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Juno
Browne, the “domestic goddess” is back for another
adventure in the second entry of the series. This time she
is caught in a van fire and gets rescued by the handsome and
aristocratic Jamie Westershall of Moorworthy House. She and
her friend artist Sophie are invited to sell their goods at
his garden fete, but all does not go according to plan, and
a member of her team is found dead in the nearby woods. The
police think it was an accident, but after some research,
Juno discovers that somebody else died there recently too.
Could there be something amiss on the Westershall’s
estate?
I
recently reviewed the first in this new series and was impressed,
but commented on the rather simple, linear plot and hoped
that the second entry would have more in it. My request was
answered, and this tale fairly bursts with action and does
indeed contain interesting side stories concerning a young
boy called Olly and a mysterious woman with a cat. It is still
easy to guess whodunit, even easier; in fact, and this detracts
from the book’s identity as a mystery. Instead, it is
more a case of discovering what is going on and why rather
than who is behind it, an unusual and interesting twist on
the whodunit. Also, getting the approval of this fellow Devon
resident are the author’s descriptions of real places,
including the beauty of the moors and general feel for the
ambience of the county’s rural areas. Juno and the other
series regulars are an amiable bunch, and I look forward to
getting to know more about them in future books. I would wish
for a more teasing plot to unravel, but there is a lot to
enjoy in here, and there is always room for a different take
on the standard mystery. More, please.
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