Rated of 5
by Rosemary T. (San Antonio, TX) A Simple Murder
An unusual "who done it" which occurs in an unlikely setting. Although the storyline did hold my interest, I had some trouble keeping all the characters straight and felt that some of the key players could have been developed better. The ending left me wondering if the author plans a sequel.
Rated of 5
by Brenda S. (Grand Rapids, MN) A Fun Read
Eleanor Kuhns did enough research to make this historical thriller believable and fun to read. The subplots worked well together and kept the story flowing...it was easy to read several chapters without pause. The only criticism was giving some of the secondary characters more than one name. However, the mystery was so intense, I had to cheat and read the ending...well worth knowing as a person completes the book. I loved it!
Rated of 5
by Nancy E. (Sturgeon Bay, wi) A Simple Murder
Eleanor Kuhns has introduced a great hero in an unusual time and equally unusual community. As a retired librarian, I have read more than my share of mysteries and after a while all the plots tend in the same direction. Not A Simple Murder. Will Rees, an itinerant weaver searching for his son who has left the family farm, finds him in a Shaker community where a suspicious death has taken place. Will is asked to stay and find out what happened. Like petals on a spring flower, clues spring up and deepen the mystery. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to both book clubs and fellow mystery readers. I am looking forward to the next installment of this series.
Rated of 5
by Leslie D. (Le Roy, NY) Simple language needed
An interesting premise and unusual setting are marred by cliched language and repetitive phrasing. Better editing could have made this a stronger entry in new mysteries, especially considering that the subject--the simple Shaker life--would work much better with straightforward telling. Readers who like Amish mysteries would be drawn to this for its similarities, so this is an author to watch.
Rated of 5
by Judith M. (San Diego, CA) Simplistic Summer Read
Although the writing and story were somewhat simplistic, I still enjoyed reading this first novel. The characters are now introduced (the ending was a little trite) and are poised to begin what will likely be a series. I'm not sure of the historical integrity, perhaps the author should dig a little deeper into the historical aspect to give it more a feel of authenticity. Overall, it was a quick read and entertaining. I would definitely encourage the author to try a sequel.
Rated of 5
by Mary G. (Purcellville, VA) Impressive debut
Hard to believe this is a debut novel. The storytelling is very assured with a terrific blend of historical fiction woven into the mystery. The characters are developed and interesting. The familial relationship between some key characters did become somewhat confusing, but the author recognized that fact and smartly summed up the family tree before the conclusion so that the reader had a realistic chance of "solving" the mystery.
I will look forward to other books featuring these characters.
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U.S. ebook sales up in 2012, but rate of growth is slowing(May 16 2013) In 2012, trade book sales (i.e. non academic book sales) rose 6.9%, to $15.049 billion, and e-book sales continued to grow, although the rate of growth...
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by Rosemary T. (San Antonio, TX) 
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by Brenda S. (Grand Rapids, MN) 
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by Nancy E. (Sturgeon Bay, wi) 
