A fun mystery! My review of "Rules of Murder" by Julianna Deering (with CFBA Tours)


Cover Art

Check out a preview and my review of "Rules of Murder", courtesy of the publisher and CFBA:

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This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Rules of Murder
Bethany House Publishers (August 1, 2013)
by
Julianna Deering


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

JULIANNA DEERING has always been an avid reader and a lover of storytelling, whether on the page, the screen or the stage. This, along with her keen interest in history and her Christian faith, shows in her tales of love, forgiveness and triumph over adversity. A fifth-generation Texan, she makes her home north of Dallas with three spoiled cats and, when not writing, spends her free time quilting, cross stitching and watching NHL hockey. Her new series of Drew Farthering mysteries set in 1930s England debuts with Rules of Murder (Bethany House, 2013) and will be followed by Death by the Book (Bethany House, 2014).



 ABOUT THE BOOK



Downton Abbey Meets Agatha Christie in This Sparkling Mystery

Drew Farthering loves a good mystery, although he generally expects to find it in the pages of a novel, not on the grounds of his country estate. When a weekend party at Farthering Place is ruined by murder and the police seem flummoxed, Drew decides to look into the crime himself. With the help of his best friend, Nick Dennison, an avid mystery reader, and Madeline Parker, a beautiful and whip-smart American debutante staying as a guest, the three try to solve the mystery as a lark, using the methods from their favorite novels.

Soon, financial irregularities at Drew's stepfather's company come to light and it's clear that all who remain at Farthering Place could be in danger. Trying hard to remain one step ahead of the killer--and trying harder to impress Madeline--Drew must decide how far to take this game.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Rules of Murder, go HERE.



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my review.....


"Rules of Murder" is a fun mystery featuring characters you'll quickly grow to love, and snappy dialogue that is an absolute joy to read! There is plenty of action to keep the plot moving along, and as the dead bodies kept piling up I enjoyed sleuthing along with Drew, Nick & Madeline to try and determine just who was behind it all. I must say that Julianna Deering does an excellent job of capturing that flavor that permeates mysteries by Agatha Christie, and though I won't pretend that any character will ever touch the much-loved Poirot, Drew Farthering definitely makes for an enjoyable hero. I also felt that the author did an excellent job of weaving faith into the story, as she explores belief in God, our purpose in life, and that human element that finds us all, in times of desperation, approaching the throne of God. I am certainly glad that this book appears to be the first in a series, because I was simply not ready to see the book come to an end. The elements of mystery aren't the most complex I've ever seen, but they are woven together well and mystery buffs should be satisfied. Finally, scenes involving Madeline and Drew not only provide some romance, but the dialogue they share is worth reading more than once!

I am looking forward to future installments featuring Drew and gang, and give this book a strong recommendation of 4 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of the publisher, Bethany House, along with Christian Fiction Blog Alliance & Graf-Martin, for the purposes of this unbiased review.





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