A Mischief in the Snow

Bracebridge Mystery #4

by Margaret Miles

A winter of discontent.. .

January 1766. A dangerous mishap brings young widow Charlotte Willett unexpectedly to bleak and marshy Boar Island, a few miles from the village of Bracebridge and home to two eccentric elderly women. Some say that arrogant, unpopular Alexander Godwin — the only villager to regularly call upon the island's two residents — hopes to inherit the cavernous house when its owner finally passes on.

But when Alexander is brutally murdered after the town's annual winter fête, Charlotte and her neighbor Richard Longfellow can't help but wonder who among Alexander's detractors might be responsible. Is his death connected to his activities on Boar Island — or to the unearthly trickery rumored to take place there? Could the rivalry over a beautiful young woman have sparked a more dangerous passion? And will the answers reveal themselves before death strikes Boar Island again?

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical, Detective, Cozy Mystery

323 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 27, 2001

Reviews

[Deane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading novels about life in the 1700s in Massachusetts is not my regular choice but this is the second book I've read and I really enjoyed both. The folks in Mass. are very annoyed over the new stamps that England is forcing them to use.

Same characters in the series who live in Bracebridge, a town not far from Boston. Charlotte Willett and Richard Goodfellow are neighbours and very good friends....they confide secrets to each other and discuss things that go on in the town and countryside.

This time an elderly, dominating lady lives on a tiny island in a massive 50-year old estate. She is mean and cruel and lives with her sister, Magdalene whom she keeps under her control. Magdalene is quiet, has a secret, only speaks when her sister lets her do so.

A murder occurs in the town, the old lady dies by falling into the huge fireplace, there are many men who are making false shillings.

The ending was a complete surprise to me....the explanation went on for many pages when the accused confesses what he has done in the past and in the present.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Mischief in the Snow is a very slow moving mystery set in Massachusetts in 1766. I am guessing it was exhaustively researched, since the author goes to great pains to put in many small details about the time that drag the story down (in my opinion).

I'm not sure where or when I picked this book up - it has been on my bookshelves for years - but I haven't read the first three books in the series. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I'd known more about the characters. Two of the characters are dancing around the idea of a romantic relationship and I thought, this is book four and this is as far as they've gotten? There is a touch or the paranormal that seemed entirely out of place. My interest did pick up toward the end, and the series does feature a feisty and resourceful female heroine.

Not great, not terrible.

[Susan Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable mystery and the beginning spark of romance. Murder comes to Bracebridge and Charlotte and Richard find themselves looking for clues on the secluded island nearby. Boar island is inhabited by two older ladies that lead a strange and sheltered life pinching pennies when the family has wealth. Magdalene seems to not be fully mentally competent while Catherine holds the purse strings and is very stingy.

Counterfeit coins throw a tint into the mix and young men are suspicioned for trying to dupe the old ladies of the island. When the lad most suspected turns up dead, it's up to Charlotte and Richard to figure out the plot and restore the peace in the little village.

[Helenk · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve read the previous novels in this series and really enjoyed them. Quite some time passed before I started this one and then I did not seriously apply myself to it. It just did not capture me until the last 50 pages and voila! I was finally intrigued. I read the author plans to continue this series but I don’t know if I will bother.

[Ariadne Cares · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really delightful! Good plot and great atmosphere, interesting and nuanced characters, and a haunted old house on an island! An insightful discussion of the enigmatic Castle of Otranto, a shadowy counterfeiting ring, and skating on a frozen river. Loved it!!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good end to this series. I spotted whodunnit, but that doesn't bother me. The specific supernatural touches felt a bit out of place.

[Paschalis]

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[Anne Hawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll

[Jodi · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were parts of this book that were fascinating. The story takes place a decade before the Revolutionary war in a small town west of Boston. The details of life in that period were made real in this book, furnishings, clothing, behavior, food, all felt suitable for the period. The mystery, however, wasn't nearly so interesting. Part of is that the person who is killed isn't particularly well liked. But even as Charlotte Willett and her neighbor Richard Longfellow try to ferret out the truth, it never captured my attention. Charlotte and Richard are the main protagonists. They obey conventions even while Richard is planning something more. That more would have made the book flow faster and drawn us in deeper. Even when all is at last revealed, it didn't seem particularly novel. Just sad.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Merry Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very satisfying close to this series. Enjoyed all 4 of this series.

[Edd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Colonial mystery book. Very light reading.

[Helen Fleischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

never trust a lawyer!