The storyline of the book is a solid one and the plot had lots of promise. Unfortunately the character development and interactions of the characters let the plot down. The characters do not interact or communicate with each other, rather they have rambling dialog at one another that doesn't always make coherent sense. I struggled to finish this book as it just didn't hold my attention as it rambled from one country to the next and back again. I often had to go back and reread sections as I felt I had missed an important clue or interaction to get the characters to the next point, but the logical steps were just not there. If you look at the individual characters such as Emily and Will, they were quite likable, but again the interaction between them was stilted and did not flow naturally.

The Secluded Village Murders
By: Shelly Frome
Boutique of Quality Books
Publication Date: September 01, 2018
2 Stars

Emily Ryder lives in Lydfield, Connecticut. There she runs her travel business which provides guided excursions to tourists to destinations in the UK including Lydfield’s sister village, Lydfield-in-the-Moor. Her mother is also in the tourist business and runs a Bed and Breakfast in Lydfield. Emily’s life is turned upside down when the Gordon Development Corporation comes to town with the intention of putting in an apartment and entertainment complex. Not only is Emily worried that the development will ruin the quaintness of the town, she is also worried about her mother’s bed and breakfast because it will be adjacent to the new development. A father-like figure to Emily, Chris Cooper, appears to be the only member of the Village Planning Commission openly opposed to this development. When Chris dies in a sudden accident, Emily immediately suspects that the development company had something to do with his death. Emily’s sleuthing take her across the pond and back in an attempt to sort through all the clues.

For me, Emily’s instant distrust of the Gordon Development Corporation’s deed seemed a little over the top for me. I can see why she would be wary of the company because it could have a direct impact on her mother’s livelihood. However, what was hard to believe, was how quickly she believed that they were willing to take out Chris Cooper to get him out of the way. Before anything even happens to him, Emily is rushing off to save him. It just felt like the action built too quickly.

Once the characters have a chance to realistically catch up with the action, the author builds a good story with interesting plot twists. The whodunit was a surprise, but looking back there were cleverly hidden clues throughout the story for the reader to catch.

The characters themselves fell a little flat for me. They seemed underdeveloped which made it hard to care for them and to understand their actions.

The ending of the book left it open for a follow up to this book. If the author improves on his characters, he may have a good series on his hand.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. #NetGalley #TheSecludedVillageMurders

I just finished reading The Secluded Village Murders and I want to read it again! A well written "cozy" mystery with humor and murder, that odd combination fits this story like a glove. The writing style is similar to Rhys Bowen (which is VERY high praise!) and I do believe the Emily Ryder is my new favorite amateur detective.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

I thought I’d love this book with the Midsomer Murders-esque title but I did not. The writing does not flow smoothly and the storyline is convoluted and confusing. I like the idea behind it though and perhaps future books by this author will be better.

This book was a disappointment. If you're looking for a few hours of escapism, without having to think too much, then the book's ok. At first, I found the basic plot to be intriguing, but ultimately, it was pretty predictable. The setting is good, with the twin locations, and all in all, the writing is good, and easy to read, although I did find that the author has a few pet words which became repetitive, and irritating ('slough' being the biggest culprit).

While the plot flows well, the characterisations are forced, stereotypical and some, such as Trevor, the English host, almost caricatured, but without the humour to go along with that. Not one of the lead characters acts in any remotely appropriate manner; they all totally lack any sort of interpersonal skills or empathy with each other. I get that for the story to happen, someone always has to do something stupid, but in this case, it all comes over as contrived.

This is just an okay cozy mystery involving an amateur sleuth. The plot seemed forced and the characters hard to believe. This could evolve into an interesting "travel" mystery series, however.

Thanks to netgalley.com and http://bookbuzz.net/ for providing me with an advance digital copy of The Secluded Village Murders in exchange for an unbiased review. The opinions here are entirely my own.

After reading the first page, I really wanted to like this book. It starts off at a rapid rate, and plunges the reader into the story. As I continued with the book, I began to feel I had begun in the middle of a story instead of the beginning and was constantly playing catch-up, with little or no success. As the book reached its conclusion, I was struck with the thought that perhaps it was designed entirely to introduce a cast of characters and a place for future books in a series.

The murder and resultant mystery were intriguing. The motive, when finally revealed, was well thought out, and the means was an excellent method that was revealed toward the end of the book. There were clues cleverly placed throughout the book to provide information for the careful reader.

Red herrings were also in abundance, sometimes so numerous as to be confusing in that they were presented and then not resolved. These were also scattered throughout the book and presented enough interest to aid in pulling the reader through the book.

Unfortunately, the book was somewhat frenetic, with so many threads it became difficult to keep them all straight and maintain the reader’s interest. In addition, it was difficult to accept the premise that Emily, the protagonist, had to solve the mystery by leaving Connecticut, where the murder occurred and travel to England. The trip to England and the number of characters who also traveled there made the story more complicated than it needed to be.

It was difficult for me to develop any sympathy for Emily, which hampered my interest in solving the murder. There was limited information about the victim, so it wa also difficult to develop interest in seeing his murder solved. The secondary characters were introduced in a rapid-fire manner with little description beyond a cursory physical sketch, which made it difficult to create interest in them as well.

The denouement and resulting story summarization read as if it was setting the reader up for a continuation of a series. To continue my interest in the series, the books would need to be more streamlined with fewer threads that need to be tied together to bring the story to an end. I would also like to have more depth to the main characters to help me develop greater interest in them as individuals.

In summary, I might give the series another chance, because there was a good core to the story and plot. In future books I would prefer to have more in-depth information about the characters and a more direct path through the story to maintain my interest.