Margaret Miles (1)

Up to now I have enjoyed the Colonial series set in Bracebridge Minnesota in the latter part of the 18 century. I did not find this book as good and I had trouble maintaining my interest throughout. I had figured out the main gist of the plot about halfway through and had determined who the murderer was. The book is set in the summer of 1765 in Bracebridge and in Boston. There is a lot of unrest in the colonies at this time and the people of Boston in particular are chafing under British show more rule. This book was set before the Boston Tea Party, but Ms. Miles portrays the political machinations and the unrest quite well. The victim, the murderer and the peripheral characters in the book are foreigners (actually from Milan, Italy). The language barrier and the cultural differences make it more difficult for Charlotte Willett to unravel the mystery. But she does in the end, although the perpetrators are actually not apprehended. I think there is only one more book left in this short series, and I will read it because I do normally like Ms. Miles' writing and I enjoy her main characters. show less

This Colonial mystery set near Boston in 1763 shows some promise as the first in a series of historical mysteries. In this book we meet the widow Charlotte Willett and her interesting bachelor neighbour Richard Longfellow. Strange happenings are occuring in the tiny town of Bracebridge. A stranger newly arrived in town appears to disappear in a puff of smoke and flames. There is a lot more to this tidbit of entertainment as Charlotte and Richard discover plots and murder within their usually show more quiet town. I like the period setting, and the characters are interesting. Certainly, I will read further in this series. show less

Interesting historical perspective, and familiar characters from the first volumes in this series. I found the mystery itself to be secondary to the intriguing characters, and also thought the wrap up at the end was rather convoluted.

I'm not sure how to rate this book. It had some good moments. I like the characters and I like the way Ms. Miles dips into her period. The setting is New England (Bracebridge) in the spring of 1764. In the book we see the earlier attempts at innoculating against small pox. We also see murder and mayhem in this little New England town.
Charlotte Willett knows in her heart that when one of the young girls in quarantine for a small pox vaccination dies, it's murder, but she appears to be the show more only one that thinks so. She must investigate further and discovers an old love story that is at the root of the problem. I found the plot predictable, and there wasn't that much suspense to my mind. In truth, I had trouble getting through the book. I will read the rest of the series because I like Ms. Miles writing and especially her character portrayals. show less