Looking for that next great mystery series? I found it for you:) Coming from one of the smaller publishers, be sure to search your indie bookstore and ask to have it on shelves as this story is worth every penny. Debut author Edwin Hill has created a spectacular main character: Hester Thursby, librarian and private investigator on the side, a fireball of a 4'9" woman, lives with a man she refuses to marry, foster mom to her best friend's daughter. The mystery begins with a search for two young men who disappeared a decade ago. Ultimately, the story involves identity theft, sex trafficking, high society, codependent friendships, military PTSD, and murder, all while little Hester Thursby sticks her nose into everybody's business. The characters are incredibly well-drawn, with both admirable and frustrating traits, as well as some seriously baaaaad people who need their comeuppance. And let's face it, I'm a sucker for beautiful syntax and this man can write! I absolutely loved this book, could not put it down, and cannot wait for the second installment.

It is amazing such an accomplished thriller with multiple plot lines was written by a debut author. Kudos to Edwin Hill for the marvelous PI/thriller/family drama, Little Comfort!

Hester lives in a separate apartment in the same building as her boyfriend Morgan. Morgan’s twin sister, Daphne, and her three-year-old Kate live in the third apartment. Daphne leaves Kate alone in Morgan’s apartment with a note stating she would return in an hour. Three months later, Daphne is still missing. Hester has taken on primary caregiving activities for Kate forcing her to take a leave of absence from her job as a librarian at Harvard. When she gets a new client in her private missing person service, she begins investigating her client’s missing brother, Sam.

Sam disappeared 12 years ago when only 15 with his best friend, foster child Gabe. The only clue are bi-monthly homemade postcards of locations around the US. All include cryptic movie quotes.

What begins as a simple missing person case quickly escalates into a deadly cat and mouse hunt. Little Comfort ratchets up the reader’s dread with parallel storylines from five points of view.

This book approaches a familiar plot from a different perspective. As the characters’ motivations are reluctantly drawn out even originally unsympathetic characters make the reader empathize with the choices they made. Little Comfort is highly recommended as an emotion-riddled original reworking of the thriller genre. 5 stars!

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

Wow, wow, wow! I have been looking for a good thriller for awhile and I finally found it. I'm not going to give anything away. I'm just going to say read it. You will be happy you did. I was pleased to find out this was the first in a series. I will definitely be reading the next ones. Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a digital galley of this novel.

This novel kept me guessing for quite a long time regarding which type of thriller I was going to find. As the story began to unfold I was intrigued by what purpose some of the characters had in the plot and that information was given to me by the author in such a good way that I continued to want to read the story. I will usually chose not to read a book that features too much family and especially kid time because I don't like to read about families involved in murder cases. This story didn't do anything to change my feelings along those lines, but it is very well written and I liked watching the development of the critical situations Hester Thursby ultimately found herself in. One thing I really enjoyed was how the author made Hester such a believable person by making her childhood have some similarities to the criminals and yet her life went in such a different direction.

This is the first book in a new series and the author has gathered a group of characters who have enough personality to carry a series over multiple books. If you are searching for a new, fresh mystery series to begin reading, this might be just right for you.

This started off rather confusing to me. Hester is best friends with Daphne who has a twin named Morgan and they all live together with Daphne's 3-year-old daughter. Then it skips to Hester sleeping with Morgan who at this point I didn't know whether Morgan was a girl or a boy - only that Daphne is the twin. So a bit of clarification in the next pages - Morgan is male and evidently Hester's boyfriend; even though Morgan is the uncle to the 3-year-old, it's Hester who ends up responsible for taking care of her when flighty Daphne takes off. I thought it was strange since Hester's "business" is finding people, that she and Morgan evidently haven't tried to find Daphne in the 3 months she's been gone, Morgan doesn't seem concerned about finding his twin (why should he? - he has Hester doing all the work). Once I had all the characters straightened out, I focused on the story. It was pretty interesting and the writing is decent. I never really connected with Hester, though, or found her to be especially credible as a sleuth.

It's an easy-going book that's good for a debut novel and I'll be interested to see how future books in the series do.

Hester Thursby may be small in stature, but she’s big on moxie! When she’s not working at Harvard’s Widener library, she’s a people-finder and she’s working a case for Lila who is searching for her long-lost brother. But how easy can it be to find a missing person (or a person in hiding) with not only a long-eared basset hound in tow, but also her new charge – three-year-old Kate, the little girl who was practically abandoned by her mother. Eventually, this case becomes more than expected when Hester makes a new acquaintance who suddenly becomes her biggest fan.

The story is well paced, had a great setup for both a mystery and a thriller, and great character development for the most part. There were a few stereotypical assumptions that grated, but Hill called them out himself. My only lasting gripe is that Hester’s character didn’t seem consistent throughout. She came off as a bit wishy-washy, behaving in ways contrary to the confident, dauntless personality we are initially introduced to.

Little Comfort is the first in a series with a second Hester Thursby mystery expected in 2019. After this mystery with its unconventional, feisty protagonist and its unexpectedly twisted reveal, I’d be down to read more about Hester’s adventures.

This book actually takes place in my town and nearby my own library. the writing is decent, nothing amazing.

This novel by Edwin Hill is full of life's real moments of fun, fear, loneliness, anxiety, and suspense. Hester Thursby, a Harvard librarian, is left taking care of her best friend's daughter, Katie. She has never had any desire to have children or even be around them, but they soon grow close, along with Morgan who is Hester's love interest (the jury is still out on their status future status).
A missing person's case falls into Hester's lap by a woman named Lila. She is looking for her brother, Sam, and his best friend, Gabe, who left Little Comfort, New Hampshire a long time ago. Lila has a collection of postcards she has received from Sam over the years, but that is all the information she can offer Hester.
It doesn't take too long for this novel to turn into a mix of the rich and elite of Boston with the likes of people who would like to take advantage of their money and connections. This is a twisty novel, so I won't say much more except consider this book for a good end of the summer read!
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this novel.

This book is a mess. Much of the book is written from the perspective of the two bad guys. Is the reader to feel sorry for this two because of their difficult childhoods? I sure didn't. The heroine didn't work for me either, as the fact she is a "little person" didn't seem real to me. The sense of place was off as I never could figure out where our heroine, her boyfriend, and the small child were located in the three story, three apartment house.

Hester Thursby finds missing people. Lila Blaine is looking for her brother, Sam, so she can sell their property, Little Comfort. He’s been gone 12 years and the only contact with Lila has been a series of self-made postcards.

This is not a traditional mystery. Hester finds Sam. Quickly. Little Comfort is a challenging read and somewhat disappointing for a reader with different expectations.

Hello, hello! Welcome to the last Wednesday of August. That means it’s time for another book review. This month, I’ll be looking at Edwin Hill’s debut novel, Little Comfort. It came out on August 28th. It’s a new cozy mystery series that I actually forgot I had requested from NetGalley until I received the approval notice. I must thank them and Kensington Books, the publisher, for sending me an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Without further ado, let’s get to it.

Little Comfort introduces us to Hester Thursby. She lives with her partner (but refuses to marry him) in Boston, though she maintains a separate apartment area above his for when she needs time alone. They have recently been saddled with taking care of his niece because his sister/Hester’s best friend took off. So, Hester took some time off work until they could find a new life rhythm. When things seem to be quieting down, a woman contacts Hester and asks her to track down the woman’s brother. Since finding people had been Hester’s side business for a while, she agreed. From there, things went very wrong.

This book was a little different from the cozies I’ve been reading because it shifted POVs. We start out with Hester (an interesting character), then jump to Sam, Gabe, and a couple of other characters (all interesting in their own right). The story shuffles back and forth around them. I, personally, like that method. I mean, following one character throughout the whole book as she figures out the crime is fine, but it wouldn’t have worked here. This way, we not only get to figure out what’s going on, but we get better insight into the minds of the bad people. The story isn’t really about whodunit, but how they ended up in that position and why they chose to do what they did. That’s why the rotating POV works here.

As far as the plot itself goes, there are plenty of twists and turns to keep it intriguing. My only complaint would be that the climax felt a little rushed. Normally, I’m all for a quick “end it while cutting off the villain’s monologue” type thing, but considering the person who actually ends it, I wanted more. More struggle, more explanation, more conniving on the bad guy’s part. I wanted the niece to have a bigger part because I didn’t believe the guy would just let her loose. That whole scene just felt too quick and easy. Granted, there’s some stuff after the climax that kind of makes up for it, but I expected a little more.

The writing was a little shaky at times. A lot of it was tight and pulled me along. But sometimes, especially in the beginning, there was a lot of focus on tits. Like, a lot. It was borderline comical/annoying. Don’t get me wrong, tits are great, but it felt like the author was overcompensating for something and I couldn’t decide what. Mostly, though, things either went along at a really nice pace or they went too fast.

Ultimately, I enjoyed Little Comfort enough that I’ll look for future Hester Thursby books. Hester was a great character and I’m interested to see what happens with the kid and the partner.

Overall, I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. My issues with the story weren’t big and could be attributed to the fact that it’s the first book. If you’re into these kinds of stories, give it a shot. However, I’d say if you’re legit sensitive to certain kinds of topics or just have a tendency to say things need “trigger warnings,” this book probably isn’t for you.

Little Comfort by Edwin Hill reminds of a box of Cracker Jacks. It has a little something for everyone along with a surprise waiting for you at the end.
4' 9-3/4", Hester Thursby, may be small in stature but she is a feisty force of nature. She is on leave from her full-time job as a Harvard Librarian. to take care of three year old Kate, the daughter of her wayward best friend, Daphne, and also the niece of her live-in boyfriend, Morgan.
Hester, not one to sit still and become June Cleaver, is also a part time sleuth/private detective. She is hired to find a woman's missing brother. This shouldn't be too hard or too dangerous, right?
But immediately from the very beginning, Hester realizes that there is more to this mystery than finding a lost sibling.
No longer a case of missing persons, impulsive yet determined, Hester, is now in the grips of mystery with a murdering psychopath. This is a thrilling ride from start to finish.
Edwin Hill has given us a new modern-day female detective. One that is real, determined, sometimes too headstrong, but the friend we all wish we had, in Hester.
I look forward to reading about more adventures of my new friend, Hester.
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. #netgalley #littlecomfort

Thanks to the publisher, Kensington Books, for lending me a digital ARC via Netgalley.

I picked this book on impulse, because I liked the idea of a librarian private detective, but it turns out that I’ve now found a brand-new favorite main character. Hester Thursby is 4’9”—whoops, make that 9-3/4” because it’s important to her—and it irritates her no end that people sometimes treat her like she’s a doll. She’s not angry about it, but she doesn’t let people demean her or treat her differently based on her size. She drives a big truck, she knows self-defense and she doesn’t let anything limit her. In a weird way, she made me think of Cormoran Strike in the series by J. K. Rowling (using her Robert Galbraith pseudonym).

I liked Hester so much right away that I wasn’t turned off when the plot introduces three-year-old Kate, the daughter of Kate’s best friend Daphne, who has left to find herself or something. Daphne is also the sister of Kate’s longtime boyfriend, Morgan. Hester, Morgan and Kate live in Morgan’s upscale floor-and-a-half apartment in a three-flat in Somerville, outside Boston. Morgan, a veterinarian, has asked Hester to marry him many times, but she hesitates to commit. And that’s why she has kept her little one-bedroom apartment on the third floor, where she retreats sometimes to watch old VHS horror movies and hang out with her basset hound, Waffles. Here’s the thing: I normally hate crime fiction with a bunch of domestic detail like that. But I didn’t hate it here. In fact, I liked it. Edwin Hill made it all seem so real, not cutesy or contrived.

So that’s your setup to the main character in this new series. Hester is on a bit of a leave because Daphne only took off a couple of months ago and she and Morgan wanted to be with Kate a lot to ease her into her new life. But this gives Hester time to do some of her missing-persons tracing work, so she accepts a new assignment from Lila Blaine, a woman living in New Hampshire who wants Hester to find Lila’s brother Sam, so that she can sell a lake property that they co-own. I won’t say much about how that works out, so as not to spoil the plot. I’ll just say that it’s one heck of a story, a real edge-of-your-seat thriller. Were there times when Hester did things that I thought were, shall we say, not well-thought-out? Yes, but not in the too-stupid-to-live category; not enough for me to be annoyed at her.

There is something more than the appeal of the main character and the thriller story, though, that elevates this book and makes it a five-star read for me—and I don’t give a lot of five-star ratings. There are at least a couple of dozen little moments and observations in the book that strike so true, like the descriptions of the way Hester resents and loves her domestic responsibilities at the same time. There are many scenes of Edwin Hill getting into the heads of various characters and it’s amazing the way he makes you see things from that person’s point of view, even when that person has committed terrible acts. This guy is an excellent writer, he’s developed a fresh and appealing new character, and I hope he has all the success with this book (and series) that he deserves.

Hester Thursby looks petite, but there is nothing small about her. In courage, tenacity and observational skills she is head and shoulders above so many others. Hester is on a brief leave from her job as a Harvard librarian so she can care for the niece of her boyfriend, Morgan. It seems Morgan’s sister Daphne, has left for an undetermined location and time. Coincidently, Hester, in her spare time enjoys mini-investigations. Just when you think locating the niece’s mom will be the main mystery, the author focuses on the real case.

Lila comes to Hester to help find her brother, Sam, who has disappeared from Holderness NH when he was a teen. She wants to sell some property and it involves him. Seems easy for Hester, who quickly comes across several leads.

Meanwhile, the author has introduced us to Sam and his friend Gabe who are now in Boston, Hester’s hometown. Sam and Gabe are not who they appear to be. Slowly a pattern arises. Secondary characters are also wonderfully depicted in all their idiosyncrasies. Hill gives all his characters back stories, which make them multi-faceted. For summer readers, enjoy the description of the Boston winter and rural Holderness.

Edwin Hill spins a tale of psychological suspense and murder. His characters are seriously flawed – all seeking a way out to newer, happier identities, at all costs. The closer Hester comes to discovering Sam (and Gabe) the more likely she is to fall into their web….endangering herself and all around her.

Edwin Hill’s writing comes to an intense boil in the last third of the book. Be prepared to abandon all tasks to race to the finish. Read this book now before the movie (oh, it will happen) appears. Highly entertaining, dramatic, suspenseful. Recommended. More of Ms. Thursby, please!

In a well though out debut set among Boston’s elite, Hill introduces unforgettable sleuth Hester Thursby. Well written and looking forward to more from Hester.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an advanced digital copy of Little Comfort by Edwin Hill, one of the best books I’ve read all year. As the book opens, you settle in, thinking the mystery and its solution is going to take place through the actions of a heroine who is an expert at using internet and other searches to resolve problems for her clients. The first characters you meet are drawn with just enough detail for you to get a glimpse of who they are, with hints about depths to come. Throughout the book, these characters continue to take more and more shape aa added details compliment those characteristics you’ve already drawn in your head.

Early on, the book morphs into the first of several shifts hinting that the entire story may be something quite different from what you were expecting. These metamorphoses continue throughout the book, adding to the storyline or to the characters, often in unpredictable ways. The result is you are continually drawn further into the book with an increasing reluctance to put it down, even for a short break. When you do put it down, you find yourself thinking about what you’ve read or wondering where the story is going to take you next, looking forward to your return.

To say this is much more than a simple missing person puzzle, or perhaps a simple murder mystery is an understatement. In the interest of letting future readers have the pleasure of experiencing the story as it unfolds, I am choosing not to give much information regarding the plot or its resolution. Suffice it to say the book is well written in every way with characters who are fully formed throughout the book and who continue to grow much in the same way your knowledge of the people you meet continues to grow as you spend more time with them and they reveal more of themselves than they did in an initial introduction.

The book is part psychological suspense, part heart-pounding action, part exploration of the human psyche and all of it a compelling read. Throughout the tale, the reader is made privy to different individuals experiences and how each person’s response to those experiences shapes them into the person they are at present. The theory that no one is all bad or all good is well represented by the book’s characters, although perhaps not in equal percentages. This makes for a more interesting approach to the ending of the book as the reader can approach the finale with at least a measure of doubt as to it’s resolution.

One piece of advice, start this book when you have some time to devote to the reading, It may well be one you don’t want to put down, and as such you may find yourself reading well into the night even when you have to get up to go to work the next morning.

Debut novels are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you'll get. With this book you'll get interesting characters and an enjoyable summer read. I definitely recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the chance to read and review.

Little Comfort is an enjoyable, quick reading mystery. We meet Hester Thursby, a woman with a tiny stature and less than ideal childhood, who has overcome her past to live a full life. Librarian by day, sleuth by night, she finds people when others either can't or have given up. When she is contracted to locate Sam Blaine - she gets much more than she bargained for. Not only is he easy to find and carrying some serious issues, he also has childhood friend Gabe in tow who is incredibly illustrated as a sociopath.
This book was well written, had excellent characterization and much depth. A definite great read.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC for an honest review. I enjoy detective novels and thought that this new female detective, Hester Thursby, is quite a colorful character. It was an easy book to get through however I found the writing to be erratic and some of the characters were not clearly developed for me or believable. The main character's best friend disappears and leaves her daughter behind and they don't even try to search for her even 3 months later? I found the ending to be a bit disappointing but don't want to give away any clues. I may read another Hester Thursby novel but this one was not one I loved.

Harvard Librarian Hester Thursby is sidelined when her boyfriend's sister Daphne, leaves her 3-year-old daughter on their doorstep and disappears. Hester has no idea what to do with a toddler and doesn't think this is something she would want to do full-time.

Her specialty is finding people. And an unexpected call from a woman in New Hampshire has her intrigued. With nothing but a name, Sam Blaine and his friend Gabe, along with a stack of postcards that seem to make no sense at all. 

Hester has no problem popping little Kate in the car and trying to figure out where Sam and his friend are based on the postcards. It takes her just a few days to find them and make contact. But why are they so threatened by her? And why do they keep changing their names?

Sam was a very charismatic character and Gabe follows his instructions to the letter, he is so afraid of being alone. But when Sam finds out that his sister has hired Hester just to find him, he decides that Hester is a threat to his life of scamming rich people and leaving a trail of bodies in his wake, but for the first time Gabe just may stand up to Sam for Hester.

This was a story of really awful child sexual abuse and the events that were set in motion one late night years ago and that now is coming to light.

Sam had sociopath written all over him and Gabe is just so emotionally damaged it was sad. The sister, Lila, is no angel either. 

Hester is a tiny package of dynamite! She may be impulsive and brave but now she has a child and it has definitely changed her outlook after she and Kate almost lose their lives.
Good Job, Mr. Hill!

Netgalley/ Kensington August 28, 2018