This second book in the Agony Hill Series delivered exactly what I was looking for - another visit to 1960s Vermont with the characters so expertly created in book one. This one quite quickly turns into an Agatha Christie style mystery, with a limited cast of people all trapped in a single location, along with the detective. It's a beautiful conjuring of Vermont in early winter, as the snow falls and the roads and the woods become impassable. I can't wait for book 3!

The book was a fitting sequel and continuation of the series. Detective Warren and Trooper Pinky are tasked with investigating the death of a former ambassador at a hunting club. It quickly becomes apparent that it was murder. Barring an unknown assailant, the identity of the killer is limited to the caretakers and small group of club members and guests at the hunting club that weekend. However, multiple individuals have reasons to dislike the ambassador. And pretty much everyone is hiding things from Detective Warren, with some of the secrets innocuous and others quite significant. An unexpected winter storm trapping everyone at the club will only heighten the tension and danger.

There is also a possibility of romance for Pinky. When large parties are at the hunting club, the caretakers receive extra help from Delana Breedlove, and Jenny, her eighteen-year-old daughter. Jenny is sweet on Pinky, although Pinky has not realized this yet. However, the events of the weekend may present an opportunity for that to change.

One thing that sets this book apart is that there is a detailed secondary story involved that is tangentially related to the ambassador’s death and Detective Warren. It features characters from the first book and details events in their lives since the first book, most significantly Sylvie Weber’s pregnancy. The reader will also learn more about Alice Bellow’s history, which is the main tie-in with the ambassador.

The story is set in 1965 when US involvement in Vietnam was increasing, and this will be a major source of tension between a number of the characters.

I loved the first book in this series, and I'm still very invested and enjoy the characters. Warren and Alice have a lot of history to expand upon, and Pinky and Sylvie and her family have potential story growth. I didn't enjoy this book as much as Agony Hill. It took a bit to ge the new characters straight (Skip and Seth? The names are too similar). And there were some who did what now moments in the last third of the book. But I'm still really looking forward to the next book in the series, whatever direction it takes. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Enjoyed the story although I had to go back to the first title in the series and reread the ending to get context for some of scenes in this title. I also found the piece about the poetry reading not pertinent to the story and wonder why it was included. I think there were other ways to introduce historical context. Otherwise, a good mystery that had so many red herrings and story lines that the ending turned out to be a surprise. Looking forward to the next in the series.

Hunter's Heart Ridge is the second book in a series starring Vermont state police detective Franklin Warren. Detective Warren is a fairly recent resident of Bethany, Vermont, moving there from Boston after the murder of his young wife. What I find so interesting about this very well written series is both the time and place. The place, small town rural New England and the time, 1965 are such a nice switch from so many books that take place in WWII London or big city America. The 1960s were a time of immense social change and Mrs Stewart Taylor depicts it well. In both this book and her previous novel, Agony Hill, the looming build up of the war in Vietnam hovers in the background. I truly hope there will be future books in this series and I also recommend all the previous novels by Mrs Stewart Taylor.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read Hunter's Heart Ridge by Sarah Stewart Taylor. I have a new favorite series!

I loved Agony Hill and was excited to read the sequel, having no idea it would completely captivate me and hold on tight till the very end.

These are characters I hope to be spending time with for a very long time.

I loved Agony Hill.
And was super excited to start the sequel Hunter's Heart Ridge.
A wonderfully written lyrical historical mystery series featuring Detective Franklin Warren.
I enjoyed the story and liked the writing style.
The town was so richly and vividly portrayed that I felt as if I was there.
I was completely absorbed in the character's lives and story.
Sarah Stewart Taylor has written another suspenseful, absorbing, atmospheric tale.
An atmospheric, small town, police procedural mystery that captivated me from beginning to end to end.

Thank You NetGalley and Minotaur Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!