REVIEW: Wicked Autumn

Wicked Autumn
Author: G.M. Malliet

I have had the Max Tudor mystery series on my TBR pile for some time. I am sure most fellow reading enthusiasts will understand exactly what I mean when I say my TBR is ponderous and it takes quite awhile for great books to find their way to the top. I wish this series had found its way out of the chaotic lists of my "to read'' pile much much sooner! I very much enjoyed this first book in the series!

The basics: After a career with MI5, Max Tudor decided he wanted to follow a totally different, less violent, calling. He became a Vicar. Placed at St Edwold's in the village of Nether Monkslip, he expects his former career as an agent is far, far behind him. When a member of the local Women's Institute is killed during the annual Harvest Fayre, the Vicar realizes he has to pull together the skills he honed as an agent to help catch a murderer.

The plot and characters in this book have a bit of Agatha Christie flavor to them. Idyllic English village. Simple folk. Secrets hiding. I really felt sympathy for Max as he had to eye each village resident with suspicion, even if he really wanted the killer to not be a local villager. The mystery moved at a good pace. There was plenty of character and place development. And the suspense held up to the very end. This story definitely kept my attention from start to finish. I will definitely be reading more of this series!

I listened to the audio book version of this story. Narrated by Michael Page, the audio is just over 8 hours long. Page reads at a nice pace, and has a pleasing voice. Very entertaining audio book! I already have book 2, A Fatal Winter, checked out on Hoopla! I want to know what happens next in Nether Monkslip!