Death at Thorburn Hall

I confess my surprise when researching this author to read that it was Julianna Deering (the pen name of DeAnna Julie Dodson) a fifth-generation Texan who wrote this excellent cosy mystery and not a history soaked sop hidden in an idyllic part of the United Kingdom, such was her ability to transport the reader to 1930s UK, complete with language and customs. Drew and his American wife Madeleine find themselves visiting distant family for the annual British Open golf tournament, when their host dies a seemingly accidental death, suddenly leaving a newly-minted widow and troubled daughter alone in a beautiful home. Urged to search for the presumed truth, Drew, along with his friend Nick delve into a mystery aided willingly by Madeleine and not so willingly by Nicks love interest Carrie, another American. Slowly more threads of the story unravel and more bodies find their way to the local morgue.
I loved that this story is published by a Christian imprint (Bethany House Publishers) and that whilst faith was mentioned throughout the story, God was never beaten over the head of the unsuspecting reader with moralistic platitudes nor did it ever make the characters seem gullible or simple. The setting was neatly drawn and the tale complete with a red herring or two so as to not make the mystery too easy to solve.
It was a jolly good show!