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Murder at Barclay Meadow : a mystery
Book
2015
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Fiction/Biography Profile
Characters
Rosalie Hart (Female), Separated, Mother, Her husband confessed to her about an affair; retreats to her late aunt's dilapidated farmhouse; discovers the body of a young woman floating in the marsh by the house; believes the girl was murdered; restoring her aunt's house; taking a creative writing class
Genre
Fiction
Mystery
Suspense
Topics
Suspicious deaths
Infidelity
House renovation
Search for truth
Threats
College students
Divorce
Creative writing
Setting
Maryland - Mid-Atlantic States (U.S.)
Time Period
2000s -- 21st century
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Trade Reviews
Library Journal Review
Meet Rosalie Hart, who is still reeling from her husband's recent affair and request for a divorce. Fleeing to Maryland's Eastern Shore to the house she inherited from her aunt, Rosalie tries to regroup and figure out her future. Her world is rocked again when she discovers the body of a young woman entangled in the nearby marsh grass. The death is ruled accidental, but Rosalie suspects a cover-up by the local college administration and sheriff's office. She and her friends from her writing class embark on a game of cat and mouse as they try to figure out what really happened to the girl in the marsh. Eckel creates a likable set of characters with series potential and keeps the reader guessing until the very end. As with many cozies, the author includes recipes for baked goods mentioned throughout the novel. VERDICT Please welcome the new cozy mystery writer in town! Eckel's riveting debut makes a nice addition to the genre and will certainly entertain anyone who enjoys the work of Dianne Mott -Davidson or Katherine Hall Page. [See Kristi -Chadwick's Genre Spotlight feature, "Not Your Usual Suspects," LJ 4/15/15.-Ed.]- Sandra Knowles, South Carolina State Lib., Columbia © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publishers Weekly Review
Eckel's disappointing first novel stars Rosalie Hart, a jilted wife who retires to the farm on Maryland's Eastern Shore left to her by an aunt, where she tries to carve out a new life for herself. In the Cardigan River that runs through her property, Rosalie discovers the body of Megan Johnston, a student athlete at nearby John Adams College. Rosalie doubts the too-easy conclusion of suicide promoted by scary sheriff Joe Wilgus. She later learns that Wilgus has a suspicious relationship with the college and that psychology professor Nicholas Angeles is reputed to sleep with his students. She also finds that Megan had an unhappy home life in Delaware and had been stalked in the past. Although readers may enjoy the investigative aspects involving social media and the colorful students from Rosalie's memoir class (who share her opinion of the case), poor plotting and convenient coincidences raise questions about Rosalie's compassion and intelligence. Agent: Ken Atchity, Story Merchant. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Rosalie Hart moves into her late aunt's farmhouse in a tiny town on Maryland's Eastern Shore while she tries to regroup after her husband's infidelity. One morning she finds the body of a young girl, Megan, in the marsh grasses outside the house. The victim was close in age to her daughter, prompting Rosalie to take an interest; she's shocked at how quickly the police conclude the girl's death was an accident and close the case. She mentions her concern to three friends in a memoir-writing class, and they begin meeting on Facebook to investigate whether Megan might have been killed. Eckel's intriguing debut is appealing in its unlikely heroes (and villains) as well as its atmospheric setting.--Alessio, Amy Copyright 2015 Booklist
Summary

Rosalie Hart's world has been upended. After her husband confesses to an affair, she exiles herself to her late aunt's farmhouse on Maryland's Eastern Shore. With its fields untended and the house itself in disrepair, Barclay Meadow couldn't be more different than the tidy D.C. suburb she used to call home. Just when Rosalie feels convinced things couldn't get any worse, she finds a body floating in her marsh grasses. When the sheriff declares the death an accident, she becomes suspicious. The dead girl, Megan, reminds her of her own daughter, who has recently gone off to college, and she feels a responsibility to find out the truth.

Rosalie confides her doubts to her friends in her creative writing class, and they ask to join her investigation, beginning the search in earnest. Meanwhile, Rosalie works on restoring Barclay Meadow to its former glory-with help from the rugged Tyler Wells, a farmer who once leased the land. When Rosalie discovers her aunt's favorite bread recipe on a yellowed index card, she begins baking, and with her deep love for nourishing others rekindled, she starts to feel alive again. But as she zeroes in on the truth about what happened to Megan, she begins getting ominous threats. Determined to get justice for Megan and protect the new home she's begun to build for herself, Rosalie races to catch the killer in this deftly plotted and heartwarming debut.

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