Murder at Serenity Farms

I am SO profoundly sorry to have been so neglectful. I have been reading, but I’ve also been single-parenting for a few months while we tried to sell our house so we can move 5 hours down the highway . . . it’s been nothing short of total chaos.

But we resume our reviews with the third in a series by A.H. Richardson, Murder at Serenity Farms brings us on another murder investigation with Berry and Sir Victor.

Murder at Serenity Farm
If you haven’t read the first two, feel free to check my reviews of them: Murder in Little Shendon and Act One, Scene One – Murder.
We first join up with Berry, who is taking a trip to a horse farm outside London. His old friend, Gloria, lives there with her husband, an artist, and her father-in-law, a crotchety old man that people tolerate because of his love for horses. Gloria has received a rather nasty letter and has worked herself into a tizzy. Knowing that Berry has been involved with several investigations, and knowing they are old friends, she reaches out to him for assistance.
When Berry arrives, it doesn’t take long for him to suspect that her fears may be well-founded. When the veterinarian assistant is found brutally murdered in the vet office, for seemingly no reason at all, Berry realizes there may be more to the original letter than he once thought. When the old man’s estranged daughter shows up unannounced, and with all staff on eggshells, he reaches out to his friend, Sir Victor, in hopes that Sir Victor might come in with his more specialized expertise in the matters of investigation.
As with the other two stories, the local law enforcement is uneasy with their assistance, so Berry and Victor must conduct a rather low-key investigation, full of conversations and observations, as opposed to more direct investigation methods. With the high-risk, high-cost of horse training, there are any number of people who may have a real or imagined interest in the fate of Gloria and her family. Berry’s goal is to ensure the murderer is captured before his friend or her family can be harmed.
This story, for me, did not flow quite as smoothly as the first two. I’m not exactly sure of the reason. It definitely followed the same pattern – an initial murder, with no obvious connection to the family involved, followed by a secondary murder. Berry and Victor are, as always, a picture of calm and empathy when faced with the worst of humanity. Maybe it was a bit too similar to the first books? As I said, I can’t quite put my finger on the “why” of it; I just didn’t find myself wondering what would happen next or wanting to forgo sleep in order to read another chapter.
The highlight is definitely Aunt Augusta – that woman should solve her own mysteries, I believe. She would do so with flair and gusto and a quirky wardrobe with fabulous turbans. I was so glad to see the author came up with a reason to involve her in the story, even though she appears infrequently and has no direct tie to the horse farm. I do love Aunt Augusta.
Image result for woman in jewels and turban

This is actually Lucy Doraine, a silent film actress, but I think of someone like her when I think of Aunt Augusta – jewels, sequins, furs, turbans . . . so much going on, yet somehow on her it just seems to work.

It is very well written, though, and the story has good pacing. As with the other books, if you are a fan of Agatha Christie or similarly-styled mysteries, this will be a good option for you.
Overall: 7/10
* I received a copy of this book from the publicist in exchange for my honest review.

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