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Accomplished #2
Accomplished In Detection
Murder has manners…
When a dinner party at a friend’s country estate ends with the gruesome murder of the local curate, Mariah Featherstone will have to clear the name of an innocent man, one who also happens to be her former suitor. But capturing the real killer may not be simple when everyone in the house seems to possess the means and motive for the killing.
Can Mariah deduce the identity of the murderer before she becomes the next corpse? And will her efforts uncover a truth she would rather not discover?
When a dinner party at a friend’s country estate ends with the gruesome murder of the local curate, Mariah Featherstone will have to clear the name of an innocent man, one who also happens to be her former suitor. But capturing the real killer may not be simple when everyone in the house seems to possess the means and motive for the killing.
Can Mariah deduce the identity of the murderer before she becomes the next corpse? And will her efforts uncover a truth she would rather not discover?
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First published October 4, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 25, 2013
The Book Report: A Kindle original novella. Miss Mariah Featherstone is visiting her friend Charlotte at the home of Charlotte's guardian and uncle, Sir Harold Morley. She knows Charlotte's fondest wish is to marry the local curate, Mr. Pettifor, who most regrettably turns up dead...whit Mariah's rejected suitor and fellow houseguest. Mr.Edwin Winterbourne, hovering over him. A rush to justice then begins, and poor Mr. Winterbourne...Mariah might not want to marry him, but she does not want to see him hanged for the crime of another person.
So off goes Mariah, speaking to the son of the Morley house, to Lady Morley, to the mad daughter of the house, to Miss Pettifor the curate's very young sister, all in aid of Mr. Winterbourne's proof of innocence. She must clamber over fences (dressed as a man, no less!), interview angry people on every side, and still maintain a watch over poor, poor Charlotte's bedside, as her friend is prostrated with grief.
In the end, of course, justice is served and punishment is meted out to the guilty. It is what mysteries do best, after all.
My Review: This was a perfect palate-cleanser between my recent five-star read of an historical novel and the rest of literature. It is short, and it is a mystery, and it has a charming premise, so I thought whattheheck and Kindled it up.
Very glad I did. Its aforementioned virtues are delivered upon with charm and verve. I thoroughly liked Miss Featherstone, and while the novella length doesn't allow for such fripperies as careful characterization or extensive puzzle-building, it does deliver the goods in shorthand versions of same.
Charming. Winsome. Most amusing. Worth two hours or so of your reading time, when heavier fare lacks savor.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
So off goes Mariah, speaking to the son of the Morley house, to Lady Morley, to the mad daughter of the house, to Miss Pettifor the curate's very young sister, all in aid of Mr. Winterbourne's proof of innocence. She must clamber over fences (dressed as a man, no less!), interview angry people on every side, and still maintain a watch over poor, poor Charlotte's bedside, as her friend is prostrated with grief.
In the end, of course, justice is served and punishment is meted out to the guilty. It is what mysteries do best, after all.
My Review: This was a perfect palate-cleanser between my recent five-star read of an historical novel and the rest of literature. It is short, and it is a mystery, and it has a charming premise, so I thought whattheheck and Kindled it up.
Very glad I did. Its aforementioned virtues are delivered upon with charm and verve. I thoroughly liked Miss Featherstone, and while the novella length doesn't allow for such fripperies as careful characterization or extensive puzzle-building, it does deliver the goods in shorthand versions of same.
Charming. Winsome. Most amusing. Worth two hours or so of your reading time, when heavier fare lacks savor.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
May 9, 2012
Accomplished In Detection (Original review at goodbookalert.blogspot.com)
Author: Dara England
Genre: Historical Mystery
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Accomplished In Detection is an entertaining historical mystery.
Summary:
A dinner party at a Victorian country estate ends in a mysterious murder. Unfortunately for the murderer, one of the guests is Mariah Featherstone, a young woman with an interest and talent for solving such mysteries. But when she starts poking around, Mariah begins to remember why sleuthing is not the casual hobby of choice for most young Victorian women.
Review:
Accomplished In Detection is the second in a series of loosely connected Victorian mystery novellas. Although there is some slight character cross-over from the first in the series, no knowledge is required of the first to enjoy this story.
The core of this novella is a perfectly serviceable murder mystery. A curate is murdered and the protagonist, Mariah, is sure that the accused, a man with whom she has some acquaintance, is innocent. A common enough mystery scenario, but this story is set in the Victorian era with a female protagonist. A lack of decent forensics technology and the resistance of the male authorities make for a less than straight-forward investigation on Mariah's part. That being said, several aspects of the mystery weren't particularly difficult to solve or see through, but there were still some interesting surprises, and a sort of additional layer of mystery not related to the murder that was intriguing. Though, I would have liked to have seen a bit more of development of some of these aspects.
Given the mystery isn’t as substantial as it could be, it’d help if perhaps the characters were rendered with a bit more depth. The lead is likable and interesting enough, and a mysterious side character who helps her out is engaging as wel, but with the relatively brief length of the novella, the characters were perhaps not as developed as much as they could be, and just as we begin to get to know and really settle in with them, the story is over. The man accused of the crime and the victim, in addition, just don’t have enough presence in the story to significantly add to the tension of the piece.
The setting was well-utilized. Historical mystery, especially with non-standard protagonists, offers its own set off challenges, and the author did a good job of presenting us with a plausible mystery heroine in the context of the Victorian era. The practical realities that went with the sexism of the period were not glossed either.
Overall, I liked Accomplished In Detection, but just would have preferred perhaps a slightly longer work so I had more time to appreciate the characters, the setting, and the mystery. Still, this was a fun little novella that fans of cozy and historical mystery will likely enjoy.
3.5 Stars
Author: Dara England
Genre: Historical Mystery
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Accomplished In Detection is an entertaining historical mystery.
Summary:
A dinner party at a Victorian country estate ends in a mysterious murder. Unfortunately for the murderer, one of the guests is Mariah Featherstone, a young woman with an interest and talent for solving such mysteries. But when she starts poking around, Mariah begins to remember why sleuthing is not the casual hobby of choice for most young Victorian women.
Review:
Accomplished In Detection is the second in a series of loosely connected Victorian mystery novellas. Although there is some slight character cross-over from the first in the series, no knowledge is required of the first to enjoy this story.
The core of this novella is a perfectly serviceable murder mystery. A curate is murdered and the protagonist, Mariah, is sure that the accused, a man with whom she has some acquaintance, is innocent. A common enough mystery scenario, but this story is set in the Victorian era with a female protagonist. A lack of decent forensics technology and the resistance of the male authorities make for a less than straight-forward investigation on Mariah's part. That being said, several aspects of the mystery weren't particularly difficult to solve or see through, but there were still some interesting surprises, and a sort of additional layer of mystery not related to the murder that was intriguing. Though, I would have liked to have seen a bit more of development of some of these aspects.
Given the mystery isn’t as substantial as it could be, it’d help if perhaps the characters were rendered with a bit more depth. The lead is likable and interesting enough, and a mysterious side character who helps her out is engaging as wel, but with the relatively brief length of the novella, the characters were perhaps not as developed as much as they could be, and just as we begin to get to know and really settle in with them, the story is over. The man accused of the crime and the victim, in addition, just don’t have enough presence in the story to significantly add to the tension of the piece.
The setting was well-utilized. Historical mystery, especially with non-standard protagonists, offers its own set off challenges, and the author did a good job of presenting us with a plausible mystery heroine in the context of the Victorian era. The practical realities that went with the sexism of the period were not glossed either.
Overall, I liked Accomplished In Detection, but just would have preferred perhaps a slightly longer work so I had more time to appreciate the characters, the setting, and the mystery. Still, this was a fun little novella that fans of cozy and historical mystery will likely enjoy.
3.5 Stars
December 27, 2012
Accomplished in Murder
Mystery lurks at the Cornwall estate of Blackridge House, where a young bride has found fear and torment in place of the romance she once believed in. When her body is found at the foot of the cliffs, shortly after she wrote a letter summoning her best friend from London with hints of her unnamed fear, her death is attributed to accident. But was it? When Drucilla, the recipient of her hasty letter, arrives and learns of her death, she isn't convinced. What caused the unspoken distress in her friend's letter? Did it have anything to do with her death? Her uncertainty grows when she discovers the hidden secrets of the manor family. Did they need to protect their past enough to rid the world of her friend? Events certainly lead her to believe so and motivate her to avenge her friend's death by discovering her murderer. Will she succeed before her probing questions lead to her own demise?
Accomplished in Detection
Mariah Featherstone's first meeting with her best friend's lover isn't at all what she expected, for she finds his head cradled in her lap as he takes his final breath, the victim of a murderous blade. All fingers point at the man who "discovered" the victim's body, Edwin Winterbourne, who is also visiting the country estate. Mariah, however, is certain that an innocent man has been accused. She stands alone in her conviction, however, and must resort to subterfuge and subtle probing to get to the heart of the mystery. Will she be able to discover the household member who held a deadly grudge against the victim? Or will an innocent man be hanged for someone else's crime?
Both of these novella-length Victorian mysteries demonstrate the author's skill but are, unfortunately, too short for adequate character development and plot intricacy. Both end rather abruptly when the heroines stumble upon the solution to each mystery, which leads to a feeling of anti-climax at the end of each. However, the narrative is well-written and shows a promise of talent that I hope, in future, will be applied to longer books that will allow greater depth and entertainment. In summary, for a short and entertaining read, these are good choices if you don't expect too much.
Mystery lurks at the Cornwall estate of Blackridge House, where a young bride has found fear and torment in place of the romance she once believed in. When her body is found at the foot of the cliffs, shortly after she wrote a letter summoning her best friend from London with hints of her unnamed fear, her death is attributed to accident. But was it? When Drucilla, the recipient of her hasty letter, arrives and learns of her death, she isn't convinced. What caused the unspoken distress in her friend's letter? Did it have anything to do with her death? Her uncertainty grows when she discovers the hidden secrets of the manor family. Did they need to protect their past enough to rid the world of her friend? Events certainly lead her to believe so and motivate her to avenge her friend's death by discovering her murderer. Will she succeed before her probing questions lead to her own demise?
Accomplished in Detection
Mariah Featherstone's first meeting with her best friend's lover isn't at all what she expected, for she finds his head cradled in her lap as he takes his final breath, the victim of a murderous blade. All fingers point at the man who "discovered" the victim's body, Edwin Winterbourne, who is also visiting the country estate. Mariah, however, is certain that an innocent man has been accused. She stands alone in her conviction, however, and must resort to subterfuge and subtle probing to get to the heart of the mystery. Will she be able to discover the household member who held a deadly grudge against the victim? Or will an innocent man be hanged for someone else's crime?
Both of these novella-length Victorian mysteries demonstrate the author's skill but are, unfortunately, too short for adequate character development and plot intricacy. Both end rather abruptly when the heroines stumble upon the solution to each mystery, which leads to a feeling of anti-climax at the end of each. However, the narrative is well-written and shows a promise of talent that I hope, in future, will be applied to longer books that will allow greater depth and entertainment. In summary, for a short and entertaining read, these are good choices if you don't expect too much.
June 23, 2013
This story is a companion to another one, Accomplished in Murder, which is part of this series. However, the reader does not need to read both to enjoy and understand the stories because the connection between the two is not very complex and has no bearing on either story. In this story, Mariah Featherstone is visiting a country friend when a murder takes place. This strong, intelligent detective takes it upon herself to figure out who did the murder, thereby exonerating a former beau who has been charged with the murder. As in the other story, this strong female lead, living in the Victorian era, finds some difficulty maneuvering her way through the events. However, she prevails and succeeds. As in the other story, I found the strong female lead inspiring and refreshing and the other characters and storyline authentic. I do wish the story could have gone on longer because I wanted to get to know Mariah better and to not feel so rushed reading through the story. I hope there will be more of this series, though I wish the author would consider writing something longer than a novella. She definitely writes well enough and the stories and characters are interesting enough to be a regular, full-length novel. I received this book free from Library Thing to read and review.
July 31, 2014
This was a quick, entertaining read that was better in my opinion than the first book in the series.
The mystery was not quite as predictable as the first one--the clues were better hidden and there were a few more twists and turns that were not so obviously foreshadowed.
I really like the combination of a Gothic thriller and cozy mystery, and the Victorian era setting makes it all the more interesting. Because of it, there are more challenges and restrictions placed on the heroine to solve the mystery since "proper" young ladies in that era are not supposed to bother their pretty little heads with such horrible things as murder, violence and bloodshed.
The story was well-written but a little too short for in-depth character development. That being said, I did like Mariah Featherstone's intelligence and determination. Also, because of the length of the novella, the plot wasn't quite as intricate and complex as it could have been. Just when the reader is really getting into the heart of the mystery, it's over. Nevertheless, I'm enjoying this series and will definitely continue on with any future books.
The mystery was not quite as predictable as the first one--the clues were better hidden and there were a few more twists and turns that were not so obviously foreshadowed.
I really like the combination of a Gothic thriller and cozy mystery, and the Victorian era setting makes it all the more interesting. Because of it, there are more challenges and restrictions placed on the heroine to solve the mystery since "proper" young ladies in that era are not supposed to bother their pretty little heads with such horrible things as murder, violence and bloodshed.
The story was well-written but a little too short for in-depth character development. That being said, I did like Mariah Featherstone's intelligence and determination. Also, because of the length of the novella, the plot wasn't quite as intricate and complex as it could have been. Just when the reader is really getting into the heart of the mystery, it's over. Nevertheless, I'm enjoying this series and will definitely continue on with any future books.
January 5, 2013
A hybrid of Victorian Romance and a cozy murder-mystery series.
The clues surrounding the murderer were better hidden than the clues in the first novella. The story is well-written but, like the first novella in this series, it lacks substance, particularly in the way of character development. I would like to be able to "see" the main character in my head.
The main character of this novella -Mariah- is loosely associated with the main character of the previous novella -Drucilla. This is an interesting twist to the murder-mystery genre; it helps flesh out the characters and the society in which they live. Still, I need better images of the main characters in the individual novellas themselves if I am to keep them all apart for the duration of the series.
Having seen the development of the author's abilities between these two novella's, I'm intrigued to know more about this series.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.
The clues surrounding the murderer were better hidden than the clues in the first novella. The story is well-written but, like the first novella in this series, it lacks substance, particularly in the way of character development. I would like to be able to "see" the main character in my head.
The main character of this novella -Mariah- is loosely associated with the main character of the previous novella -Drucilla. This is an interesting twist to the murder-mystery genre; it helps flesh out the characters and the society in which they live. Still, I need better images of the main characters in the individual novellas themselves if I am to keep them all apart for the duration of the series.
Having seen the development of the author's abilities between these two novella's, I'm intrigued to know more about this series.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.
January 19, 2013
The Accomplished Mysteries by Dara England are a pair of delightful mini-mysteries in a Victorian era setting. Well-written in an easy to follow format, these novellas are an excellent choice for young readers who enjoy tracking clues and trying to solve a crime story. This reader would have preferred a deeper treatment of the story arc and expect to see more of this bright author. I look forward to the future adventures of our capable, headstrong heroine.
July 7, 2016
I dunno, this was a quick read, but nothing really grabbed me. I can barely remember the main character in fact the only one i can remember is the little girl Lucille, and she only showed up a handful of times.
You can read it but don't expect a great deal. It's less than 100 pages so if you need something quick to tide you over, then yeah choose this one.
You can read it but don't expect a great deal. It's less than 100 pages so if you need something quick to tide you over, then yeah choose this one.
December 11, 2015
England's second Accomplished novella was much better than the first. The story still seems a bit rushed in places, but not so much that I feel like important bits were left out. I do wish that we could have seen more of Edwin.
March 22, 2012
I think these reads of Dara England and light, quick and entertaining. They don't go above and beyond that, IMO, but I do enjoy them while I am reading deeper books. I would be interested in seeing her do a full length novel based on the "period" of time in the novelettes.
January 21, 2013
book 2 of The Accomplished Mysteries
short story , fast read .
when Charlotte's soon to be fiance ends up murdered on the night he plans to ask her uncle for her hand in marriage Charlotte's friends Mariah must prove her friends Edwin innocent by finding the real killer.
short story , fast read .
when Charlotte's soon to be fiance ends up murdered on the night he plans to ask her uncle for her hand in marriage Charlotte's friends Mariah must prove her friends Edwin innocent by finding the real killer.
December 23, 2011
I really enjoyed this story. I thought it was the perfect length. I hope there will be more of the Accomplished in ... series.
May 1, 2013
improvement upon the first!
January 28, 2020
GREAT READ
I thoroughly enjoyed this book better than the second one even though the characters background isn't explained in great detail it was still a great read.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book better than the second one even though the characters background isn't explained in great detail it was still a great read.
March 15, 2015
Too quick.
I enjoyed the plot and characters, but it needed more body to the story.
Disappointed that it lacked more fullness. ..
I enjoyed the plot and characters, but it needed more body to the story.
Disappointed that it lacked more fullness. ..
August 26, 2013
Pretty good but abbreviated. This one, in particular, could have been a chapter or two longer.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews