My review of Rules of Murder by Julianna Deering

About the book:

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.

My review:

I’m not a fan of murder mysteries or black and white movies, but I did enjoy this novel. People who reminisce about living in that era or watching Agatha Christie flicks will love this book. It had plenty of intrigue and a distinctly English feel to the story right down to the lingo used at that time. I almost felt like I was watching a Sherlock Holmes episode, only this had a more unique twist to it. There were a number of red herrings to throw you off the trail of the true killer as well. I’m not sure if I liked being wrong, but the author made a case for the truth.In the process of exposing the mystery around the plot of the person intent on murdering anyone who crossed them, the author managed to weave in some spiritual sustenance for the reader as well. I think I enjoyed the romantic parts of the story best, though, especially when the hero resisted the urge to cross the boundaries of propriety. The heroine loved him more for it. Don’t we all love heroes like that?. So Drew was pretty heroic despite his overwhelming desire to solve the crime, which of course went against the wishes of the police department who asked him to stay out of their detective work. If you enjoy a old fashioned murder mystery with “whodunit” details that are complex and compelling, you’ll enjoy this book.

Rules of Murder was published by Bethany House and released in August 2013.