As the second entry in the Murder on Location cozy mystery series begins, film location scout Kate Sharp is in a taxi heading back to the small English village of Nether Woodsmoor. Kate’s there to take a one-month job with a documentary series about Jane Austen.
Kate’s first assignment is to deal with celebrity professor Rafe Farraday, whose online lectures have gone viral within academic circles. Kate’s new boss seems to take an instant dislike to Kate, which may cut her job short. After being in town just a few days, there’s a fire, with an unexpected dead body, in the cottage next to Kate’s. There’s been a rash of vandalism in the village, but is this more of it, or is it something more sinister? I loved the reason why Kate investigates another murder. It’s not because she’s just nosy, she’s ordered to investigate by her boss, as one of the potential suspects is affiliated with the documentary.
The solution to the murder was rather convoluted, but I found it interesting. I especially liked the characters in the book. We get to meet many of the characters from Nether Woodsmoor who were introduced in the first book. Chief among the local residents is photographer/location scout Alex Norcutt, with whom Kate detects a mutual spark of interest. I like both Kate and Alex. While they both do the same job, they’re opposites in so many ways.
I will definitely pick up the next book in this series. I look forward to reading more about Kate and Alex and the rest of the residents of Nether Woodsmoor. This is a B for me, so four stars here.