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The Underwood Mysteries #1
A Noble Pair of Brothers
An historical murder mystery set in the 1820's.
When C. H. Underwood arrives in the village of Bracken Tor in the spring of 1820, he intends only to visit his brother, the vicar, and take a long rest from his work as a Classics tutor at Cambridge University.
However, almost as soon as he arrives he finds himself intrigued by an unsolved murder, committed the year before.
The headless corpse of a young woman was found in woods belonging to the local landowner and Magistrate, Sir Henry Wynter.
Underwood finds the notion that the body lies in a grave marked “Unknown” to be abhorrent. He decides to use his free time to discover the identity of the victim – and if possible bring her killer to justice.
His brother begs him to proceed with caution, as the murder had roused feelings of a controversial nature amongst the villagers.
Before long he has uncovered not only the girl’s final movements before her death, but also the possibility of two other murders having taken place in Bracken Tor.
His task is not made any less complicated by his developing relationship with Charlotte, one of Sir Henry’s daughters, and by the myriad characters he comes across in his investigation.
The theory that the girl had been killed as some sort of barbaric ritual is only one of his difficulties, and when a young man arrives in the midst of a cricket match, claiming to be the victim’s husband, the whole village becomes privy to the fact that Underwood is attempting to solve the mystery.
When the newcomer is shot through the heart whilst in Underwood’s company, he finds himself not only universally reviled for his interference, but also accused of murder himself.
It takes all his ingenuity to extricate himself from the chaos he has caused, but he always has Verity Chapell, governess to the Wynter girls, to help him in his quest to find the murderer.
When C. H. Underwood arrives in the village of Bracken Tor in the spring of 1820, he intends only to visit his brother, the vicar, and take a long rest from his work as a Classics tutor at Cambridge University.
However, almost as soon as he arrives he finds himself intrigued by an unsolved murder, committed the year before.
The headless corpse of a young woman was found in woods belonging to the local landowner and Magistrate, Sir Henry Wynter.
Underwood finds the notion that the body lies in a grave marked “Unknown” to be abhorrent. He decides to use his free time to discover the identity of the victim – and if possible bring her killer to justice.
His brother begs him to proceed with caution, as the murder had roused feelings of a controversial nature amongst the villagers.
Before long he has uncovered not only the girl’s final movements before her death, but also the possibility of two other murders having taken place in Bracken Tor.
His task is not made any less complicated by his developing relationship with Charlotte, one of Sir Henry’s daughters, and by the myriad characters he comes across in his investigation.
The theory that the girl had been killed as some sort of barbaric ritual is only one of his difficulties, and when a young man arrives in the midst of a cricket match, claiming to be the victim’s husband, the whole village becomes privy to the fact that Underwood is attempting to solve the mystery.
When the newcomer is shot through the heart whilst in Underwood’s company, he finds himself not only universally reviled for his interference, but also accused of murder himself.
It takes all his ingenuity to extricate himself from the chaos he has caused, but he always has Verity Chapell, governess to the Wynter girls, to help him in his quest to find the murderer.
347 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 15, 2014
266 people are currently reading
279 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
February 18, 2016
I read for many reasons, but one of the strongest reasons is that I want to be transported into a world that I think I would really enjoy. There's something so appealing by a story set in the Regency period. A time where men were true gentlemen and ladies were refined and demure. That doesn't mean I view the period through rose tinted glasses, far from it.
But the period instantly appealed to me, and even the blurb doesn't give everything away. Is this a mystery, a historical romance, a crime thriller? in many ways, it is all of these things.
I actually enjoyed the measured pace and descriptive writing style of the author. Miss Downes leaves nothing to chance; you understand where you are and when you are - and her characters are extremely well drawn and entertaining (Chuffy needs his own book!).
A professor takes leave to visit his brother, who is a vicar in a quaint English village. Of course, it is the kind of place where everyone knows everyone else, is the very definition of 'let sleeping dogs lie' and yet, the wily professor is fascinating by the unknown / unmarked grave of the person who died in mysterious circumstances. The beauty of living in England is that there are lots of villages like this, and I grin each time I visit such a place, knowing that the people there all know each other, but don't know me.
The brothers should be like peas in a pod but the author has given them great distinctiveness and even though there is an underlying subplot about marrying the women of the story off to well-to-do men, a given of the period, it is a necessary device and welcome diversion from the mystery that slowly unravels.
For some, the pace may be too slow. I say don't expect each book to run at lightning speed. A Noble Pair of Brothers works on practically every level I could have wished for. It took me a while to read it, some of you may devour it more quickly. But I promise you that you will enjoy this first in the series, and I am going to read the second book in due course.
But the period instantly appealed to me, and even the blurb doesn't give everything away. Is this a mystery, a historical romance, a crime thriller? in many ways, it is all of these things.
I actually enjoyed the measured pace and descriptive writing style of the author. Miss Downes leaves nothing to chance; you understand where you are and when you are - and her characters are extremely well drawn and entertaining (Chuffy needs his own book!).
A professor takes leave to visit his brother, who is a vicar in a quaint English village. Of course, it is the kind of place where everyone knows everyone else, is the very definition of 'let sleeping dogs lie' and yet, the wily professor is fascinating by the unknown / unmarked grave of the person who died in mysterious circumstances. The beauty of living in England is that there are lots of villages like this, and I grin each time I visit such a place, knowing that the people there all know each other, but don't know me.
The brothers should be like peas in a pod but the author has given them great distinctiveness and even though there is an underlying subplot about marrying the women of the story off to well-to-do men, a given of the period, it is a necessary device and welcome diversion from the mystery that slowly unravels.
For some, the pace may be too slow. I say don't expect each book to run at lightning speed. A Noble Pair of Brothers works on practically every level I could have wished for. It took me a while to read it, some of you may devour it more quickly. But I promise you that you will enjoy this first in the series, and I am going to read the second book in due course.
December 23, 2015
I don't normally check out the reviews posted by others but the 3 star comments said. "Tedious" "No character." Did they read the same book as me?
A Noble Pair of Brothers is anything but tedious, Suzanne Downes does slow the pace at times but only because the story needed it. Pacing in a book like this needs to be paced correctly to a) make the story work and b) enjoyable for the reader.
As soon as I read the prologue I knew I would enjoy this book. It was a comfortable read in every sense of the word. I was curled up on the sofa, coffee cup in one hand and kindle in the other. The narrative was easy reading, the plot unfolded steadily.
The characterisation of the Underwood brothers is great and you know when you read that the author has so much more in store. I wasn't sure about the romance element but that didn't matter to me because the story was all about mystery.
The author certainly has done her homework and research around the 1800's. The language used in the dialogue can only be described as quaint and it is suitable and true to the era in which the book is set, also the lack of contractions added credibility to the dialogue. The written narrative is also to be applauded, Suzanne Downes has produced a great book one and I will be reading more from her.
A Noble Pair of Brothers is anything but tedious, Suzanne Downes does slow the pace at times but only because the story needed it. Pacing in a book like this needs to be paced correctly to a) make the story work and b) enjoyable for the reader.
As soon as I read the prologue I knew I would enjoy this book. It was a comfortable read in every sense of the word. I was curled up on the sofa, coffee cup in one hand and kindle in the other. The narrative was easy reading, the plot unfolded steadily.
The characterisation of the Underwood brothers is great and you know when you read that the author has so much more in store. I wasn't sure about the romance element but that didn't matter to me because the story was all about mystery.
The author certainly has done her homework and research around the 1800's. The language used in the dialogue can only be described as quaint and it is suitable and true to the era in which the book is set, also the lack of contractions added credibility to the dialogue. The written narrative is also to be applauded, Suzanne Downes has produced a great book one and I will be reading more from her.
May 7, 2023
A Noble Pair of Brothers is book 1 in the Underwood Mysteries series by Suzanne Downes. In the 1820s, in the small village of Bracken Tor, C. H. Underwood came to visit his brother, the vicar, for a rest from his role as classics tutor at Cambridge University. However, C. H. Underwood did not expect to be involved in a cold murder case of a young woman buried in an unnamed grave.
A Noble Pair of Brothers is the first book I have read by Suzanne Downes, and I enjoy reading this historical book. I was fine in engaging with this book's plot and characters. I love Suzanne Downes's portrayal of her characters and the way they interact with each other throughout this book. A Noble Pair of Brothers was well-written and researched by Suzanne Downes. I like Suzanne Downes's description of the settings of A Noble Pair of Brothers, which allowed me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
Readers of A Noble Pair of Brothers will understand that university tutors sometimes need a break from teaching. Also, the readers of A Noble Pair of Brothers will learn about the role of a Vicar in a small rural town in 1820 England.
I recommend this book.
A Noble Pair of Brothers is the first book I have read by Suzanne Downes, and I enjoy reading this historical book. I was fine in engaging with this book's plot and characters. I love Suzanne Downes's portrayal of her characters and the way they interact with each other throughout this book. A Noble Pair of Brothers was well-written and researched by Suzanne Downes. I like Suzanne Downes's description of the settings of A Noble Pair of Brothers, which allowed me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
Readers of A Noble Pair of Brothers will understand that university tutors sometimes need a break from teaching. Also, the readers of A Noble Pair of Brothers will learn about the role of a Vicar in a small rural town in 1820 England.
I recommend this book.
December 28, 2015
I only discovered Regency mysteries and now I can't get enough of them!
A Noble Pair of Brothers is the first of a Regency series by Suzanne Downes featuring the Underwood brothers, and I'll be doing the rest this new year. At first I thought the book was a bit slow (except for the Prologue which hooks you in) but that's OK since there is so much to character and story development to build. I see there is some criticism of "inconsistency" of characters, but that's the way it is in real life. None of us are "consistent" and it's' easy to be hypocritical despite principles. Anyway, this is a dandy story that is much more than a murder mystery, though it's central to the narrative. It's a good marriage of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, the Brontes, and Gothic.
A Noble Pair of Brothers is the first of a Regency series by Suzanne Downes featuring the Underwood brothers, and I'll be doing the rest this new year. At first I thought the book was a bit slow (except for the Prologue which hooks you in) but that's OK since there is so much to character and story development to build. I see there is some criticism of "inconsistency" of characters, but that's the way it is in real life. None of us are "consistent" and it's' easy to be hypocritical despite principles. Anyway, this is a dandy story that is much more than a murder mystery, though it's central to the narrative. It's a good marriage of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, the Brontes, and Gothic.
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June 20, 2019I normally love period novels. I especially like anything British, Scottish or Irish. The detailed descriptions of the countryside, climate and history fascinate me. A Pair of Noble Brothers sounded like exactly the kind of storyline I was looking for. I could hardly make it through the first two or three chapters. It was like trying to read Faulkner. One sentence would make an entire paragraph. The author’s use of five or six or more words to say the simplest phrase was beyond tedious.
In trying to make Chuffy sound well educated he came across as a pompous ass. It was very hard to like the main character. The only thing the storyline had going was the mystery of the identity and reason for the death of the girl and how could it possibly be solved. That’s the only reason I stuck with it to the end. When then plot finally started moving along at about the 75% mark the pacing was more satisfying.
Also worth mentioning is the large number of typographical and editing errors. One large passage was included twice. This is something I’ve not seen in any of the other books I’ve read from Kindle Unlimited. Since the ending did indeed save the whole book I started the second in the series. The editing errors are even more numerous in it. I just hope the plot can save it.
In trying to make Chuffy sound well educated he came across as a pompous ass. It was very hard to like the main character. The only thing the storyline had going was the mystery of the identity and reason for the death of the girl and how could it possibly be solved. That’s the only reason I stuck with it to the end. When then plot finally started moving along at about the 75% mark the pacing was more satisfying.
Also worth mentioning is the large number of typographical and editing errors. One large passage was included twice. This is something I’ve not seen in any of the other books I’ve read from Kindle Unlimited. Since the ending did indeed save the whole book I started the second in the series. The editing errors are even more numerous in it. I just hope the plot can save it.
May 3, 2020
It is 1820 and C.H. Underwood has arrived in a small village to visit his brother Gil, who is the local vicar and to take a much needed rest from his teaching at Cambridge. While visiting Gil he learns of an unsolved murder of a young woman who was found in the woods minus her head.
Intrigued and unsatisfied that no one has solved the murder C.H. vows to do so himself. Thus begins several adventures for C.H. who finds himself attracted to and "courted"by the local magistrate's daughter. The magistrate is an uncaring person who has people in fear of himself and hates his own daughters because they can't inherit his land. His wife dies in childbirth giving him a son which makes him very happy indeed, in both cases.
C.H. finds himself in danger as he pursues the murder suspect but it does not stop him.
There are several twists at the end of the story that I enjoyed but for the most part I didn't care for the characters much. The story started out with a bang but quickly became very bogged down after that. Perhaps there were just too many story lines to follow. It didn't pick up again until the twists began to appear.
Intrigued and unsatisfied that no one has solved the murder C.H. vows to do so himself. Thus begins several adventures for C.H. who finds himself attracted to and "courted"by the local magistrate's daughter. The magistrate is an uncaring person who has people in fear of himself and hates his own daughters because they can't inherit his land. His wife dies in childbirth giving him a son which makes him very happy indeed, in both cases.
C.H. finds himself in danger as he pursues the murder suspect but it does not stop him.
There are several twists at the end of the story that I enjoyed but for the most part I didn't care for the characters much. The story started out with a bang but quickly became very bogged down after that. Perhaps there were just too many story lines to follow. It didn't pick up again until the twists began to appear.
June 27, 2017
A noble pair of brothers is an intriguing book. The brothers, a village vicar and a university lecturer, are beautifully drawn down the vicar’s passion for correctly-brewed tea and his brother delicately using snuff. Underwood, the elder brother and rectory visitor, has a habit of pursuing every objective to its conclusion, and that includes finding the murderer of a headless girl in a neglected grave. Who is she, and how did she die and why?
Set in Victorian times when the police had no knowledge of DNA, or much else now taken for granted, Underwood appears to be taking on an impossible task, all mixed up with heartstring-pulling romance. Meet the obnoxious local magistrate and landowner, Sir Henry Wynter, his many motherless daughters and their governess, and his son. Sir Henry, by the way, defends his property from poachers with man-traps.
Set in Victorian times when the police had no knowledge of DNA, or much else now taken for granted, Underwood appears to be taking on an impossible task, all mixed up with heartstring-pulling romance. Meet the obnoxious local magistrate and landowner, Sir Henry Wynter, his many motherless daughters and their governess, and his son. Sir Henry, by the way, defends his property from poachers with man-traps.
October 15, 2017
Loved it
You must really like this genre, otherwise it's not your cup'o tea.
The brothers-Gil & Underwood (C.H. or Chuffy) are an interesting pair, one a minister, the other a Cambridge University Professor. Both confirmed bachelors knocking on the door of their forties. However, mama isn't having it, she wants grandchildren and soon, so in order to get the boys together, she's threatening to marry, gasp, at the age of 60!
Underwood shows up on his brother's doorstep, Reverend Gil Underwood and thus a mystery is discovered in the graveyard of Gil's church and two women fall in love.
The mystery itself is pretty darn good and the love stories are frustrating, but I shall say no more.
I'm hooked on The Underwood Brothers Mysteries. They're noble, interesting and not easily figured out!
You must really like this genre, otherwise it's not your cup'o tea.
The brothers-Gil & Underwood (C.H. or Chuffy) are an interesting pair, one a minister, the other a Cambridge University Professor. Both confirmed bachelors knocking on the door of their forties. However, mama isn't having it, she wants grandchildren and soon, so in order to get the boys together, she's threatening to marry, gasp, at the age of 60!
Underwood shows up on his brother's doorstep, Reverend Gil Underwood and thus a mystery is discovered in the graveyard of Gil's church and two women fall in love.
The mystery itself is pretty darn good and the love stories are frustrating, but I shall say no more.
I'm hooked on The Underwood Brothers Mysteries. They're noble, interesting and not easily figured out!
December 4, 2020
A well-done mystery, set in the English countryside, featuring a pair of brothers: one the local minister, and the other a don at Cambridge, who comes to visit his brother. Each of the pair is quite quirky in his own way. In the process of trying to solve the murder of an unidentified young woman...her corpse is headless...they encounter and engage with the local gentry, townspeople, farmers, servants, and more. There is love unrequited, rejected, and accepted. There is, shocking to the characters in the book, incest, bastardy, murder, greed, and trickery. The time period isn't clear; my guess is the latter part of the 19th century, but am not really sure. A fun read, although I'm not sure that I'll venture to pick up the next one in the series. Maybe.
January 19, 2017
I found this a pleasant surprise. A historical mystery set in England in the early part of the 19th century, this book features engaging characters and a fairly clever plot. One of the titled brothers, Gil, is a vicar in a small village. He is visited by his sibling Underwood, who teaches Classics at Cambridge, and Underwood begins investigating a murder after being moved by the inscription "Unknown" in the church graveyard. A bit of a tangled love story features in the story, but didn't detract. I liked Verity, but also appreciated that Charlotte matured, rather than remaining a two-dimensional character. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series.
September 20, 2020
3-1/2 stars, rounded up to four. I enjoyed the writing style of the author, which reminded me a bit of Jane Austin although not quite as polished. This is apparently the first of a series, featuring two brothers. One is a parish priest, the other a scholar. In this first book, the older brother, the scholar, comes to visit his brother in a remote village in England. A mystery of a grave marked as "Unknown" in the parish cemetery, piques the scholar's interest and the story unfolds.
The book has several typos in it, making me wonder whether it was self-published. Nonetheless, I liked it enough to continue reading the series.
The book has several typos in it, making me wonder whether it was self-published. Nonetheless, I liked it enough to continue reading the series.
August 26, 2017
This particular installment sat on the fence between mystery novel and romance novel, and I think it was somewhat more successful as a romance. The fact that it was set in the 1820s doesn't really matter for the plot, and there's not much in the way of daily life social history; it's like a Regency in that respect. The series looks like it's more mystery-oriented in future installments, and I wouldn't be opposed to reading more, but it's not a particular priority.
June 9, 2022
Excellent Author
I truly enjoyed this book! I very much enjoyed the author, Suzanne Downes. Her characters The Underwood brothers are oppisites but both very engaging. This author made me laugh out loud in certain cases and I became very serious in others. I did not guess the ending or who dunnit. This is unusual for me I must say! I will be very anxious to check out more from this author. I will also recommend her to my friends and family! Read and Enjoy!
I truly enjoyed this book! I very much enjoyed the author, Suzanne Downes. Her characters The Underwood brothers are oppisites but both very engaging. This author made me laugh out loud in certain cases and I became very serious in others. I did not guess the ending or who dunnit. This is unusual for me I must say! I will be very anxious to check out more from this author. I will also recommend her to my friends and family! Read and Enjoy!
September 6, 2019
Excellent period mystery set in a late 1800's English village. Engaging characters, plenty of intrigue, and much suspense as to the murderer. I found myself on the edge of my seat wondering how the mystery would be solved, (believe me, plenty of decidedly unsavory behavior is revealed,) but even more as to whether the right woman would get her, unbelievably clueless, man.
April 22, 2021
not entirely sure
the solution to the mystery was a bit obvious, just not why. why was a bit overly twisted and there were lots of horrible characters. the way they tossed around love seemed callous. was that necessary? this will likely be an in between series. something to read in between those i really love.
the solution to the mystery was a bit obvious, just not why. why was a bit overly twisted and there were lots of horrible characters. the way they tossed around love seemed callous. was that necessary? this will likely be an in between series. something to read in between those i really love.
November 5, 2017
A Noble Pair of Brothers
I found this book very confusing . The storyline here, there and everywhere I had trouble keeping all the characters straight . The murderer was also muddled. The best part was the ending with the proposal, that was very romantic. The end....
I found this book very confusing . The storyline here, there and everywhere I had trouble keeping all the characters straight . The murderer was also muddled. The best part was the ending with the proposal, that was very romantic. The end....
August 9, 2018
Bemused
T was hard to cogitate the purpose of the Latin phrase at the beginning of each chapter. Also the editor did a poor job for there were noticeable errors and contrived passages.
T was hard to cogitate the purpose of the Latin phrase at the beginning of each chapter. Also the editor did a poor job for there were noticeable errors and contrived passages.
August 13, 2019
Murder and Love, oh how Sweet!
Perfect setting, lots of twists and turns, murder, a headless corpses and a sweet love story all rolled together! Just Marvelous! I am so looking forward to the next chapter in the lives of the Underwood's!
Perfect setting, lots of twists and turns, murder, a headless corpses and a sweet love story all rolled together! Just Marvelous! I am so looking forward to the next chapter in the lives of the Underwood's!
December 18, 2019
A Noble Pair of Brothers
Excellent story....beautifully written....alittle too wordy...and much too long, but still a wonderful story with charming characters...enjoy❤️and bring us more stories..
Excellent story....beautifully written....alittle too wordy...and much too long, but still a wonderful story with charming characters...enjoy❤️and bring us more stories..
January 6, 2020
Downes emulates the Victorian mystery so well, she includes the tedious part of it. Slogged through the first quarter thinking, "This reads just like a real Victorian novel." I enjoyed it overall, it was worth reading.
June 8, 2020
A Very Pleasant Mystery
This was well plotted, romantic at times, funny at others. It had great brotherly feeling and good descriptive passages. Can't wait to check out another by the same autjor.
This was well plotted, romantic at times, funny at others. It had great brotherly feeling and good descriptive passages. Can't wait to check out another by the same autjor.
September 5, 2022
I like a good period piece, but this wasn't one of them. It could not decide if it wanted to be a murder mystery or a love story, and fell short on both counts. Characters were stiff and not believable. The plot was contrived and left much to be desired. I struggled to get through it.
May 9, 2018
Good read
An interesting murder mystery sprinkled with a light hearted love story. Enjoyed this book very much. Characters were real. Light reading. Great.
An interesting murder mystery sprinkled with a light hearted love story. Enjoyed this book very much. Characters were real. Light reading. Great.
February 13, 2020
New series for me, I love the characters and there quirks.
October 25, 2020
Oh my heart!
This is the sort of romance I enjoy reading. The Underwood brothers are perfect. I love them both. I hope the entire series is as delightful.
This is the sort of romance I enjoy reading. The Underwood brothers are perfect. I love them both. I hope the entire series is as delightful.
January 2, 2021
Excellent Regency mystery with robust characters and an intricate plot that kept me guessing. Already downloaded the next few books in the series!
March 4, 2023
Mr. Underwood visits his brother, a vicar in a small English village. He notices a grave of an unknown woman and decides to discover her identity. Terrific characters.
March 27, 2025
A bit long in the development, but a good mystery. Enjoyed the author's writing style immensely.
September 26, 2016
This was a quite enjoyable and different cozy mystery. If you love Victorian/British mysteries, you will enjoy this book. The characters were quite memorable and it was a twisted tale that kept you guessing. There were many characters to keep track of I felt, but I will definitely read the next book in the series.
February 19, 2017
The free Kindle version is full of errors. But it's an engaging story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews