★★★
Drew Fathering Mystery #5
January 31st 2017, 336 Pages, Print and Ebook
Mystery Awaits on the Mysterious Yorkshire Moors
At the urgent request of an old school friend, Drew and Madeline Farthering come to Bloodworth Park Lodge in the midst of the Yorkshire moors, a place as moody and mysterious as a Bronte hero. There have been several worrisome incidents out on the moor--property destroyed, fires started, sheep and cattle scattered--and worst of all, the vicar has been found dead on the steps of the church.
Drew's friend is obviously smitten with his bride of eight months, though it's hard to imagine what she sees in the awkward man. Drew can't help wondering if her affections lie more with the man's money and estate, while her romantic interests focus on their fiery Welsh gamekeeper. As the danger grows ever closer, it's up to Drew to look past his own prejudices, determine what is really going on, and find the killer before it's too late.
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Purely as a story, I think this was one of the best in the series yet. It had everything, the enigmatic and atmospheric landscape of the Yorkshire moors that has lent itself well to tales of the strange and mysterious since the Brontes, well-drawn characters and a solid central mystery. Honestly, there were echoes of the literary greats, and many twists and turns to keep the characters guessing, and the resolution for some of the main characters ended it all on an uplifting note. Even the religious themes were worked well into the story.
Yet one thing really marred this story: well perhaps two things: the first that it was a little hard to keep track of all the characters, but you can get over that after a while and just follow the central mystery. What really did it was the Americanisms. The whole book was riddled with them 'gotten, someplace, write him, out in the yard, Two Hundred- Fifty' etc. Sorry, but it's a British mystery. Nobody, except the American wife of the protagonist Drew, should, well, speak that way.
For that reason, it can't be taken as seriously as some of the works of great British Literature that the characters read and quote. It's sad that so many books like this are spoiled by this very same thing.
Yet one thing really marred this story: well perhaps two things: the first that it was a little hard to keep track of all the characters, but you can get over that after a while and just follow the central mystery. What really did it was the Americanisms. The whole book was riddled with them 'gotten, someplace, write him, out in the yard, Two Hundred- Fifty' etc. Sorry, but it's a British mystery. Nobody, except the American wife of the protagonist Drew, should, well, speak that way.
For that reason, it can't be taken as seriously as some of the works of great British Literature that the characters read and quote. It's sad that so many books like this are spoiled by this very same thing.
I agree with your comments above, and also found the Americanisms in this series jarring. Which is a shame as the stories are otherwise good. Unfortunately this can put off British readers from reading American books set in the UK, but I'd urge them to persevere as some US writers 'do' British novels really well, for example the Regency era novels of Julie Klassen and An Uncommon Courtship by Kristi Ann Hunter. I admit to a connection with the publisher of the Drew Fathering Mysteries and the books I've just mentioned. However as an English reader who lives in the UK I try to read a good chunk of all of the 'British' fiction from Bethany and Revell, to assess how well they work for British readers. Reading other peoples' reviews is always interesting and helpful, too.
ReplyDeleteHi Anne, and thanks for visiting. I'm already a Julie Klassen fan, and I've nearly finished the audiobook of the latest Kristi Ann Hunter. I've actually read all the Drew Fathering books to date, so I have persisted with the series. This alone will not cause me to abandon and book or author per se, but it can be a factor, and I do mention it, as some people find it really offputting.
Deletebut it can be a problem with a lot of British Fiction, but just from Bethany House. More input from British readers like us needed perhaps?
Thanks for your reply. Bethany have been very open to feedback, and actually the author of this series has picked up on these comments and asked for specific feedback, which I'm in the process of supplying.
DeleteI've read a number of books while ignoring cultural bloopers, because the story is so good, but like you I do mention if there are lots of Americanisms, so that the buyer can make up their own mind whether to buy or not.
I'm glad you're a Julie Klassen fan, and I am always pleased to find other audiobook enthusiasts! Though they do depend enormously on who is doing the reading.
I'm currently looking for bloggers who might be interested in 'blog touring' a new title from Bethany or Revell. If you'd be interested in being part of this, please drop me a line at annerogers.freelance@gmail.com :)