Merryll Manning: The Health Farm Murders

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Merryll Manning: The Health Farm Murders

by John Howard Reid (Goodreads Author)

4.33 of 5 stars 4.33 · rating details · 12 ratings · 6 reviews

A mystery thriller, set against the spectacular scenic backdrop of an imaginary health farm in the small mountain township of Blackheath in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, west of Sydney, Australia, this is the second suspense novel featuring Sergeant Merryll "Merry" Manning of the Miami Police Department. Sergeant Manning debuted in "Merryll Manning: Trapped on Mys...more

Paperback, 232 pages

Published October 1st 2008 by Lulu.com (first published 2008)

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Nov 15, 2010 Jacque Stengel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Going on vacation to the world down under is a dream for most of us, but Merryll Manning not only gets to travel to Australia but to a health farm to learn about healthy living. A dream come true?
Miami is the home of police sergeant, Merryll Manning who finds himself in his mother's homeland of Australia on a week long vacation to a health farm. He is first seen on a train with various other colorful characters also attending the farm. Each person brings his own fears and idiosyncrasies to the B...more Going on vacation to the world down under is a dream for most of us, but Merryll Manning not only gets to travel to Australia but to a health farm to learn about healthy living. A dream come true?
Miami is the home of police sergeant, Merryll Manning who finds himself in his mother's homeland of Australia on a week long vacation to a health farm. He is first seen on a train with various other colorful characters also attending the farm. Each person brings his own fears and idiosyncrasies to the Blue Mountains. However, Merryll Manning soon finds himself in the middle of several murders and in the cross hair of the local Sergeant, George Lambert. The colorful characters all seem to be hiding something and it looks like it is up to Sergeant Manning to solve the crime. A local, who had an affair with Sergeant Lambert's wife seems to be the most likely suspect, but is he just the scapegoat for the affair? Can Sergeant Manning solve this crime before he loses his own life?
This book was first published in Australia and England and had a great following and finally a decade later it is being released in the United States. The story travels through roads that I have yet to tread and this author makes me want to visit with his vivid descriptions of the land. He even makes the desolate areas sound intriguing. I was a bit confused at the start of the story because of all of the people involved in the story so I really appreciated the cast of characters at the beginning of the book to keep them straight. This is a book you have to follow through to the final word. You never know when one character will reach out and just surprise you with something they did or had done to them. After I started to figure out who was who, the story flew and kept me interested until the very last page. I did find my vocabulary was greatly enhanced by the time I finished the book. It was an enjoyable read and I'd recommend this for anyone who is up for a challenge of who done it.
I hope Mr. Reid gets to share some other adventures of Merryll Manning with the folks here in the U.S.

5 family thumbs up out of 7

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Nov 14, 2010 Martha Cheves rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Health Farm Murders – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

‘On re-entering my room, I saw a man going through Zapata’s things. At first I thought one of the other guests had got wind of Taylor’s chocolate hoard and was helping himself. “Hold on there!” I expected the helping-hand guest to wheel around and offer some feeble excuse. Imagine my surprise when he pitched Zapata’s bag right at me! The bag knocked me over but as the guru made to rush past I lashed out at his shi...more The Health Farm Murders – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

‘On re-entering my room, I saw a man going through Zapata’s things. At first I thought one of the other guests had got wind of Taylor’s chocolate hoard and was helping himself. “Hold on there!” I expected the helping-hand guest to wheel around and offer some feeble excuse. Imagine my surprise when he pitched Zapata’s bag right at me! The bag knocked me over but as the guru made to rush past I lashed out at his shins with my foot, tripping him up. As he fell forward on his face, I threw myself on top of him. He tried to roll sideways, kicking out with his feet, but I was too heavy for him. I grabbed his head with both hands and forced it on to the floor; but he arced out his left arm and caught me a glancing blow on the chin, - not forceful enough to knock me off. I knelt the more heavily on top of him, and burying both my knees into his arms, pulled his head back and forth by the hair, smashing his forehead repeatedly into the floor. “Enough! Enough!” he cried out. “You and I are going along to see Sister Susan.” We both stood up. He preceded me into the corridor. He was a thickset gent, maybe thirty-five or forty, wearing black slacks and a black jumper. It was just beginning to dawn on me that he didn’t seem like a fellow guest at all, when there was a sort of gurgling sob from the next room. The door opened and one of the Seabrook brothers wobbled out, his face ashen, his normally bulging eyes now wide as saucers. “It’s Mr. Payne!” he cried out. “He’s dead!”

Good old “Happy Valley.” Located near Sydney, Australia and the perfect place to take a break to rejuvenate your body while taking a refresher course in living the natural way. Run, owned and operated by Sister Susan who promises to clean out your system, revitalize tired cells and set you on the road to health, happiness and low self-hostility. This sounded like the perfect get-away for police Sergeant Merryll Manning of the Miami Police Department. Little did he know that his trip would be quite the opposite.

The characters in The Health Farm Murders are of quite a variation. You have a minister, a movie critic/numerologist, a movie theater owner and an old sea captain, just to name a few. With the 1st murder I started looking at the possible suspects. I had my felon picked out only to have him murdered. I picked another suspect out of the guests visiting Happy Valley but soon found that person to have an alibi which appeared to make it impossible for him to be the murderer. So I changed my suspect choice and he too ended up being murdered. This went on throughout the WHOLE book! The Health Farm Murders turned out to be a book that completely stumped me as a “who-done-it” reader.

The Health Farm Murders

2008
Lulu Press, Inc.
230 pages
ISBN# 978-0-557-01006-6

Review Stir, Laugh, Repeat at Amazon.com Stir, Laugh, Repeat (less)

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Aug 26, 2010 Nathan Hayes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Miami Police Sergeant Merryll Manning is on vacation at a health farm in Australia after answering an ad that promises a return to health and happiness. Just what he needed, or so he thought. Merryll's hopes for rest and relaxation are quickly dashed when a fellow guest is found dead.

Available for the first time in North America, this is the second of twelve Merryll Manning books first published in Australia in 1985 by author John Howard Reid. Despite being a sequel, the book reads well as a sta...more Miami Police Sergeant Merryll Manning is on vacation at a health farm in Australia after answering an ad that promises a return to health and happiness. Just what he needed, or so he thought. Merryll's hopes for rest and relaxation are quickly dashed when a fellow guest is found dead.

Available for the first time in North America, this is the second of twelve Merryll Manning books first published in Australia in 1985 by author John Howard Reid. Despite being a sequel, the book reads well as a stand-alone, and there is no need to read the prequel to become accustomed to the character.

Sister Susan's Health Farm is set in fictional Happy Valley, based on Blackheath, in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, Australia. Author Reid introduces a large cast of intriguing characters, each of whom have retreated to the farm for their own unique reasons. His protagonist is no stereotypical detective; Merryll (Merry) Manning is a sophisticated, eccentric policeman rather than the macho, ego-driven cops so common in the mystery genre.

When a retired film exhibitor is found dead and the local police arrive, there is immediate friction between Merryll and police sergeant George Lambert. Lambert's police skills appear limited and Merryll questions the sergeant's ability to solve a homicide. Lambert points the finger of guilt at local thug James "Jimbo" Punter. Merryll suspects the sergeant has a personal bias against Punter and learns Jimbo once had an affair with Lambert's wife.

Another guest is found dead. Merryll turns up clues that put nearly every one of the twelve vacationers, and even the proprietress Susan Delaflore, under suspicion at one time or another in the story. An enormous police manhunt for Punter begins in the vast valley. Meanwhile, the survivors of Sister Susan's farm set out on the final hike of the visit to Pulpit Rock Lookout. The hike is vigorous and dangerous as the author brings all the players together for an epic confrontation, but keeps the reader guessing the true identity of the killer until the final pages.

The author has a knack for scene-painting narrative. His vivid descriptions of the mountain scenery and the simple accommodations of the farm effectively put the reader right in the scene, watching the drama unfold. Mr. Reid has penned a captivating, soft-boiled detective story with a strong main character, a terrific supporting cast, and a plot with twists, turns, and plenty of red herrings. He treats the reader to a tale filled with tension, conflict, and quirky humor. The violence is minimal and there is no foul language.

I highly recommend Merryll Manning: The Health Farm Murders. This is an intelligent, old- fashioned-styled mystery that won't disappoint. Those who love a great whodunit will be hooked. Merryll is a superb hero and this is sure to be an entertaining, enjoyable series. 5 Stars

More "Merry" mysteries please!(less)

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Jul 25, 2010 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Detective Merryll Manning is in need of a mini vacation. When he sees Sister Susan ad saying “Take a refresher course in Sunny Australia: The Happy Valley Health Way is the Natural Way”, Manning decides to book a trip.

Sister Susan runs a health clinic. Merryll is joined by David Grey, a text book publisher, Erasmus J. Hopkins, astrologer, Lester Jurd, retired ship captain, Russell Payne, retired firm exhibitor, and Seldon “Zapata” Taylor, firm critic to name a few.

It seems that even when Merry...more

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Sep 12, 2010 Tracy Brusa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Title: Merryll Manning: The Health Farm Murders
By John Howard Reid
Lulu, 2008
Genre: Mystery/Suspense Thriller
Pages: 232

Merryll Manning is a police officer in Miami Florida. In much need of a vacation he is taking a holiday to Happy Valley, in Australia. Happy Valley is based on a real town Blackhealth, in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, Australia. Merryll is scheduled to stay at The Health Farm which is full of promises of changing your life for the better. The Health Farm is run by Sister S...more

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Jun 13, 2010 B.K. Walker rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Health Farm Murders by John Reid was fantastic. For any murder mystery fan, this title is sure to keep you guessing until the very end.

Merryll Manning is going on holiday. In need of a break, and time to relax he heads to the Health Farm, for some much needed rejuvination.

On the train he meets some others heading to the same place. While Merryll is ready to start to relax, that is the last thing that he will be granted as a series of murders take place.

As a Sergeant on the police force, he m...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Lynne rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 04, 2012 Valerie marked it as to-read

Nov 24, 2010 Kit marked it as to-read

Nov 23, 2010 Rick F. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Oct 24, 2010 Cheryl marked it as to-read

Aug 28, 2010 Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

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Oct 15, 2010 Bobbie Crawford-McCoy rated it 5 of 5 stars

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Aug 02, 2010 Jennifer marked it as to-read

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Shelves: mystery-suspense, fiction, all-reviews, promoted-on-nurture, thriller

Jan 02, 2012 Stacy [The Novel Life] marked it as to-read

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May 31, 2010 Heather marked it as to-read

May 30, 2010 Jo-Anne Vandermeulen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Nov 11, 2009 John Howard rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

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