Murder or Murders??
Ms. Kuhns spins her tale gradually as she reels in the reader. She combines a murder in a Shaker community with life in 1796. As a lover of mysteries and history this book appealed to me. I confess it about 50 pages to truly interest me but for the last 75 I could not put it down. It would make a good beach read this summer.
Rated of 5
by Mary S. (Bow, NH)
A Shaker murder mystery
As someone who has lived near a Shaker community for many years of my life, I was very interested to read A Simple Murder. I found the book to be historically accurate as well giving a good portrayal of Shaker life. Overall I thought the book was well written, moved at a good pace, and had enough twists so that I stayed interested and couldn't solve the mystery right away. The only part that I found tedious was the constant "washing up," and description of same, of the main character. While I appreciate good hygiene, I don't need to read about it 3 and 4 times in a chapter.
Rated of 5
by Marie D. (Waretown, NJ)
Good, but left me wanting to know more
I was intrigued with the opportunity to learn more about the Shakers and more about life in 1796 America. While "A Simple Murder" did provide me a some insight into both, I found the pace a bit too slow moving. All the ingredients are there for a good read, but the character of Will Rees was off-putting. Lydia, on the other hand, was fascinating, a strong woman torn between two worlds and showing the capability of creating a life for herself in either. There are other characters in the book who are better delineated and more interesting than Mr. Rees.
Rated of 5
by Margaret D. (Brookfield, VT)
Shaking up a Shaker village
A captivating itinerant weaver who is also a Revolutionary War era murder investigator? What a great character! In fact, many of the main characters are quite engaging.
Setting the story in the midst of a Maine Shaker village is clever. Kuhns offers up insight into their way of life in a way that will probably entice some readers to do their own research (a bonus provided any good book, imho!).
The plot is intriguing but rather predictable. Nonetheless, I can see the beginnings of a good series here and I certainly would pick up a sequel ... or even a prequel!
Rated of 5
by Cheryl W. (Crosby, MN)
A Simple Murder = A Simple Book
This book held no appeal either as a crime book or history book. The characters were simple, the story simple and a no-brainer on who the murderer was. I would have enjoyed it more if the community was more defined not just surface relationships and plot.
Rated of 5
by Barbara E. (rockville, MD)
A Simple Murder
I found this book disappointing and rather superficial. I found the book slow going in the beginning and I didn't really get much of a feeling for the characters, the time or the place. The mystery itself is somewhat interesting, but the setting of a Shaker community in 18th-century New England adds nothing to it. I wanted to know more about the Shakers as a religious community and especially why there was such animosity towards them. When all the suspects are gathered together at the end, a la Agatha Christie, the revelation of the murderer seems to come from nowhere. How Will Rees determines the connection between the victims and the murderer is unexplained. The relationship between Will and Lydia and Will's son, David, was more interesting than the actual mystery itself.
Rated of 5
by Mary Ann B. (Louisville, KY)
A simple Murder A Simple Murder is a satisfactory story. It has a mystery that needs to be solved, and is, but the story is lacking. I just didn't care about the characters. The story moved at a slow pace, but it was easily predictable on who committed the crimes.
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of 5
by Prella M. (Lafayette, IN)
of 5
by Margaret D. (Brookfield, VT)
