This is a mystery set in 1910 featuring Lady Hardcastle and her maid Flo Armstrong. What makes this story an unusual example of the English country house mystery is that it is told in the first person from the point of view of the maid.  The dialogue is also exceptionally witty.  Flo is an enchanting character who plays well off of her somewhat eccentric employer.  There is also the usual menagerie of village personalities.

The plot is intriguing, if a bit convoluted toward the end, and Flo and her employer are charming enough to keep the reader interested to the final conclusion.  If you like historical cozies, this is definitely the book for you.

Liane Moriarty is not a crime novelist and this is not a mystery in the traditional sense. However, all of her books are centered around some secret which forms the core of the story. In this book we spend two-thirds of the story wondering exactly what happened on that pivotal Sunday afternoon that changed all the characters in such dramatic ways. By going back and forth between the present and that afternoon, we become aware of the consequences and gradually come to know what actually took place.

The remainder of the story moves forward to show how the characters come to deal with the events of that afternoon. As always, Moriarty does an excellent job of delineating character and ratcheting up the suspense. Although perhaps not quite as strong as some of her other recent novels, I still came away with some lasting images in my mind.

This is the eleventh novel in a series featuring the reporter Jack McMorrow.  Since this is the first and only book in the series that I have read, I can’t testify as to the overall quality of these books which are set in Maine.  Based on this one, they fall into the tough guys mete out justice category, containing lots of violence combined with a generally high  level of action.  McMorrow, a somewhat more moderate character, is assisted in his search for justice by Clair and Louis, stone cold veterans who haven’t adjusted well to civilian life.  I am not a fan of stories where the main character maintains the moral high ground by leaving the violence to his buddies, although I will admit that it is hard to feel much sympathy here for the bad guys. There is also a pretty good mystery included in the plot and a subplot centered on family dynamics, so there is something for everyone.

Anyone who wants a book that inhabits the border between mystery and thriller should take a look at this series by Boyle.