Murder at Barclay Meadow

Rosalie Hart Mystery #1

by Wendy Sand Eckel

A delightful cozy debut featuring Rosalie Hart—an endearing, bread-baking heroine—and a supporting cast of highly original small-town characters on the Eastern Shore of Maryland

Rosalie Hart’s world has been upended. After her husband confesses to an affair, she exiles herself to her late aunt’s farmhouse on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. With its fields untended and the house itself in disrepair, Barclay Meadow couldn’t be more different than the tidy D.C. suburb she used to call home. Just when Rosalie feels convinced things couldn’t get any worse, she finds a body floating in her marsh grasses. When the sheriff declares the death an accident, she becomes suspicious. The dead girl, Megan, reminds her of her own daughter, and she feels a responsibility to find out the truth.

Rosalie confides her doubts to her friends in her creative writing class, and they ask to join her investigation, beginning the search in earnest. Meanwhile, Rosalie works on restoring Barclay Meadow to its former glory—with help from the rugged Tyler Wells, a farmer who once leased the land. When Rosalie discovers her aunt’s favorite bread recipe on a yellowed index card, she begins baking, and with her deep love for nourishing others rekindled, she starts to feel alive again. But as she zeroes in on the truth about what happened to Megan, she begins getting ominous threats. Determined to get justice for Megan and protect the new home she’s begun to build for herself, Rosalie races to catch the killer in this deftly plotted and heartwarming debut perfect for fans of Jessica Beck and Carolyn Hart.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Mystery Thriller

320 pages, Hardcover

First published July 28, 2015

About the author

I grew up in a small Ohio town, but decided while studying the states and their capitals in the fourth grade that I would one day live in Maryland. I really liked the flag. Maryland has been my home for almost thirty years.

The first story I ever wrote was about a discarded vacuum cleaner that makes its way back home. When I later saw the movie, The Brave Little Toaster, I was flabbergasted. They stole my idea!

In high school I worked in the shop rack of my father’s Pontiac dealership where I ran parts and prepped new cars. In my leisure time, I learned to play a pretty mean front man on a foosball table.

I majored in Social Work in both graduate and undergraduate school with concentrations in criminology and family therapy. I have spent my career learning how relationships effect our thoughts, emotions, desires, and inhibitions, or in some cases, lack thereof.

Writing mystery is a way to combine my love for the written word with the knowledge I’ve gained about the workings of the human heart. It is a dream realized.

Reviews

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery that takes place in rural Maryland. Rosalie Hart thought she had a successful happy marriage. Her daughter is starting school at an university. Her husband asks her for a divorce because he has fallen in love with a younger woman. Her life has turned upside down. She recently inherited Barclay Meadow that has a house with many acres and goes there to live. Her husband has closed all of her accounts.

Soon after arriving, she finds a body of a young woman about the same age as her daughter floating in the water by her river deck. The case is almost instantly closed as an accident. She questions why the case isn't being investigated or looked at more closely. She runs into resentment and is harassed by the local sheriff.

It is about a woman rebuilding her life. She meets very interesting local people along the way. She has very good baking skills. She joins a group to look into the death and that involves her using Face Book. Readers who like Hazel Holt and Veronica Heley books should enjoy this mystery.

[Holly in Bookland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this was a decent cozy mystery. I liked the characters--except for the sheriff, what a creep! I enjoyed the main protagonist, Rosalie. She was going through a divorce and adjusting to that while also adjusting to small town life, a farm, and, oh yeah...a murder. Her and her new friends, the What-ifs, didn't believe the murder was a suicide so they set out to prove otherwise. Rosalie got her self into some sticky situations but that's all in a "day's" work as a "detective". I do hope there's a continuation. I would like to read about these characters again, see where life takes them. There were a lot of Facebook statuses and even though they could get annoying, unfortunately, its very true to form to this day and age.....so, I suppose in the end it made the story a little more "real".

**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lark of The Bookwyrm's Hoard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adapted from an earlier status, and still true: I really liked and was impressed by this book. It's no breezy cozy; these are real people with real feelings. You never forget that it all began with a young woman's death. And the MC's story and emotional journey are interwoven and have as much weight and page time as the mystery (which unfolds over months, not days or weeks - a touch of realism I really appreciated.) I'll be on the lookout for the author's next book. Full review to come.

#COYER Scavenger Hunt #58: Read a book from an author with three names

[Doward Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engrossing debut mystery novel. Rosalie Hart is in the middle of an unwanted divorce and her daughter is going off to college. Moving to her late aunt's farm in Maryland's Eastern Shore is the immediate solution to her husband's affair but she is adrift, with no plan in mind. She stumbles on the dead body of a girl from the local college and when it is declared an accident she knows better. With help from her three friends in writing class she investigates and finds it is murder, with one of the college professors being her main suspect. While investigating she makes friends with the locals, starts organic farming with her land renter and handyman and begins a baking business. With hard headiness and stubborn determination on her side she forages ahead in a fight against corruption, lies, infidelity and domination of a girl and an entire town. I found the characters to be enthralling and well defined. You love or hate them. The setting and background blended into a diabolical murder and cover-up plot in such a way that I could not put the story down. This is the story of a strong woman who doesn't realize just how strong she really is. I highly recommend this story for murder buffs, cozy readers and strong female character fans. I would love to see it become a series.

[Julie Durnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost quit on this one but stuck with it and ended up really liking it for a new cozy series. The setting location is the Eastern coast in Maryland and the house she moves into after separating from her husband is so interesting but I would like to see that angle enlarged upon; as well as the cooking/bread baking.

[Kireja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Riot Read Harder challenge 2019 task # 14: A cozy mystery.

The mystery itself was interesting enough, but the main protagonist and her friends playing detective was a bit unrealistic. I also didn't understand the whole point of Rosalie taking a memoir writing class; if it was just to introduce the What Ifs then it was poorly done. The only things that saved this book were: the setting, the bread baking, and Tyler Wells, the book loving handyman/farmer. I'd still read the next book in the series to find out what happens between Tyler and Rosalie.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Read this cozy mystery because it takes place on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and the University of Delaware and Wilmington, DE are mentioned. Writing is amateurish and I didn’t feel a real connection to any of the characters.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosalie Hart is despondent and living in a farmhouse she inherited from an Aunt. Her husband has asked for divorce as he has fallen in love with someone else. One morning she discovers a bloated body on the riverbank. In order to give herself something to do she takes a class to write her Memories. At the class she meets several friends and they decide to find out how the person died. They formed a private WHAT IF group on Facebook. The sheriff is harassing them to stop. The story started out slow but as I continue the character of Rosalie caught my attention. The supporting group needed more development. There are many turns that occur and take the story in a different direction. The ending is a surprise. I will read this author again.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from St Martin's Press through Netgalley for a honest review. I would like to thank for the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions are my own.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book. This was classified as a cozy mystery, but I would call it a cross between a cozy, soft boiled and women's fiction. The protag, Rosealie, is newly separated from a cheating husband and has lost her identity and is not sure what it is she wants or should be doing. She moves to a 200 year old farmhouse that has been left her by her aunt. She is finally convinced to open an account on Facebook and almost simultaneously discovers the body of a young girl close to her daughter's age. When the local police decide it was an accident and close the case, Rosealie decides she must seek justice for Megan.

I enjoy books that I find the author's writing style eminently readable and that have well flushed out characters that I find likable. This book had this and so much more. I will definitely continue with this series.

[Jenn Estepp · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 maybe? It's an okay but not terrifically memorable cozy centered on a recently separated middle aged lady who inherits an old farmhouse and discovers a dead college student floating in the river on her property. Together, she befriends some others in a writing class and they decided to investigate the girl's death, as the local sheriff seems not very interested in solving the case. I think that Eckel's ambition outstrips her ability, as there were a lot of plot points that sort of went nowhere and other things that just seemed incredibly pointless and/or unrealistic. And less than a week later, I could barely remember the book, which seems like not the greatest sign.

[Ngu · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a waste of time. Speed read and flip ahead, and didn't miss a thing.

[Dale Lehman · Rating 5 out of 5]

In October 2022 at the Maryland Writer's Conference, I picked up a small collection of books by fellow Maryland authors, partly to support my colleagues and partly hoping to find some gems. Well...I found one!

Murder at Barclay Meadow is a superb launch for the Rosalie Hart Mysteries, a cozy series set on Maryland's eastern shore. Devastated by her husband's infidelity and heading toward divorce, Rosalie Hart flees the DC suburb of Chevy Chase to take up residence in an ancestral home in the small town of Cardigan on the Cardigan River. Almost immediately, her world is upended again when the bloated body of a once-beautiful young college woman washes up on her property. The town sheriff refuses to autopsy the body, and the death is ruled a suicide. But Rosalie can't stomach that call, and soon she and a group of like-minded friends launch an investigation of their own, with Facebook as a key tool in their arsenal.

There's more going on than just the murder. Rosalie struggles to provide emotional support for her college-age daughter, deal with her husband and the impending divorce, fit into small-town culture in an place often unfriendly to outsiders, and fend off well-meaning friends who think she needs to find a new man. Her investigation enrages the sheriff, who does everything in his power to scare her into leaving town. And she and her well-meaning friends fumble about in an effort to collect evidence and evaluate suspects. One of the neat things about this tale is how the amateurs start out with wild speculations--some of them are almost laughable--but over time slowly work toward the truth. Through it all, Eckel's smooth storytelling keeps you wanting more. I ended up just where she wanted me: I can't wait to read the next installment!

If you're a fan of cozy mysteries, definitely pick this one up. And if you just like solid characters living rich and complex lives, this one will also be for you.

[Patty Baumeister · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review
Murder at Barclay Meadow
A Rosalie Hart Mystery Book 1
A Novel Written By Wendy Sand Eckel
Fiction - Mystery
Published 2015
298 Pages
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I recently read the third book in this series not knowing there were two other books written previously. I immediately got copies of the first two books, because I enjoyed Mystery at Windswept Farms so much.

The main character, Rosalie Hart, has just been told by her husband that he is in love with another woman. She moves into her aunt’s farmhouse on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Rosalie finds a dead body in the grassy marshes on the property. The body is a young college student named Megan. The sheriff immediately classifies the death an accident. Rosalie becomes suspicious when there is no investigation, and the case is quickly closed.

Rosalie, in an attempt to meet people, has enrolled in a creative writing class at the nearby college. She enlists some of her classmates in helping her get to the bottom of the death of the young woman. This puts the amateur sleuths lives in danger.

Rosalie is adjusting to life living alone, helping her own college daughter adjust to her parents’ separation, and restoring her aunt’s farm.

This is a cozy mystery which reminds me of the murder cases on Murder She Wrote. I’m looking forward to reading the second book in this series - Death at The Day Lily Cafe.

“…facts are stubborn things.”

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Murder at Barclay Meadow. After finding out that her husband, Ed, is now in love with someone else, Rosalie Hart moves to the house (Barclay Meadow) that her Aunt Charlotte Gardner left her in Cardigan, Maryland. Unfortunately, she also discovers a dead female in the Cardigan River. When Sheriff Joe Wilgus doesn't seem very interested in looking into the cause of death, Rosalie decides to find out for herself what happened. She gets help from the three members in her Introduction to Memoir Class at John Adams College. They make a good team and have a handful of possible murder suspects. This book has an eclectic mix of characters living in a small town setting, a upcoming divorce and the accompanying family issues that go along with it, surprises, secrets, danger, and a promise of more to come in book two. One line in the book that I especially liked was, "You know, Beverly Cleavage." Growing up I read Beverly Cleary's books!

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast read about a recently separated woman, Rosalie, who moves into her aunt's old farmhouse. It's less about the murdered body she finds (although that kickstarts her life in this small town) and more about her finding her own path. I loved Glenn and the whole memoir class who bond together to figure out whodunnit. But it felt a little clunky sometimes with characters being introduced like we should know who they are (at one point Rosalie refers to her brother Oliver and at no point is he mentioned as part of the summers she spent with her aunt, just felt like an odd mention), and you can tell this author was VERY excited to have her characters use Facebook. (Although it turned out to be helpful in learning more about the victim.) I don't know if I'll read more in this short series but the ending was fairly satisfying in that Megan's controlling stepfather killed her and I'd read more with Glenn and Tony in a heartbeat.

[Emily M · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 for this book. I felt so conflicted after finishing this book - I really enjoyed the storyline and the overall style of it. However….it felt the end was almost just thrown together in a sense? The way things with the sheriff are magically better - what’s with that? And what’s going on with Tyler…is there romance? Is it not? I don’t know I felt like there was so much build up and then the story just ended so I felt kind of disappointed in that. The majority of the book I really liked - even though Rosalie’s character could be kind of irritating at times. At one point it said she was in her mid 40s but I feel like she was written like she was in her 60s by the way her dialogue was and her mannerisms. It just didn’t really line up. Overall I enjoyed this book, but I wouldn’t give it more than 3.5 stars for the reasons listed above.

[Jaelen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book for the most part. I give it four stars just because the middle got a little boring and seemed drawn out. I feel that the book could have left out some of Rosalie's encounters with the professor and maybe added more about Megan's stepdad. As the true killer, it would have been nice to know more about his backstory and know more about why Megan and him didnt get along. I liked the characters in this book. Rosalie and Annie and Tyler especially. But I dont really understand why Janice was even in this book, to me it just seemed like something to fill the pages. I liked the book but I do feel it had a lot of "fillers". I will be starting the sequel tomorrow.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. I don't usually read murder mysteries but I picked up this novel because it had bread baking in it. It takes place in Maryland on the east side of the Potomac further away from the urban life of D.C. Rosalie is the main character. Her husband has asked for a divorce so Rosalie goes to live in her Aunt's 200 year old house that she inherited. Small rural town life is both difficult and helpful to Rosalie who needs to remake her life. It's a lovely story for a murder mystery.

[Linda Millard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book differed from a lot of mysteries in the pace of the investigation. That made it feel much more real. Rosalie has a life with a daughter and also a handyman she needs to take care of. I also enjoyed the What It's and their help in searching for Meghan's killer. One thing that bothered me was the convenient presence of a skilled computer hacker. This device is used in too many mysteries to move the plots along. I just don't happen to know any hackers myself.

[Rachel]

DNF at 33%

I wanted to like this book because of the setting - I love visiting Maryland’s Eastern Shore in person - but the writing style was a big turn off. The writing was overly descriptive and the dialogue felt too forced. Also the dead body is found in the first chapter - with this being the first book in a series, it would’ve been better to get some background on the characters and setting before launching into the main plot of the book.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sense of menace from the sheriff was so clearly written that I almost dreaded reading more of the book. So many mystery stories have amateur sleuths being warned away by the police, but this book had a group of writers, who became friends, and tried to determine how a young woman died. The only one of them warned off (terrorized) of the investigation was Rosalie, who found the woman's body. The author's use of Facebook in the investigation was an interesting narrative device.

[Eunique · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice cozy mystery. The story line was good, and I enjoyed the characters. My book club is reading the second in the series, so I wanted to read this first. I’m glad I did because it really provides a basis and history for the main characters. The only thing that lets it down was the unrealistic ending. I couldn’t quite believe how the sherif changed so drastically at the end. The typical rushed ending I see in many cozy mysteries.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I lucked into this first book of the series and the second one too at the library. Loved the setting bc it's near where I live. Loved the characters and plot too. I was a bit disappointed in the fact that the names of the rivers are made up and not the actual ones in that area.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel was by a first time author. It was engaging, humorous & mysterious. The main character is a soon-to-be-divorced woman who finds a body on her aunt's property. She gets interested in why the person died & off she goes!

[Nancy Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book - the setting, the people, the mystery, the "real-ness" of it all. I look forward to future books in this series and by this author. I found it a quick and easy read that engaged me from the very first word to the very last.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman trying to start over, good coffee and fresh baked items, an old farmhouse, a hot handyman, a murder to be solved, a lot of lovable characters (and some not so lovable) equals a fun and enjoyable book!

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say this was a light weight book in all respects, but I still wanted to know how it was going to end. The Facebook stuff was just annoying in my opinion. I will still look for the next instance!

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

This mystery did not have as much depth or suspense as the mysteries I typically read, but it was a pleasant enough read. Some red herrings were thrown in that I thought were not well explained after the fact; some suspects had suspicious behavior that was never properly explained.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Separation, divorce, kid in the middle, inheritance, country vs city living, helpful neighbor, college as an adult, new friends, and a dog. It was different than my usual, but I looked forward to reading it each time. I look forward to more in this series.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite