepy.  And the Christian faith of the main characters was integral to the story, not an afterthought, but woven very naturally into it, the way real faith permeates the life of non-fictional Christians.  I especially appreciated the way the theme of Christian vocation was discussed several times -- Drew questioned whether he ought to be trying to solve mysteries, or if perhaps he needs to give that up, and so on.  Very nicely done, and something I ponder myself a lot.  I'm a wife and mother -- but I'm also a writer.  How much time and energy should I be putting into my writing right now?  How much can I do without it detracting from my family calling?  And so on.  In fact, you'll see below that my two favorite lines from the whole book dealt with this issue.

I really cannot wait to read more of this series. 

Particularly Good Bits: 

"Doing what you're made to do the best you can do it, even if it's not the usual thing, glorifies God more than pushing yourself into a role you're not suited for" (p. 105).

"Don't let anyone despise the gifts you've been given, and don't you do so, either.  They may not fit anyone else's idea of a calling, but the world has all sorts of needs, and God has provided for each of them to be filled, if we all do our part.  It would be a shame if your part were left undone" (p. 303).

If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It:  a soft PG-13 for violence, drug use, and dangerous situations.  No bad language or innuendo at all.  People kiss several times.

Note:  I received a copy of this book from the publisher for me to read while judging the INSPY awards.  In no way did I agree to review this book in exchange.  These are my honest opinions.