Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
After reading some very serious and depressing fiction and non-fiction, I was in dire need of something light and fun. The Beast of Littleton Woods was just what the doctor ordered! It's my favorite book in the series so far.
For one thing, there is a marvelous cast, and I'm not just talking about the primary characters. The secondary characters, all the way down to individual villagers, add so much to the story. I grew up in a village, and T.E. Kinsey's characters remind me so much of some of the people I grew up with. He also firmly roots his stories at the turn of the twentieth century with Lady Hardcastle and Flo wondering if they should bring electricity to their house. In this twelfth book in the series, readers make the acquaintance of Sir Hector's older sister, Joyce Adaway and her little dog, Lady Araminta Fluffikins. (I know...) Lady Hardcastle and her maid Flo know all these people so well that they remind me of another sleuth-- Bruno Courrèges in Martin Walker's excellent series.
I loved the plot. Is there really a beast on the loose? If there is a beast, where did it come from? And who keeps resorting the mail in the post office? I had so much fun putting the clues together as I turned the pages.
One of the best ingredients in the Lady Hardcastle recipe is the wordplay. The banter between Lady Hardcastle and Flo is top-notch, and there are other elements. A butcher named Spratt. Lady Hardcastle's penchant for purposely mangling the names of people and objects (a law firm she refers to as Messrs Philtrum, Hallux, and Uvula). And then there's the threat of a bit of rhinobattery. If I wasn't smiling, I was laughing my way through the entire book.
If you're in the mood for some light-hearted fun and a good mystery to solve, look no further than The Beast of Littleton Woods. I can't wait to see what happens next.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
For one thing, there is a marvelous cast, and I'm not just talking about the primary characters. The secondary characters, all the way down to individual villagers, add so much to the story. I grew up in a village, and T.E. Kinsey's characters remind me so much of some of the people I grew up with. He also firmly roots his stories at the turn of the twentieth century with Lady Hardcastle and Flo wondering if they should bring electricity to their house. In this twelfth book in the series, readers make the acquaintance of Sir Hector's older sister, Joyce Adaway and her little dog, Lady Araminta Fluffikins. (I know...) Lady Hardcastle and her maid Flo know all these people so well that they remind me of another sleuth-- Bruno Courrèges in Martin Walker's excellent series.
I loved the plot. Is there really a beast on the loose? If there is a beast, where did it come from? And who keeps resorting the mail in the post office? I had so much fun putting the clues together as I turned the pages.
One of the best ingredients in the Lady Hardcastle recipe is the wordplay. The banter between Lady Hardcastle and Flo is top-notch, and there are other elements. A butcher named Spratt. Lady Hardcastle's penchant for purposely mangling the names of people and objects (a law firm she refers to as Messrs Philtrum, Hallux, and Uvula). And then there's the threat of a bit of rhinobattery. If I wasn't smiling, I was laughing my way through the entire book.
If you're in the mood for some light-hearted fun and a good mystery to solve, look no further than The Beast of Littleton Woods. I can't wait to see what happens next.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
