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170th out of 200 books
—
84 voters
A Simple Murder
by
Eleanor Kuhns (Goodreads Author)
Five years ago, while William Rees was still recovering from his stint as a Revolutionary War soldier, his beloved wife died. Devastated, Will Rees left his son, David, in his sister’s care, fled his Maine farm, and struck out for a tough but emotionally empty life as a traveling weaver. Now, upon returning unexpectedly to his farm, Rees discovers that David has been treat...more
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published
May 8th 2012
by Minotaur Books
(first published May 1st 2012)
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Eleanor Kuhns certainly knows how to write and research a story, with both the setting and the time period integral to the tale. Will Rees is a flawed hero readers can enjoy, and he has enough sense of purpose to get the job done when obstacles begin to build around him.
The details and description proved plentiful throughout the novel, and the characters were by no means one-dimensional, but something was missing throughout most of the first half of this novel. It might have to do with the slow...more
The details and description proved plentiful throughout the novel, and the characters were by no means one-dimensional, but something was missing throughout most of the first half of this novel. It might have to do with the slow...more
I was drawn to this book initially as I love historical fiction, and I usually stay right around the Victorian period, but i decided to stray a bit and delve into the Amish community. This is the first book about the Amish/Shakers I have ever read, but I found it interesting. It kept my attention, but not in a 'counldn't put it down type of way'. I would take long breaks beofre picking it back up, I found it off putting, though I couldn't put my finger on exactly why. As the story progressed, I...more
A Simple Murder describes murder, greed, and human foibles amidst and about a late eighteenth century Shaker community in Maine. The Shaker Family has great dignity, even if they clearly do not reach their stated ideal of perfection, and Ms. Kuhn’s lovely prose does justice to the stately simplicity of their principled lives. The exquisite, albeit understated lyricism in the prose does not eclipse the galloping of the plot as itinerant weaver Will Rees investigates a cluster of murders in the qu...more
I picked this book up as an advance reader copy because I love historical mysteries and this was a time period that hasn't been done 1000 times. That said, I was rather disappointed overall and felt like it read very much like a first novel--not at all like an award winning mystery.
My concerns/problems with the plot:
The main character was a man, but most of his reactions and thought patterns read like a woman. I hadn't noticed there was a female author until in frustration I checked to confirm w...more
My concerns/problems with the plot:
The main character was a man, but most of his reactions and thought patterns read like a woman. I hadn't noticed there was a female author until in frustration I checked to confirm w...more
Even a peaceful Shaker village isn’t exempt from murder. When Sister Chastity of Zion is found dead from a blow to the head, the Elders are certain the crime could not have been committed by anyone in their utopian community. Will Rees isn’t so sure. Rees, an itinerant weaver whose past includes service as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, has encountered plenty of death in his 36 years. His weaver’s eye for detail and his logical approach to problem solving have helped him unravel tangled sto...more
First, a confession: I am not a big fan of the mystery genre. But the premise of this book was interesting - the murder of an 18th century Shaker woman. Our sleuth is a travelling weaver who stumbles upon the murder after he visits the Shaker community, Zion, in search of his estranged son. Having solved crimes in other communities, he offers to help investigate the murder and is offered the hospitality of the community. As is often the case, the people involved are not as simple as they seem, a...more
The time was after the American Revolution. The place was Maine, a Shaker colony, where William Rees goes to look for his 14-year old son. Rees' wife had died and he left his son in care with his sister and her husband; the son ran away. Rees gets caught up in the life of the colony and is asked to help solve the murder of one of the women. He finds a tangled web of lies and deceit and, maybe, a new relationship.
Of course, the most interesting part of the story was the look at the Shaker group...more
Of course, the most interesting part of the story was the look at the Shaker group...more
OK, to be honest, I expected more out of this award winning novel and my rating might reflect it. I wouldn't give it more than 3 stars though. I thought the language, scenes and overall feel of the book didn't reflect the time period or setting of the book. When I read a historical fiction novel, I want to feel like I am lost in that period of time. This one just didn't have that feel. In incidents of the book that, understanding that period of time, would never have happened, it makes me wonder...more
Although I have a lot of respect for the mystery genre, I often start to lose interest about midway through them. That's what happened here, although in many ways the novel was beguiling. I loved the historical details about Shaker life. The amateur dectective was an itinerant weaver, the time period post-Revolutionary War in Maine. There were multiple murders, as well as horse thievery cases to solve and thus the plot got a bit convoluted for me. Weaver William Rees initially get involved becau...more
Sep 01, 2012
Pauline Rouse
added it
A simple Muder is based on a historical group called the "Shakers" whom were a religious, exsclusive and secluded group.
Willam Rees return from serving six years in the continental army takes a rough turn. Rees realizes that his fourteen year old son has run away due to emtional neglect he had recieved from his temporary adult supervisors. Ree is furious and sets out to find his son, who has joined the Shakers, and has yet to sign the covenant. Willam is immediately rejected by his son, when th...more
Willam Rees return from serving six years in the continental army takes a rough turn. Rees realizes that his fourteen year old son has run away due to emtional neglect he had recieved from his temporary adult supervisors. Ree is furious and sets out to find his son, who has joined the Shakers, and has yet to sign the covenant. Willam is immediately rejected by his son, when th...more
1 like · like · see review
I really liked this book! I'm a big fan of mysteries and historical fiction, so this book had both aspects of the things I enjoy.
This book is set around the year 1795 and focuses on the main character William Rees. William is a weaver by trade and travels all over the countryside to work. After his wife passed away, he let his sister and brother-in-law live at his farm in return for caring for his 13 year old son. He came home a bit earlier than expected and found out that his son, David, had ru...more
This book is set around the year 1795 and focuses on the main character William Rees. William is a weaver by trade and travels all over the countryside to work. After his wife passed away, he let his sister and brother-in-law live at his farm in return for caring for his 13 year old son. He came home a bit earlier than expected and found out that his son, David, had ru...more
Eleanor Kuhns’ A Simple Murder begins as traveling widowed weaver, William Rees, returns to his Maine farm after an extended time on the road to reconnect with his son, David (who was left on his Maine farm under the care of his sister Caroline "Caro"). When William arrives he is told that David has fled, probably to the nearby Shaker community of Zion. William does indeed find his son David amongst the Shakers but he also finds the remains of a young murdered Shaker woman, Sister Chastity there...more
First Line: By late afternoon William Rees was past Rumford and heading southeast, almost to Durham and the coast.
It's Maine in 1795, and traveling weaver William Rees has come to Durham to find his son David. Five years ago Rees loaded his loom in his wagon and set off for a nomadic life after the death of his beloved wife Dolly. Now he's discovered that his sister and brother-in-law have treated David worse than the hired help, and David has run away to the Shaker community of Zion, outside Du...more
It's Maine in 1795, and traveling weaver William Rees has come to Durham to find his son David. Five years ago Rees loaded his loom in his wagon and set off for a nomadic life after the death of his beloved wife Dolly. Now he's discovered that his sister and brother-in-law have treated David worse than the hired help, and David has run away to the Shaker community of Zion, outside Du...more
It is the year 1794, and Will Rees has returned home after getting a call from his sister that his son has run away. Will knows he hasn’t been much of a father to young David. After serving in the military and losing his wife, Will had become a traveling weaver and left David in the care of his sister and her family.
When he appears in Maine, Will is told that David has run away to live with the Shakers, and Will finds him right away as he rides into the strangely quiet community and meets Elder...more
When he appears in Maine, Will is told that David has run away to live with the Shakers, and Will finds him right away as he rides into the strangely quiet community and meets Elder...more
A Simple Murder is the first published book by Eleanor Kuhns and I had the good fortune of receiving a copy from Bookbrowse First Impressions. The book is terrific – an amazing first effort and even better, promises a series. I became so enthralled with the characters, the locale and the mystery, I read the book over a period of two days! The story is set in 1796 when widower William Rees, a weaver by trade, returns to his farm from a round of travels only to discover his 14-year old son, left i...more
Will Rees, is a traveling weaver during the late 1700's. As he moves about taking in the spun thread of various women to weave into cloth he also solves crimes which he seems to have a knack for doing. During this story he visits a Shaker Village to see his son who has run away from his aunt and uncle to join the Shakers. Will learns that David was not treated well and pretty much ousted from the farm that would be his one day. Will also learns that a murder has occurred in the Village and is as...more
May 23, 2012
Lynn
is currently reading it
A Goodreads First Reads win! I'm looking forward to this story. It will be fun to read a brand new author and a story of a time period I don't usually read about!
1 like · like · see review
I won this novel as a giveaway on Goodreads.
A Simple Murder follows Will Rees as he investigates a series of murders in a Shaker community that he stumbled upon after traveling to see his teenage son, who has fled to the Shake community. This novel was unusual for a crime novel, in that it was set in the post-Revolutionary War era. Will Rees, or Rees as he is referred to in the novel, is an unusual character in that he has a hard time staying in one place for long, and he investigates murders i...more
A Simple Murder follows Will Rees as he investigates a series of murders in a Shaker community that he stumbled upon after traveling to see his teenage son, who has fled to the Shake community. This novel was unusual for a crime novel, in that it was set in the post-Revolutionary War era. Will Rees, or Rees as he is referred to in the novel, is an unusual character in that he has a hard time staying in one place for long, and he investigates murders i...more
I had hoped to learn much more about the Shakers from reading this book than I did - that was my first disappointment. My second was the resolution which was depicted in classic Agatha Christie style with all the suspects gathered together in order to find out who was lurking about the Shakers in disguise, who had murdered several members of the community and why and what was the impact of the terms of a little-known will. Perhaps I would have empathized more with the protagonists if I had been...more
William Rees is a traveling weaver who does not want to stay at the comfortable farm he owns, both because of bad memories and a sense of claustrophobia he can't understand. During his time as a soldier, he discovers his ability to "solve puzzles" as he calls it. He finds the answers to mysteries and has already found that this is not always welcome.
I hope this is the first of a series. The characters are engaging and there is room for new stories. The author has left some "unfinished business"...more
I hope this is the first of a series. The characters are engaging and there is room for new stories. The author has left some "unfinished business"...more
The murder of a young Shaker woman in 1796 is the center of Eleanor Kuhns's debut A Simple Murder. William Rees visits the small Shaker community of Zion in hopes of reuniting with his estranged son. Former solider Rees has investigative experience and is immediately intrigued by the violent crime. Rees uses classic crime solving techniques to solve multiple murders long before the advent of forensics and technology. This engrossing story is anything but simple. Kuhn's won the Mystery Writers of...more
This is an interesting mystery set in the 1790's in Maine and revovling around the Shaker community. However, there were so many characters intertwined that it was hard for me to follow. This one is a brother-in-law, this one is a cousin, this one is no relation, etc. made it hard to figure out anybody's motives for the murders that occurred. I liked the main character, a traveling weaver who happens to be good at solving mysteries, and the character development of the main characters was very g...more
An excellent mystery set in the last days of the 1700's centered in a Shaker community in Maine and many of the surrounding small towns. And there in lies my one major objection to the book. The hero Will Rees was forever hopping in his wagon and heading out somewhere. My head was spinning. A nice map would have done wonders for my peace of mind while reading. The book was filled with interesting characters both of and out of the settlement. I think I loved Mouse most of all and would love to he...more
THis was a first novel and well done. The setting is a Shaker Village in Maine at the end of the Revolutionary War. We have all seen thise Shaker villages in NH/ME/VT and his is interesting to look behind the doors of those communities. The story defineatly sets up as a sequel to follow.. so we will see. The characters were many and all had an interesting back story. The writer does a good job in describing each character and the entire backstory of the lead character in exposed in the first few...more
This mystery was a little "cozier" than I usually read, but I enjoyed it very much. Setting this book in 1700s New England, in a Shaker community, and its surroundings, gave the author a lot of room to create. The characters were plentiful and with unique enough personalities to keep them straight (mostly). The setting provided opportunities for fascinating lifestyle and geographic descriptions. And the mystery itself, combined with the interplay between characters, made for an engaging read. O...more
Will Rees, a travelling weaver, has returned to his farm to check on his son David only to discover that he has run away to the local Shaker community. He finds David there, but also finds that one of the young women there has been murdered. As shocking as that would be anywhere, it's almost unbelievable among the peaceful Shakers. Because Will has a history of solving crimes, he is asked to stay within the community and find the murderer. He agrees, as it will give him much-needed time with his...more
Won in a book giveaway, this is an easy to read murder mystery set in a community of Shakers in the late 1700s. A traveling weaver arrives at this community looking for his son and is later asked to help solve a murder. I learned a lot about the Shaker lifestyle and was actually surprised by some of that information. The characters were interesting and well developed. The author did a good job of making the story believable and connecting the various story lines. This is a fun and fast read.
What a lot Ms. Kuhns had to work with. It is too bad she did not develop her characters at all. Everyone spoke at the same level of standard English. With only two people in charge of this small cult, she should have brought out more of the oppressive mood and dictatorial elements.
This is supposed to be Colonial America, but it sounds like it took place in just about anywhere rural. I cannot believe this got published let alone won an award. I guess you cannot underestimate some of the readers.
This is supposed to be Colonial America, but it sounds like it took place in just about anywhere rural. I cannot believe this got published let alone won an award. I guess you cannot underestimate some of the readers.
This was a nice enjoyable little murder mystery. It wasn't overwrought, full of gristly details, just a nice little whodunit set in a Shaker Village in 1796 and told at a nice pace. Even after I figured it out (not all that hard really, I was somewhat amazed that the investigator missed what I thought was rather obvious), the book and its characters kept me interested in the human story itself. The ending definitely felt like a set-up for more books of this ilk to come, which I would definitely...more
A highly touted debut by a librarian, a must read for me!!! Kuhns ability to transport the reader to the late 1700's Shaker community of Zion keeps the reader enthralled with mystery surrounding the murder of a young beautiful convert. Enter William Rees, a traveling weaver and ex-military investigator during the Revolutionary War, who makes it his mission to immerse himself in the community and solve the murder. The background story of Rees' relationship with his teen son and the romantic feeli...more
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Aug 31, 2012 09:40pm