A Gem of a Problem

An enjoyable historical mystery. Well written. with likable characters and solid plot.
An interesting read.

I'll admit this is a very eye catching cover and what a clever title. The title is absolutely perfect for this book! This is the Emma Berry Murray River Mystery Book 1.
This takes place in the 1870s in Australia. The lush setting of this book was vastly described and sounds like a place I would have enjoyed visiting. A wonderful historical cosy mystery . A few months after her husband passes in a paddle boat steamer accident the Mary B, Emma Berry is confronted by a Major Barnaby who says her husband was carrying an extremely pricey and important package for him. When it's not found on the list of items being transported that day she begins to suspect her husband of smuggling and herself of not knowing him as well as she thought she did.Major says she must pay up or find the package but how will she do either? The major's story just isn't adding up and to make matters worse her brother in law Daniel blames her for everything. A well-written mystery that covers a lot of ground and is an easy read I'll surely be reading more by this author.
Pub Date 01 Jun 2016
Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for a review copy. I was not required to write a positive review.

This is an easy read, charming mystery.
Emma loved Sam when they married but things didn’t turn out as nicely as she hoped. Emma tried to settle Sam down but his impulsive and careless ways continued. Now he is dead after sinking their paddle steamer in a reckless channel race. Emma is trying to recover from his death, the damaged steamer and the loss of her baby when an intimidating neighbor, Major, claims that Sam had a valuable package to deliver. The Major wants it back or payment for the loss. His threats extend to her family and their reputation so she must try to resolve the problem.

The only person that Emma feels she can trust to help her is Daniel, Sam’s brother and co-owner of the Mary B. Emma is flustered by Daniel’s anger, but she is determined to hunt for the missing package and get repairs moving on the steamer whether he approves or not. Emma begins her inquiries, stirring up some troubles, but uncovering clues. She follows the clues up the channel, standing on her own, meeting new people and old acquaintances as she unravels the truth of the mystery.

The setting in 1870's Australia provides a unique and wonderfully rich backdrop for the story. The writing is straightforward, smooth with steady movement which makes for an easy read. Emma is a lovely, engaging character. I liked her determination combined with caring and gentleness towards others. There is a fine tension between Daniel and Emma that makes the reader wonder about their true feelings.

I look forward to reading more of Emma’s adventures on the channel and to learning what develops. I recommend this to mystery readers, especially those who like historical settings.

I received this title through NetGalley. My rating 4.5.

This was a fun historical mystery. Emma is a very interesting character as a young widow. I loved unraveling her back story. I also loved the development between Emma and Daniel. Hopefully, in the next book there will be more romance! I thought it was a solid mystery that left me guessing. There were times I thought the book was slow! Nevertheless, it featured a unique setting and a strong female sleuth!