REVIEW: A Deadly Chapter

A Deadly Chapter
Author: Jan Fields

The Christmas season brings the Charles Dickens Society to Castleton Manor for a retreat. It's all things Dickens all the time. Unfortunately one of the main presenters is rude, annoying and handsy. Manor Librarian Faith Newberry puts up with Charles' stupid come-on comments and bad disposition for the sake of her job....but she is a bit surprised that nobody seems to like the man, even the members of the society. The week starts off festive but goes downhill when society members start reporting thefts from their rooms. Then it gets worse.....a murder. How much Dickensian drama can one retreat handle?

I enjoy this series.....the characters, the setting, the pets, and the plots. Despite the books being written by several authors, the sweet vibe of this cozy mystery series is present in all the stories I have read so far. The background plots are varied (each retreat has a different theme) and very entertaining. All in all, this series delivers a nice cozy mystery experience each time. The books are sold on a monthly membership basis by Annie's Attic. Luckily, most of the books have been donated to my local library! :) Yay!

I like the fact that guests and staff can bring their pets to the manor. Each book has different authors and retreat guests and their various pets. :) I know an upscale retreat resort would in reality never, ever allow pets, especially in a library.....but it makes for a sweet cozy mystery. :) I love Faith's cat Watson....he has an abundance of cattitude. :)

The hardcover books are high quality and attractive. The cover art is colorful, engaging and cute (as is common with cozy mysteries). The series would look quite nice displayed on bookshelves. But I'm content to borrow them from my local library as I only read mysteries once.

Another enjoyable cozy experience. Moving on...I picked up the next book in the series (An Autographed Mystery) at the library today! Can't wait to find out what Faith and Watson are getting into next! :)