Judgment of the Grave

This is the first of Taylor's books that I have read, and it's decent enough that I ordered more.

Sweeney St. George is an art historian. Specifically, she is interested in funerary art, so she comes to Concord to look at gravestones. She is particularly interested in one stone maker, but discovers the work of another that is intriguing.

When a man in a revolutionary war uniform is found dead in the woods near the graveyard, Sweeney starts to see connections that others do not. She provides some assistance to detective Quinn, whom she has met before, and their friendship continues to build.

Meanwhile, she is talking to boyfriend Ian on the phone every night. He wants to visit from England and she is not sure about the idea.

It's a cozy show more mystery by definition but not too cute so I enjoyed it. show less

Gleich vorneweg: mir hat das Buch wirklich gut gefallen - vermutlich aus dem gleichen Grund, warum es manchen nicht so gut gefällt. Die Autorin konstruiert den Fall sehr sorgfältig um die amerikanische Unabhängigkeitsbewegung des 18. JH. herum, und nimmt sich ebenso sehr viel Zeit, die einzelnen Akteure zu charakterisieren: kaputte Ehen, alleinerziehende Polizisten, krebskranke Kinder. Für viele Leser hätte man diese Teile sicher rigoros kürzen können, und stattdessen den Kriminalfall schneller vorantreiben sollen; für mich machten sie aber gerade den Reiz des Buches aus, weil die Personen bis in die Nebenrollen wirklich sehr überzeugend und lebendig wirken.

Wer also ruhige, sorgfältig konstruierte Krimis mit viel Lokalkolorit show more schätzt und vor ein bisschen amerikanischer Geschichte nicht zurückschreckt, müßte mit diesem Buch eigentlich gut bedient sein. show less

JUDGEMENT OF THE GRAVE by Sarah Stewart Taylor is Book #3 of the Sweeney St. George Mystery series.
Our prologue is dated April 19, 1775. Josiah Whiting is one of the best stonecutters in the Concord area of the Massachusetts Colony. Josiah has answered the alarm - the men from the Minuteman companies are to meet at the tavern to prepare for the march of the Red Coats into Concord. He stepped out into the night, into the woods, and was never seen again.

Our main character, Sweeney St. George, an art historian with an interest in funereal art, is visiting the Concord area cemeteries looking for examples of colonial era stone-cutting; specifically examples of the ‘round-skull’ carver, Josiah Whiting.
We are treated to an abundance of show more colonial, Revolutionary War, and local Concord area facts and descriptions and folklore. We learn about reenactors. We learn of long-kept secrets and jealousies.
The location is wonderful, so incredibly New England. The characters are interesting and a bit quirky. Of course, there is a murder. And we meet Homicide Detective Timothy Quinn once again, along with local (dead and alive) Concord inhabitants.
A wonderful read. ***** show less

Sarah Stewart Taylor has become one of my favorite mystery writers. I discovered her books less than a year ago and this third book in the series does not disappoint. I love the interesting twists that come about because of the tombstone art. I can't wait to read the next in the series.

I've really come to care about the main characters in this mystery series and what happens to each of them.