Agony Hill

A Boston cop who has left the city under circumstances that are both apparently traumatic and unclear moves to a small town in Vermont in 1965, where he soon gets a case. A crotchety farmer who espoused "back to the land" living (while being an incompetent farmer) has died in a fire. He apparently had been drinking, may have been composing one of his many letters to the editor complaining about something, and died after locking the door to the barn he's found in. Suicide? Maybe. There was a similar case not too far away by a farmer protesting the building of the interstate through his land, a modern development the dead man also opposed. But it's not an explanation the detective entirely buys...

What made the story for me was the show more development of characters, including a neighbor who had been involved in intelligence during the war and the dead farmer's family, back-to-the-land outcasts with a dreamy mother who grew up poor and uneducated but is drawn to write poetry. Though the town is isolated and conservative, there's a growing sense that the draft and the war protests can't be held at bay.

The pacing is not speedy, but I didn't mind a bit. The questions are not all answered, and I was fine with that, too. I'm very much looking forward to reading more about this place and these people. show less

While some readers will find the setting of Sarah Stewart Taylor's Agony Hill a strange and unfamiliar world, for me, being back in the days of Woodstock, draft dodgers, and communes-- let alone no cell phones-- was a blast from the past. (And one that I enjoyed revisiting because Taylor skillfully puts readers in her setting without a bit of "information dump.")

The cast of characters is interesting. Frank Warren is no stranger to tragedy, and he's taken the job as a detective for the Vermont State Police to get a fresh start. He's not familiar with small towns and farms, and there's a scene where he gets lost in the woods that both made me laugh and gave me chills, and that's a rare reaction indeed.

Warren finds himself drawn to the show more dead man's wife, Sylvie, an enigmatic woman who's a capable yet fearful wife, mother, and poet. The fleeting scenes when she tries various wordings to set her surroundings into poems were among my favorites in Agony Hill.

As for my favorite character, that would have to be Warren's next-door neighbor, widow, and amateur detective Alice Bellows. There's much more to this woman than her amazing gardening skills.

Frank Warren did want to learn how Agony Hill got its name, and, unfortunately, we never did find out. Taylor uses misdirection to good use, and although Agony Hill is a good, solid mystery with interesting characters, I find myself uninterested in reading more. I've read two previous books by this same author with much the same reaction, so... although she's good and I have friends who love her writing, she's just not my cup of tea. Don't be surprised if your mileage varies!

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley) show less

Agony Hill by Sarah Stewart Taylor is a 2024 Minotaur Books publication.

This book was a pleasant surprise. I put the book on my TBR list a little over a year ago, and I had forgotten what prompted me to add it, so I didn’t know what to expect.

The premise is intriguing:

Franklin Warren arrives in Bethany, Vermont, in the 1960s, accepting a job as a detective working alongside the state police. His background is a little murky and troubled, and this job is a fresh start for him. He is called to a troubling scene in Agony Hill shortly after he settles into his new home, involving a man trapped in a burning barn. However, the circumstances of the barn fire were not clear. It seems the man may have committed suicide, but something about show more that initial speculation bothers him…

Meanwhile, long-time resident Alice Bellows, a neighbor of Mr. Warren’s, gets an unexpected visitor from an old acquaintance, one whose motives for looking her up are not quite clear. As she waits for the other shoe to drop, she takes the time to meet with Franklin Warren and get to know him better.

Mostly, this is a gentle mystery with an emphasis on the developing relationships of the characters. There is a mild hint of espionage, and an ongoing mystery concerning Warren’s past that I think will develop over time if the series continues.

I am satisfied with the way the story ended, though it might have been a tiny stretch in plausibility. I am very intrigued by Alice’s storyline, and hope the next installment gives us more details about her. The ongoing mysteries, the secrets the town holds, and the slight quirkiness of the community all add several layers to a quiet and original mystery.

Overall, this was an absorbing and engaging mystery. The setting and the era combine to give the story an underlying sense of foreboding, while also allowing a certain charm to take hold. I am very much looking forward to the second installment!

4 stars show less

Agony Hill by Sarah Stewart Taylor is a highly recommended mystery set in rural Vermont during 1965. This is the first book in a new historical mystery series featuring Frank Warren. In 1965 the winds of change are blowing across the rural state of Vermont as a new interstate highway is under construction which will bring new people and opportunities to the area. This is also a time of protests against the war in Vietnam and the Cold War.

Franklin Warren arrives in Bethany, Vermont, after accepting a position as a detective with the state police, and immediately called up to investigate a death in a barn fire along with help from Trooper Goodrich. By all appearances it is a death by suicide where Hugh Weber set fire to his barn and show more himself, with the door barred from the inside. There was a similar case where a farmer immolated himself in his barn protesting the interstate highway. Warren has his doubts that this is a copy cat case because Weber was so disliked in the area. Sylvie Weber is left a young widow with four boys and is also pregnant, seems reticent and self-contained.

A companion story line follows Warren's neighbor Alice Bellows, widow and amateur detective who clearly has her own secrets. She collects information, keeps track of Warren's investigation, and also conducts one of her own over stolen merchandise from a store. Alice is intelligent, insightful woman whose husband was part of the intelligence community.

The excellent writing captures the atmosphere of New England during this time in history while introducing us to the fully realized characters. All of the characters in this novel come to life along with the setting. Both Warren and Alice are exceptionally well written. There is a large cast of characters readers will be introduced and all of them add something to the atmosphere of the novel.

The plot is full of intrigue while being intricate and nuanced as the investigation unfolds in a slow, even pace. The numerous details do slow down the pace, but add to the rich experience reading Agony Hill. All of the details will likely serve readers well in future installments of this new series. I'll be looking forward to the next novel featuring Warren and Alice in Bethany, Vermont. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
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This historical mystery, set in Vermont in 1965, concerns the death of a farmer in what looks like an apparent suicide.

Franklin Warren is on his first day on the job as an investigator for the State Police of Vermont when he is called to the scene of a fire. Arriving at Agony Hill, he discovers the burned body of Hugh Weber in his locked-from-the-inside barn.

As Warren looks into the case, he gets to know Sylvie Weber and her four sons and he also gets to know the people who might have wanted Hugh Weber dead. Hugh was an angry man who managed to alienate most of his neighbors and the town people of Bethany, Vermont.

Hugh had come from New York with the intention of leading a simple life as a farmer. He married a much younger woman from show more a farm background. He was especially irritated that the interstate highway system was coming to Vermont. He was a frequent author of letters to the editor of the local newspaper. He was also a jealous man who resented any interest shown in his wife and her writing talent.

Warren finds himself quicky getting to know other people in the town as he investigates. He finds his new next-door-neighbor Alice Bellows to be especially helpful for her insights into other town people. She is also an amateur detective and a woman with secrets who hasn't managed to outrun them. Warren is also helped by his young police assistant Pinky who has lots of local knowledge.

This was an engaging story about the near past when the Vietnam war is looming over everything. Draft dodgers and others opposed to the war contrast with patriotic parades on the village green. And, at least in Alice's case, remnants of World War II are also lingering.

I enjoyed this historical mystery for its intriguing characters and interesting setting. show less

Please note that I received this via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.

I don’t see me reading the subsequent books in this series. It was long and tedious. Jumping between three characters and too many mysteries that were left unresolved has me giving this two stars. Full review to come.

Full review: "Agony Hill" takes place in Vermont in 1965. A man named Franklin Warren arrives to work at the local sheriff's office as a detective. Warren has experience in major crimes and now that more "city" folks and problems are flowing through the area, the job of policing has started to change. When a local farmer named Hugh Weber though is found dead in a locked barn which leaves a question of whether he committed suicide or show more was murdered. This is the first book in the so-called Franklin Warren series, but the book also follows a female amateur detective named Alice Bellows, and the wife of the dead man, Sylvie.

So, this all together really didn't work. Honestly the best part of the book for me was Alice Bellows and her history. We get some glimpses of this during the book, but she's really similar to a younger Miss Marple and I liked what we get about how she solved other mysteries in the town and really seemed to know right away what happened with regards to Hugh Weber (that does not get revealed til the very end though).

Franklin Warren was boring. You have the mystery of why he is in Vermont, the reveal, and then I don't know, he seemed to just blunder around until the very end. There are still some mysteries left for him to get to the bottom of, but I didn't care.

The character of Sylvie's point of view really didn't need to be added. I just didn't get a lot of added there via her, and I just thought hers and Warren's points of view slowed down the entire flow of the book.

The plot such as it was, just isn't the main focus (Hugh's death) because we get little town mysteries and bigger mysteries going on too. It was just too much after a while.

The setting of Bethany, Vermont actually felt older than it was depicted in the book. It's supposed to take place during 1965, but it read like a throwback town in the early 1950s at times. I also thought it was weird there was no mention of Malcolm X's assassination, Bloody Sunday, The Civil Rights Marches, etc. It just felt oddly empty of Black Americans at all. Even just mentioning them and the events taking place would have made the book feel more grounded. There are many mentions of the Vietnam War and boys/men going through Vermont to get to Canada, but even that didn't seem to have been taken a hard look at via the author and their characters.

The ending didn't pack that much of a punch. I love locked room mysteries novels, but this one was pretty eh since it's real obvious who was responsible for it, (at least it was to me). It just felt like a lot of book to get there. I was hoping for something reminiscent of Miss Marple, but this was a miss for me. show less

A small town, a mystery - and a new detective to the town is trying to solve it.

It's an interesting mystery. I really liked Warren. His POV really gave us the mystery and the story. It also introduced the town and really brought it all out. There were a few other POV and I didn't like those as much. I really liked the mystery - I never guessed how it had all played out so the end was true reveal. But the story wasn't quite as fast paced as I'd hoped. Somewhere along the line of the brother screaming at her for the 3rd or 4th time, I realized it had really slowed down. The author really took time to introduce the town and residents and, while I appreciated that for possible next books, it did slow down the pacing. It was a good read, I show more highly recommend it!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. show less