Hello Friends!
I hope you are all doing well this lovely Tuesday. I’m working today on some reviews that I will be posting this week, so I will be freer to working on some writing.
And I do have reviews to share with you all today, including this one.
“Death Comes to Dartmoor“, written by Vivian Conroy, is a Historical Mystery novel, the second book in the A Merriweather and Royston Mystery series. Published August 13th 2019 by Crooked Lane Books.
I received a complimentary copy of this book thanks to Vivian Conroy and Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Synopsis
The mist-shrouded moors of Devon proffer a trove of delights for two vacationing zoologists–but also conceal a hoard of dark secrets reaching down to the fathomless depths of the ocean.
Miss Merula Merriweather barely saved her uncle from the gallows after he was wrongly accused of murder–and now, she’s left the bustle of Victorian London to recuperate in the fresh air of Dartmoor with her fellow zoologist, Lord Raven Royston. The trip offers a unique treat, as they’ll be staying with a friend of Raven’s, who owns a collection of rare zoological specimens–including a kraken, a sea monster of myth and legend.
But all is not right in the land of tors, heaths, and mist. Their host’s maid has vanished without a trace, and the townspeople hold him responsible, claiming that his specimens are alive and roam the moors at night, bringing death to anyone who crosses their path. Merula and Raven are skeptical–but the accusations become more ominous when they find several specimen jars empty.
As the two hunt for clues across a desolate and beautiful landscape, a stranger appears bearing a shadowy secret from Merula’s past. Could there be a connection between her family history, the missing girl, and a fearsome monster that could be on the loose? The race is on to find the truth.
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My Review
This is the second book in the series and I had the opportunity of reading book one a while back and I was quite interested in knowing what else would happen to Merula Merriweather in this new novel.
Merula was quite a brilliantly written character from the very beginning, I loved her attitude and defiance. And following her in this new mystery was an intriguing adventure. I do wish there were some more development in terms of the relationships with other characters, but I assume in the future that may happen. Who knows?
Nevertheless, despite a couple of “Come on!” moments, she’s still a fun character. And the new characters that are introduced are interesting as well, and I did wonder a couple of times about some of them and the interactions with Merula.
Another point I like in this series is the connection with nature, that was something I liked in the previous story and I’m glad it continue to exist in this one, because it’s part of the main character’s essence, and something I found unique.
The storyline was a bit different from book one because of course it had new secrets and questions for us to find out about, but still the plot was fun to read about and uncovering the truth is not always easy. I was asking and theorizing while reading, which is always good because it means I’m very curious about what’s going on.
Overall, I enjoyed it and the murder mystery, with enough drama, but comparing this one with the previous one, I enjoyed “The Butterfly Conspiracy” a lot more. Than been said, that doesn’t mean I didn’t liked “Death Comes to Dartmoor”, I did and I am curious to see what other mysteries is Merula going to end up in, because I know there is lot of potential for more novels.
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Love,
Jess
Jess Bookish Life 