Summary: Dead on Dartmoor (Devon Mysteries #2) by Stephanie Austin
On the day Juno Browne's van goes up in flames and nearly cooks a dog, Juno meets James Westershall, owner of Moorworthy Chase, a large family estate. She is invited, along with her friends from Old Nick's, to bring along their goods for sale to an upcoming garden fete. Included in the invitation is the newest and most irritating member of the Old Nick's team, Gavin. During the fete Gavin wanders off and is later discovered dead in nearby woods, apparently the victim of a bizarre accident. A police investigation ensues, but results are inconclusive and Juno has a theory of her own. As she begins to investigate, she discovers that Gavin's is not the only strange death to have occurred at Moorworthy Chase, including that of an expert, researching colonies of rare bats in caves on the Moorworthy Estate. It soon becomes clear to Juno that there is something very wrong at Moorworthy and the caves contain a dark and dangerous secret (from Goodreads).
Book Review of Dead on Dartmoor
At the traditional autumn fate, old books’ salesman
Gavin Hall is found dead on the Westershall estate woodlands pierced with his
newly purchased sword. Antique shop owner Juno Browne finds the body and soon uncovers
the victim’s secret and gets too close to some very dangerous people and
activity.
Dead on Dartmoor is the second book in The Devon Mysteries series by Stephanie Austin, published by Allison & Busby. The story is set in present day tourist town Ashburton close to Dartmoor. We get to follow Juno Brown as she takes part in the traditional autumn fate on Westershall estate when old books’ salesman Gavin is found dead. There seems to be a cover-up going on at the estate and also ties to environmental interests trying to protect an endangered species of bats living in the caves of the estate.
Main character Juno Browne is the owner of local dog walking -and
domestic help business. She seems reminds me of a Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple
as she seems a magnet for dead bodies. I find her courageous and impressive.
When she gets close to danger, she does not back down.
Supporting characters Ricky and Morris are the kind and
generous, slightly eccentric gay couple running the costume design business
Sauce and Slander. They have an amusing interaction among themselves and with
others and seem the kind of friends one could wish for. They were my
favorite characters of this story.
Dead on Dartmoor is
a quick and entertaining read about country living with entertaining dialogue
which reminds me of the Chick Lit genre, only this plot has a creepy vibe. I
found the characters of this story very entertaining. I particularly enjoyed the
suspicious ones, and the dialogue during the less intense parts of the story was
light hearted and amusing.
My favorite part of this story was the great
descriptions of local nature and scenery around Ashburton. I really enjoyed the
parts describing English village life where neighbors and friends enjoyed each
other’s company in their day to day living and were helping and supporting each
other through tough times.
The least favorite part I found was the heart breaking
descriptions of Oliver Knollys’ life. He had managed to stay under the radar of
social services for a year. I felt so sorry for really talented and intelligent
Olly who was living on his own for a year following his great-grandmother death.
For fear of being found out he was totally isolating himself.
Conclusion: I read Dead on Dartmoor as a standalone which worked perfectly. It is the quick and entertaining read
about village life, an exciting murder investigation and mysterious cover-up on
old local estate mining caves. This is the first I have read by this author and
I wonder what the next installment in the series will be about. Similar authors
to explore might be Lucy Foley or Rebecca Tope.
Thank you
to my local library, Kristiansand Folkebibliotek, for providing me with this
hardcover edition which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All
opinions are my own.
Rating: 4 stars / 5
Main reasons: interesting plot, enjoyable atmosphere, great writing
Get your copy here:
Book Details
Print Length: 352 pages
Publisher: Allison & Busby (October 24, 2019)Publication Date: October 24, 2019
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07RLHQCBH
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