I missed the first book but that was no impediment to enjoying this one with its complex mystery and well crafted characters. Franklin Warren, the Vermont State police officer in his small town has a puzzle and a problem on his hands when the weekend before Thanksgiving 1965 a former Ambassador is murdered at a hunting lodge. He was shot, yes but before that he was stabbed. Alice, his neighbor is mystified by the appearance of one her deceased husband's colleagues and to boot finds herself helping a pregnant woman during a snow storm. Warren has to sort through the personalities, the history and the issues of those still alive at the lodge. No one liked the victim but all for slightly different reasons that really boil down to the same thing (no spoilers). This winds around to an unexpected solution (the best kind) and leaves the door open to another installment. It's atmospheric (that snow! the turkeys!) and it's clever. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

This locked room mystery is set in the 1960's. There is a murder at an exclusive hunting/fishing club and the investigators are snowed in with the people at the club. One of those people is the killer.

This was set at an interesting time in history, when the United States was first getting into the Vietnam War. The unrest in the country is portrayed in the book, pitting the older gentlemen against the younger who are looking at being drafted to fight a war against people they don't know anything about and don't have any desire to kill. It adds to the tension in the book that is already pretty high.

I really liked the main character. Warren is somewhat new to the area and still trying to make his life fit in the area. He has his own mysterious past that is reviewed in this story.

I really liked this book, but I will say that I wish I had read the preceding book in the series first. I'm still trying to figure some things out, like why the chapters with the pregnant woman were even in the book. I'm sure she probably played a prominent roll in the first.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital copy. All thoughts are my own.

I enjoyed the pacing and the characterization of this novel. It's clear that the author understands how to build tension with their chapter breaks/change of locations. I enjoyed the setting (rural Maine) and the time period (late 1960s) - it felt accurate and respectful, without the romanticism that occasionally follows novels set in the past. It was a fun read, and I'll look for more books by Sarah Stewart Taylor. Well done!

I am really enjoying this historical mystery series set in Bethany, Vermont. The second book in the series takes place in November, 1965, during deer hunting season. Detective Franklin Warren of the Vermont State Police and his assistant, Trooper Walter Goodrich, are called to the scene of an apparent hunting accident at the Ridge Club--the victim, a recently recalled ambassador, dead from a gunshot wound. During the course of the investigation, an early snowstorm hits the area, trapping all at the lodge and, after another shooting occurs, they realize the murderer is one of them.

I enjoy the setting and characters in this series. The plot was complicated enough to keep me guessing till all was revealed. There is an element of spycraft involved here too. This can be read as a stand alone but book one, Agony Hill, was so good that I can recommend starting with that one to get the full character development. Loved the way this story ended--Walter is so cute! Can't wait to see what happens with him and Jenny.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this new mystery via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Some will do anything to survive

In the small Vermont town of Bethany in the year 1965 there are many things that are changing, but the opening of deer season is not one of them. Franklin Warren, the relatively new transplant from Boston who is a detective with the Vermont State Police gets called out to what presents as an accidental shooting at The Ridge Club, a rustic but exclusive place where wealthy and influential men descend each year to get away from their cities and careers,. The victim is a former ambassador, which given world events like the escalating conflict in Vietnam may turn out to have something to do what happened if it proves to be something other than an accident. As the investigation commences and a serious snowstorm closes in on the town, Franklin's neighbor Alice is focused on an upcoming dinner and Thanksgiving preparations as she worries about her recently widowed young friend Sylvie. Alice is not a typical small town widow herself (she has a background in intelligence), and when her former handler just happens to arrive for a visit her antennae are raised. Does his presence have anything to do with what happened at The Ridge Club? Franklin and his young partner get trapped at the club by the storm, very possibly with a killer, and Alice finds herself needing to take action on her front to protect Sylvie. Accident or murder, and if the latter...by whom?
In this compelling sequel to Agony Hill, the first in author Sarah Stewart Taylor's Bethany VT series, the reader is treated to a vividly drawn portrayal of a small New England town on the cusp of major social upheaval...Vietnam, women's burgeoning rights...and complex characters with intriguing backstories all finding their own way through the evolving world. The snowstorm creates a twist on the locked room mystery, with detectives and suspects all trapped at the scene of the possible crime, while Alice wrestles with the legacy of her past and a desire to protect her new friend from danger.. The plot is tightly constructed and the atmosphere tense, and Franklin is a compassionate investigator dealing with his own past traumas. Its not flashy nor gory; it is a well-crafted mystery likely to appeal to readers of Louise Penny, Julia Spencer-Fleming and Bruce Robert Coffin. I was very impressed with the first book in the series, and found that this installment lived up to its predecessor brilliantly...I eagerly await a third entry. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for allowing me access to this satisfying read in exchange for my honest review.

I don't know exactly what to say about Sarah Stewart Taylor's Hunter's Heart Ridge, the second in her Bethany, Vermont series. I like her two main characters, Vermont State Police detective Frank Warren and Alice Bellows, a widow who grew up in Bethany. It's an atmospheric mystery set during November's first snowfall. Taylor takes us back to 1965, before the draft for the Vietnam war. That time period sets the scene. However, as in the first book, Frank Warren fumbles around, and doesn't actually solve the crime. He stumbles upon the solution.

Warren's assistant, Trooper Walter "Pinky" Goodrich, gets him out of bed to tell him there's been a hunting accident at the Ridge Club, a small exclusive hunting and fishing lodge. Unfortunately, at the lodge, Warren is dismayed to find the group of men have moved the body of former Ambassador Moulton. Warren questions everyone at the lodge, with everyone guessing Moulton was shot. However, the autopsy reveals the victim was stabbed first, and then shot.

While Warren and Pinky settle in to investigate, Alice Bellows wonders how much an old friend knows. Arthur Crannock was a spy who worked with Alice's husband. A few years earlier he appeared in town to say he and his wife bought a home in nearby Woodstock. But, Alice wonders since he appeared again just before the Ambassador's death. She's too preoccupied though, helping a pregnant neighbor, to dwell on Arthur's activities.

Warren isn't getting far with his investigation, and everyone seems to be hiding a secret. When the first heavy snow of the season hits, knocking out the phones and later the power, Warren and Pinky are stuck in the lodge with the suspects. And, one of them might be a killer.

After his first case as a Vermont State Trooper, Warren is afraid to make a major mistake. Instead, he treats the suspects with kid gloves, and someone else dies.

As I said, I'm not sure what to think. I love the setting and the characters in this series. There aren't too many authors writing about the 1960s as history, and I want to see what Taylor does in the future. But, so far, Warren is lucky to solve his cases. And, although we learn more about Alice Bellows, a wonderful character, she's underutilized in this mystery. I'll wait and see what happens.

It was nice catching up with VT Statie Frank Warren and the rest of the folks in Bethany, a small town in rural mountains of VT in 1965. The series started out as the Frank Warren series, but now it’s being billed as the Frank Warren and Alice Bellows series. Between the two, I was more interested in Frank Warren and actually found Alice Bellows kind of annoying in the previous installments. Not sure if this is Stewart Taylor’s intention, but there you have it. Over the course of the two full installments and a prequel, there have been numerous references to Alice’s CIA connections. It took two and a half books before Stewart Taylor reveals a quick look into Alice’s past.

Warren on the other hand, seems so much more interesting. A former Boston cop, who left the big city for a small rural State Police position. Widowed and two years later still grieving his wife’s death, Warren starts to become smitten with the very pregnant and widowed Sylvie (from the first installment). Not real convenient since he’s also just started investigating a shooting incident at the local hunting lodge. Warren suspects that the shooting was murder and not accidental like the lodge members claim. However, Warren must proceed carefully with this bunch of influential and DC connected blowhards, or they will have their lawyers lining up to eviscerate him and the VT State PD.

There is also a storyline of Sylvie, who is concerned about her and her baby’s health when she starts to feel like she may not be able to carry to term. Fortunately, Alice has come by to visit and ends up becoming a savior of sorts. Most of the story revolves around the investigation of the death at the lodge with Warren interviewing (several times) the various members of the lodge that were there when the incident happened. After a while, he starts to see holes and inconsistencies in their stories. Then the storm hits fast and hard, throwing the story into a whirlwind of scary and intense activity with some shocks and twists I didn’t see coming.

The character development for most of the primary characters was well done. The pacing was steady for the most part and picking up a bit during the storm and the finale. The storyline is interesting and the writing on par for the series, although this one I enjoyed the most, so far. I’m definitely interested in seeing what Stewart-Taylor does with the next installment. I’m looking at an overall rating of a solid 4star review. I want to thank NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #StMartinsPress #HuntersHeartRidge

I really liked Agony Hill and this next in the series follows many of those characters lives. The historical elements and setting in Vermont draw you into a very different era. The plot has State Police detective Franklin Warren dispatched to investigate an incident at the Ridge Club. There’s no modern conveniences, in a snow storm, at a hunting lodge with testosterone filled good ole boys. I especially appreciate how the author weaves the war sentiments of the times, the CIA, secret agents and spies into the story. There’s a lot of secrets between the men who’ve congregated here for many years. Now there’s either an accident shooting or a murder. It’ll be up to Warren to figure out the truth and it won’t be easy. Back in his hometown there’s more drama and the undercurrent of danger with Sylvie’s pregnancy. Alice confronts demons long buried in her past. With so much trauma and pain in many of the characters past and all the secrets, I had my suspect narrowed down, but missed the mark slightly. It’s a finely crafted mystery that kept me guessing and I highly recommend you read it.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books (via NetGalley) for providing an Advance Reader Copy of “Hunter’s Heart Ridge” (Franklin Warren and Alice Bellows Mystery #2) by Sarah Stewart Taylor. It’s publication expected 08/05/2025. These are my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

💖 For my friends who want a small town mystery solved by people who feel like your friends.

HUNTER’S HEART RIDGE by @sarahstewarttaylor

Thanks, @minotaur_books, for the review copy via #NetGalley. (Available 5 Aug 25)

Return with me to the 1960s in a small Vermont town while Detective Frank Warren and his formerly CIA-connected neighbor Alice Bellows investigate the death of a diplomat. Sarah’s new series (this is book two. Read AGONY HILL and bonus short story MUD SEASON–free on Kindle–first for best character development.) continues to soothe me like a hot bath on achy joints. She presents characters that are true, not flashy, in settings you can reach out and touch.

Pardon me an extended food analogy. Let’s look at books as food. Rom-coms are light, fluffy, and sweet: a meringue. (Spicy romances are dark and gooey: chocolate volcano cake.) Thrillers make you sweat, but you keep popping page after page: fresh tortilla chips with salsa. Non-fiction can be nutrient-dense but yummy (banana bread), but they can also be just dense and good for you: multi-grain toast.

Sarah’s books are hearty, nutritious, meaty, and comforting. They’re like a good stew: lots of protein and veggies to keep you satisfied, but packaged in such a way that you’re soothed. The plot is strong and perfectly paced, the mystery keeps you on your toes, but it’s the characters that pull it all together like a good, thick broth. (Can you tell I’m waiting on dinner while I write this?) Her books make me feel good. I want to be friends with her characters.

This is what I’ve been missing in recent novels: characters I care about and want to revisit again and again. Sarah has created a community that I yearn for when away. I highly recommend these books and look forward to the next installment

Sarah Stewart Taylor’s follow up to Agony Hill finds Vermont State Police Detective Franklin Warren investigating the shooting death of a disgraced diplomat at a hunting club. Warren, still feeling the need to prove himself in his new hometown, wants very much to solve this suspicious death. He and his protege, Pinky Goodrich, head out to the exclusive, and remote, hunting club to interview the witnesses. It quickly becomes clear that the victim, Bill Moulton, an ambassador who had been fired under a cloud of suspicion, had many enemies. And everyone at the club has secrets, both present and past, that they want to keep buried.

As always, Taylor has written a lovely and evocative novel, that just happens to have a crackling mystery at its heart. Stewart deftly injects the weight of world events into this small-town, with its reticent New Englanders and the people “from away” who crash into their lives. And reading about a snowstorm is a nice antidote to the current heatwave!

I really hope there will be another in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Thank you to Minotaur and NetGalley for an advance readers copy of this book.

Having read and enjoyed the first book in this new series, I am pleased that the second is well worth reading.

This book picks up three months after the last one (Agony Hill) ended. It is still 1965, and the military role in Vietnam still is being hotly debated. Franklin Warren, a newly arrived detective in the Vermont State Police, is called in when a recently retired (some say disgraced) US diplomat is found dead in a nearby small, private hunting club.

The book brings back well-developed characters from the previous novel, some in newly-difficult situations. It also introduces several new and interesting ones, both the well-to-do at the Ridge Club, and the working class who serve them.

Though the opening is a little slow and repetitious (how many times do we need to know that Warren is in his “new home”), there is a tight plot, filled with ethical and moral dilemmas, and seeds sown for more stories to come. I look forward to them.

4.25/5 stars

Nicely done second entry in the new series from Taylor...technically maybe third entry as there is an initial short story (Mud Season) before the novels start.

My biggest happy here was a bit of a "locked room" mystery revolving around an ex-diplomat murdered in the woods at a private hunting lodge in rural Vermont. There are quite a few suspects (fellow hunters, caretakers, spouses, etc.) and of course, a snowstorm to make it all a bit cozier. LOL

The story toggles between the murder (which becomes two) investigation, a mysterious visit from a government spy and an unexpected pregnancy scare so there's lots going on in this one.

I enjoy Taylor's writing style, her attention to detail, her interesting plots and her well-established characters. I started as a fan of her Maggie D'arcy mystery series (highly recommend) and am happy that I gave this one a try as well.

Looking forward to more from Warren and Alice.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books for providing the free early arc of Hunter's Heart Ridge for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

November 1965 in Vermont, and it's deer season. Police Detective Franklin Warren is called to The Ridge Club for a suspected hunting accident. After speaking to the other members of the club, Warren's suspicious it's an accident. While waiting for the autopsy results, Warren attends a dinner party at his neighbor, Allice Bellows' house. The results are shocking to Warren, but also raise a lot of questions as to who killed the man now identified as a former ambassador. It seems most of the other members at the club are former government officials, as is one member of the dinner party Warren attended. Is that the connection needed to find the killer...While at the club gathering more information, a sudden snow storm strands Warren and his assistance, Pinky, at the club. A gunshot in the middle of the night brings everyone out of their room to find the president of the club dead in the gun room of the club that Warren was supposed to have the only key to. What is going on and can Warren and Pinky find out before there is another death...also during the story Alice has to help her new friend, the widow Sylvie, deliver her baby as they are stuck in the snow storm. And then Alice is threatened with her past secret by someone she thought was a friend...Secrets will always come back at you...

Hunter’s Heart Ridge is the second book in the Franklin Warren and Alice Bellows series set in Vermont in the 1960s. This storyline takes place three months after the first book with Detective Warren starting to settle into his new life in Vermont; he’s training a young Trooper, he’s made friends with his widowed neighbor Mrs Bellows and there’s been routine cases since his first in the area.

However, that changes when there’s been a suspicious death at a private hunting and fishing club and an early snowstorm arrives trapping both Detective Warren and his young trooper with the guests who all are potential suspects. Mrs Alice Bellows hosts a dinner party and an unexpected guest arrives someone from her past that cause her to reflect on her previous life and how it’s affecting her current life. While she’s doing that she helps pregnant widow Sylvie Weber deliver her baby early in the snowstorm and it brings up old memories of a time forgotten.

I would like to know more about Mrs Bellows and what all she was truly involved in and what shaped her.



Thank you publishers and netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback

This second installment in Taylor's Vermont mystery series returns us to the fictional town she created in Agony Hill. Peppered with returning characters and a few new ones, she captures the quintessential vibe of New England with an early winter snow storm that traps our main character, Detective Franklin Warren, in a hunting lodge with all of the suspects in the murder he is investigating. A secondary story line follows the enigmatic and stoic Alice Bellows as she hosts a dinner party, helps her neighbors, and reflects on her own mysterious past. It's brooding and atmospheric with plenty of suspense and terrific writing, all set against the backdrop of the upheaval of the 1960s. It gripped me from the beginning until the end and I highly recommend for mystery fans who want something more than a simple who-done-it.
Many thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

Second in this series, Hunter’s Heart Ridge continues the story of Franklin Warren, a detective who recently moved to rural Vermont, from Boston. This novel can read as a standalone, as the author gives enough of the backstory of Warren and a couple of the other characters.

Warren is called to investigate the death of a man at a hunting club. What appears to be an accident quickly turns into a murder investigation with a cast of characters effectively in a locked room type scenario. The novel is a slow but steady build interspersed with the story of Alice and Slyvie, two strong women playing out their own drama. I enjoyed getting into the heads of several of the characters and truly not knowing who could be trusted. This one kept me guessing!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I loved this next installment of this series. It has everything - small town vibe, great characters, secrets, spies, a locked room crime! I love, love, loved it!

A death at an exclusive men’s hunting and fishing club and an early winter storm come together in this “locked-room” historical mystery. Hunter’s Heart Ridge by Sarah Stewart Taylor is the second book in the Franklin Warren and Alice Bellows Mystery series. Set in November 1965 in Bethany, Vermont and the surrounding rural area, Warren has been with the Vermont State Police as a detective for three months and has responsibility for the southern part of the state.

He gets a call that an accident has happened at The Ridge Club where diplomats, congressmen, judges, and titans of industry go to hunt and fish. A former ambassador, William Moulton, has been shot while hunting deer. As Warren and his assistant Trooper Walter Goodrich investigate, their suspicions about the club members build. On top of this, they get snowed in at the club, possibly with a killer.

Meanwhile, Warren’s neighbor and new friend, Alice Bellows, is throwing a dinner party. She’s worried about her pregnant friend and fellow widow, Sylvie Weber. Her old CIA handler and friend, Arthur Crannock, shows up and comes to dinner. Alice wonders if his appearance has anything to do with the hunting club accident. Additionally, he’s asking what progress she’s made on the last covert task he’s given her. This is a continuing subplot from book one and I wonder how long until it becomes the main plot of a future novel in the series and that is my main quibble with the series. While the main mystery is resolved in each novel, the connection with Alice’s intelligence activities is missing and seemingly minor so far.

Warren, formerly from Boston, must adjust to life in a rural community where he doesn’t know anyone. He’s a sincere and empathetic as well as being a talented investigator. It also turns out that he’s good at mentoring. Alice is somewhat enigmatic. She comes across as a kind and thoughtful person with hidden depths and abilities who loves to garden. Trooper Goodrich is eager to be Warren’s assistant investigator. The other characters have an appropriate depth for their roles.
Once again, the author does a great job of world-building. The early snowstorm is almost another character and plays a significant role in the story. This was also a time of change and conflict and the war in Vietnam is discussed throughout the book.

This is more of a historical police procedural that is heavy on characterization and world-building, but has a well-developed and intricate plot as well as some occasional action and a couple of sub-plots. While somewhat slower paced than many police procedurals set in modern times, the pace felt appropriate to the setting and time of the novel. Secrets play a large role in this novel and are woven throughout the storyline.

Overall, this is an excellent historical crime novel set during a time of change with two fascinating main characters. Readers should be aware that more details on why Warren moved from Boston to Vermont are included in book one. They’re briefly touched on in this novel. The great and vivid storytelling and fantastic characterization have made this novel a winner for me. If you enjoy old-fashioned detective work prior to cell phones, the internet, and DNA testing, then this is a series to consider. I can’t wait to find out what is next for Warren, Alice, and the other residents of Bethany.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Sarah Stewart Taylor provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for August 05, 2025. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Thank you to St Martin’s/Minotaur for my #gifted e-ARC via NetGalley

Coming fast up on US Thanksgiving of 1965, Vermont State Police detective Franklin Warren and his partner Pinky are called to handle a dead body found at the local hunting lodge for the rich and powerful. But the facts about what first looked like a hunting accident don’t add up. Meanwhile, Warren’s close friend and neighbor Alice Bellows is hosting a dinner party when her former CIA handler shows up acting suspicious. But when an early winter storm hits and knocks out all communications, things get really dangerous with a killer in their midst.

I loved how Vermont’s beautiful natural appeal was featured around the story. The multiple points of view also added to the building tension. This was a unique blend of police procedural, locked-room mystery, and psychological tension.
I did feel a bit at a disadvantage (character-arch-wise) by not having read the previous book in the series, but I would still call this a stand-alone story. I also struggled for a bit to keep all the people at the lodge and the people at the dinner party straight, but it got way easier about a quarter of the way through. The writing was beautiful and deep, treating much broader topics than the murder; Vietnam is an active specter being discussed and hanging over the young men, just as much as the ghost story of how Hunter’s Heart Ridge got its name.
I walked away with many thoughts having been stirred up—thoughts on misogyny, injustice, and power—and I’m so glad.

Triggers: murder, medical trauma, misogyny, abortion

Perfect! A murder mystery with plenty of suspects, motives, and red herrings. Warren and Pinky are on the case. And Alice reveals more of her background as she muses about the reappearance of an old acquaintance and tries to help a new friend. More, please!