The Hunted Hare (The Aidan Mysteries) (edition 2012)

Jenny Davison is dying. She and her husband want to return to a place that is special to them, a place they named their daughter after, Pennant Melangell. Jenny and Aiden had written a book about the shrine there and Saint Melangell, and the shrine is thought to have healing properties.

There is a new Inn that they stay at, the House of the Hare. It's beautiful, peaceful and all that they wished for. Jenny even takes up an old hobby, archery. All is well, until someone is murdered with an arrow. There are several people who may have had motive, and Jenny may have seen or heard something that may help the police find the killer, but she can't quite remember what it is.

This was a very interesting book, full of local color and historical references. The Davison's are a warm and loving family, facing a terrible personal crisis. They are looking for solace and peace and instead find violence and murder. This book is as much about how this family deals with both of these situations as it is about the mystery itself. The Davison's are people one would like to meet. The characters are believable and complex, and the relationships drive much of the story. The only flaw is that book bogs down a bit when discussing the Pagan vs Christian aspects of the history of the place, but this is a minor distraction.

I very much enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next installment in the series! ( )

My ancestors are from Wales, so the subject of this book interested me. The Davisons are returning to St. Melangell -- a place that Aidan and his wife Jenny have previously visited. They even named their daughter Melangell. But this time, Jenny is terminally ill and wanting to visit for maybe one last chance of getting well. Their stay at the new big resort, The Hunted Hare, is not without problems. A murder occurs, and Jenny is briefly a suspect.

I liked the characters and the settings. There was a brief intro to the next book, and therefore you know what happens to Jenny. I do hope the books don't just become another series where the characters are always running into a murder or two each time. ( )

A solid mystery. The Davisons are a truly nice family with a sadness ahead of them since mom, Jenny, has cancer. They come to the House of the Hare to revisit old memories and look for peace. A murder gets in the way of this. I never really understand why Lorna is so beloved by her friends that they will do so much for her. Overall, well-plotted if a little wordy at times. ( )

This new series by Fay Sampson features photographer Aidan Davison, his terminally ill wife, Jenny, and their mischievous daughter Melangell. Many years prior, the couple had collaborated on a book about the mystical Pennant Melangell; Jenny, a writer, captured the magic with words while Aidan captured it in photographs. The couple has now returned to St. Melangell's hoping to recapture a bit of their past and share the magic of the place with their daughter, who was named after the saint. However, there is another reason for their visit. Many flock to St. Melangell’s for spiritual and perhaps physical healing. Jenny is no exception; she has incurable cancer with just months to live.

Seeking solitude and peace, the family settles into the fictional House of the Hare. While there are few guests, peace and quiet eludes them as a man is murdered in broad daylight. Instead of the peaceful atmosphere they had wished for, the Davisons suddenly find themselves at the center of a murder investigation. As the police continue questioning Jenny, who may hold an important clue, the couple's strained relationship becomes even more of a struggle. Additionally, the stress of the investigation begins to take its toll on Jenny's fragile body. It's a race against time as Jenny tries to remember something important before someone else is hurt. The Hunted Hare includes plenty of suspects, a few unsavory characters, and lots of twists and turns to keep readers guessing until the end.

The Bottom Line: The first book in the Aidan Mysteries series was slow to start, but eventually reeled me in. In this mystery, author Fay Sampson also explores the theme of faith as Jenny faces her mortality. However, Jenny's battle with cancer was not depressing; instead, Jenny seeks peace and acceptance.

While the setting of St. Melangell's is fascinating and the mystery is enjoyable, I felt the characters fell flat. Also, the writing style incorporates simple sentences and plentiful questions. There are even a few sentence fragments mixed in at times. Overall, this was an average effort that sometimes felt more like a draft than a finished product. I hope that the characters are more fully developed in future installments. Nevertheless, readers of cozy mysteries and Christian fiction may want to give it a try. ( )

I was a little skeptical of The Hunted Hare at first - I'm not a mystery-reader, but more of the fantasy type. But I found the setting pretty intriguing here and although it's not a terribly descriptive one, it was enough to keep me reading. The characters are likable in a bland, shallow mystery sort of way and it's unfortunate that one of the main characters will apparently no longer be 'with us' in sequels - maybe that's the reason for little character development? The plot seems a little clumsy, especially the device to keep us in the dark on what Jenny knows, and this makes for some boring reading to be honest. It's times like this that you'll want the writing to be better, but this is just not that kind of book. Recommended for a (very) rainy afternoon. ( )