Thursday, November 29, 2018

A Dark and Twisting Path by Julia Buckley


Welcome!  An Orphan's Wish by Molly Green is out today.  A Spell of Murder by Clea Simon and Batter Off Dead by Maymee Bell  come out on December 11. I am going back in time with today's review.  I did not have the opportunity to feature A Dark and Twisting Path by Julia Buckley when it came out in August. 

A Dark and Twisting Path by Julia Buckley takes us to Blue Lake, Indiana.  Lena London along with her employer, Camilla Graham have returned from England to Graham House.  Lena is thinking about her father’s upcoming visit when she gets a call from her friend, Allison Branch asking her to rush over.  Allison has found mail carrier, Eddie Stack dead at the back of her property with Sam’s letter opener in his chest.  It looks like the killer is trying to set up Sam to take the fall for Eddie’s murder.  When they look at Sam’s surveillance footage to see how the guilty party obtained the letter opener, they see a figure in black break into Sam’s home.  The individual took the unique letter opener along with a piece of paper.  Lena along with Camilla delve into the case.  But then Lena receives threatening notes and someone breaks into Camilla’s home.  Lena is even more determined to identify the killer.   What did Eddie see that got him killed? 
 A Writer's Apprentice Mystery (4 Book Series) by  Julia Buckley
A Dark and Twisting Path cannot be read as a standalone.  You need to read the book in A Writer’s Apprentice Mystery series in order.  The mystery that has been in all three books is coming to a head in A Dark and Twisting Path. It involves Sam, his ex-wife (Victoria), Victoria’s missing daughter (Athena) and the ruthless Nikon Leandros Lazos.  I was happy that to see that this particular thread is wrapped up.  I thought the mystery was complex and multilayered.  Information is revealed a little at a time as the story progresses.  However, the mystery plays out in the background.  Other issues seem to overshadow it (unfortunately).  The writing is good, but the pace is a little slow.  The pacing does pick up near the end.  Lena is a developed character.  She is smart, engaging, loyal and creative.    Lena, along with the other characters, are relatable and likeable.  There is quite a bit going on in A Dark and Twisting Path.  There is the murder, threatening notes, the kidnapped child, burglary, Lena’s father visiting, Lena and Camilla working on a new book, lunches, romance, dinners, adorable animals, and some man with a beard keeps popping up.  I felt A Dark and Twisting Path was the best book in this series.  At the end of the book, there is a hint at the mystery to come in the next A Writer’s Apprentice Mystery.  I am giving A Dark and Twisting Path 3.5 out of 5 stars.    


The next A Writer's Apprentice Mystery is Death Waits in the Dark which comes out on April 2, 2019.  The first two books in A Writer's Apprentice Mystery series are A Dark and Stormy Murder and Death in Dark Blue.  Thank you for joining me today.  I will return tomorrow with my review of The Coloring Crook by Krista Davis.  I hope you have a satisfying day.  Take care of yourself and Happy Reading!

Kris
The Avid Reader

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