QUICK FACTS
Title: Death on a Winter Stroll: A Merry Folger Christmas Mystery
Series: A Merry Folger Nantucket Mystery (Book 7)
Author: Francine Mathews
Genre: Traditional Detective Mystery, Holiday Reading
Publisher: Soho Crime (November 1, 2022)
Length: (288) pages
Format: Hardcover, eBook, & audiobook
ISBN: 978-1641292740
Tour Dates: November 14 – December 19, 2022
BOOK DESCRIPTION
No-nonsense Nantucket detective Merry Folger grapples with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and two murders as the island is overtaken by Hollywood stars and DC suits. Nantucket Police Chief Meredith Folger is acutely conscious of the stress COVID-19 has placed on the community she loves. Although the island has proved a refuge for many during the pandemic, the cost to Nantucket has been high. Merry hopes that the Christmas Stroll, one of Nantucket’s favorite traditions, in which Main Street is transformed into a winter wonderland, will lift the island’s spirits. But the arrival of a large-scale TV production, and the Secretary of State and her family, complicates matters significantly. The TV shoot is plagued with problems from within, as a shady, power-hungry producer clashes with strong-willed actors. Across Nantucket, the Secretary’s troubled stepson keeps shaking off his security detail to visit a dilapidated house near conservation land, where an intriguing recluse guards secrets of her own. With all parties overly conscious of spending too much time in the public eye and secrets swirling around both camps, it is difficult to parse what behavior is suspicious or not—until the bodies turn up. Now, it’s up to Merry and Detective Howie Seitz to find a connection between two seemingly unconnected murders and catch the killer. But when everyone has a motive, and half of the suspects are politicians and actors, how can Merry and Howie tell fact from fiction? This latest installment in critically acclaimed author Francine Mathews’ Merry Folger series is an immersive escape to festive Nantucket, a poignant exploration of grief as a result of parental absence, and a delicious new mystery to keep you guessing.
MY REVIEW
Death on a Winter's Stroll is a multi-layered mystery set in Nantucket. There are many players and points of view which adds to the twists and turns in the story.
There are so many seemingly unrelated characters that somehow come together to create this intriguing mystery.
I will admit, initially I was lost. The story didn't give much away. However, once the layers started to reveal themselves, I was sucked into the mystery and found myself trying to figure it out. There were clues, but they weren't obvious. It was thoroughly well done.
It is hard to describe the different angles and different suspects. Some fit in my narrative I was creating and some didn't but that was what made it a good read. I am impressed with our detective and with the story in general. The story is set right after Thanksgiving as Nantucket invites Christmas.
The only caveat that I will inform followers about is several instances of the "f-bomb" for those who are sensitive to language.
I received an early copy through the publisher and this is my honest review.
ADVANCE PRAISE
“This fast-moving mystery packs in a lot, but never too much, and will work for fans of coming-of-age stories, police procedurals, and romance.” —First Clue
“Fresh, well-wrought prose brings the setting of Nantucket to life. Mathews consistently entertains.” —Publishers Weekly
“Christmas and death come to Nantucket . . . Plenty of fascinating characters and myriad motives make for an exciting read.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Mathews consistently places relationships at the forefront of her mysteries, and Merry's unique blend of tenacity and humanity makes her a heroine to root for.”—USA Today bestselling author Karen Odden, author of the Inspector Corravan mysteries
PURCHASE LINKS
AUTHOR BIO
Francine Mathews was born in Binghamton, New York, the last of six girls. She attended Princeton and Stanford Universities, where she studied history, before going on to work as an intelligence analyst at the CIA. She wrote her first book in 1992 and left the Agency a year later. Since then, she has written thirty books, including six previous novels in the Merry Folger series (Death in the Off-Season, Death in Rough Water, Death in a Mood Indigo, Death in a Cold Hard Light, Death on Nantucket, and Death on Tuckernuck) as well as the nationally bestselling Being a Jane Austen mystery series, which she writes under the pen name Stephanie Barron. She lives and works in Denver, Colorado.