Styx and Stones
2 Stars

Daisy's brother-in-law, Lord John Frobisher, has been receiving nasty poison pen letters and requests Daisy's help in unmasking the writer.

Unfortunately, this series is losing steam.

The portrayal of the small English village filled with dark secrets, and petty squabbles is atmospheric and reminiscent of Agatha Christie and Midsomer Murders. Nevertheless, this cannot compensate for the lack of character development and the humdrum mystery.

The identity of the letter writer is easy to figure out primarily due to the prologue, but their motivations does not really make much sense. Why would a man who has lost his faith in God turn on his friends and neighbors with such viciousness?. Moreover, the revelation of the killer's identity is very stereotypical and clichéd.

Since the next installment has a new narrator, thankfully as Mia Chiaromonte is simply appalling, I will be giving the series one more try. If it does not improve, it will be quits for me. ( )

1920s, England, village, family, family-dynamics, friendship, historical-novel, historical-research, murder, murder-investigation, threats, law-enforcement, situational-humor, verbal-humor*****

What nitwit wrote the publisher's blurb? Daisy is not yet married to DCI Alex, and the *very large rock* that caused death was a marble winged angel atop a gravestone.
For those new to the series, the story can stand alone but will trigger curiosity. Daisy goes to the country at the behest of her brother-in-law who is distressed by some odd letters accusing him of misdeed. No blackmail asked for. Daisy does discover that others in the village have also received similar missives. Now comes the murder and her sleuthing has two goals! Good story.
I did find that I could tolerate the narrator by upping the speed a bit. ( )

A pleasant surprise -- set in the 1920s, the story focuses on a single woman, a writer, who stumbles over murders. This time, anonymous letters in a small village are the starting point. I like the way the story draws on particulars from that time period, incorporates the language, and, while humorous, still touches on such serious topics as the effect of WWI on the British population. ( )

These mysteries are always a quick and fun listen, and this one continues the tradition. I always enjoy the period setting and the main character's spunky personality. ( )

Entertaining mystery with good characterisation and satisfying period detail. ( )