Series: Frank Warren #1
Narrator: Eric G. Dove
ISBN: 9781250826626
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: 08/06/2024
Format: Other
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
Set in rural Vermont in the volatile 1960s, Agony Hill is the first novel in a new historical series full of vivid New England atmosphere and the deeply drawn characters that are Sarah Stewart Taylor's trademark.
In the hot summer of 1965, Bostonian Franklin Warren arrives in Bethany, Vermont, to take a position as a detective with the state police. Warren's new home is on the verge of monumental change; the interstates under construction will bring new people, new opportunities, and new problems to Vermont, and the Cold War and protests against the war in Vietnam have finally reached the dirt roads and rolling pastures of Bethany.
Warren has barely unpacked when he's called up to a remote farm on Agony Hill. Former New Yorker and Back-to-the-Lander Hugh Weber seems to have set fire to his barn and himself, with the door barred from the inside, but things aren’t adding up for Warren. The people of Bethany―from Weber’s enigmatic wife to Warren's neighbor, widow and amateur detective Alice Bellows ― clearly have secrets they’d like to keep, but Warren can’t tell if the truth about Weber’s death is one of them. As he gets to know his new home and grapples with the tragedy that brought him there, Warren is drawn to the people and traditions of small town Vermont, even as he finds darkness amidst the beauty.
My Review
Sarah Stewart Taylor's new fascinating historical mystery series, AGONY HILL, featuring Detective Frank Warren #1, is a unique blend of small-town crime and small-town secrets.
With a well-developed, fun cast of characters, it leaves readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in this intriguing series.
About...
Step back in time to rural Vermont in 1965, a period of significant change with the construction of a new interstate highway. This era, marked by the Vietnam War and protests, provides a compelling historical backdrop for a gripping crime novel.
There are also dark secrets beneath this beautiful vivid setting in Vermont.
Franklin Warren (from Boston) accepts a position of detective in Bethany, Vermont and is called upon immediately to investigate a barn fire with the help of Trooper Goodrich (Pinky).
Warren's father was a war friend of Detective Lieutenant Tommy Johnson of the Vermont State Police's Bureau of Criminal Investigation and is responsible for hiring Warren for the Bethany area.
The barn fire initially thought to be a suicide by Hugh Weber, who allegedly set fire to the barn and locked the door from the inside, is shrouded in mystery. Was it really a suicide or a cleverly disguised murder?
The narrative revolves around Sylvie Weber, a young widow with four boys and another child on the way, and her deceased husband, Hugh.
Their story, intertwined with the introduction of Victor, Hugh's brother, who is not pleased with the will, plays a pivotal role in the unfolding mystery.
There was also a similar case where another farmer killed himself in a barn in protest of the interstate highway.
Or is there an arsonist loose on Agony Hill, adding a layer of suspense and intrigue to the story?
There is also another storyline with Warren's inquisitive and smart neighbor, Alice (55), a widow and amateur detective with her own secrets. (she has lived a fascinating life). Her husband was part of the intelligence community. She is vice chair of the Ladies Aid Society, very connected to the church and the entire community, and not much gets past her. She solves crimes!
Oh, and there is also a mysterious man hiding and living in the woods.
What secrets and darkness lie behind the beauty of Vermont on Agony Hill?
My thoughts...
An excellent historical crime series! AGONY HILL is an intriguing mystery with a literary flair—and the author is off to a fine start with the first in an exciting series, with a large cast of colorful characters amidst the vivid 60s rural backdrop. Readers will be left excited and eager for the next installment in this series.
I found Warren and Alice, in particular, fascinating! I liked Warren, and he appears to be a good mentor, kind, and fair. Chief Longwell, Pinky, and Reverend Grayson Call are also in the center and supporting cast.
*THE NOVELLA: .05 Prequel to Detective Warren. MUD SEASON. Bethany, Vermont in this suspenseful short story featuring characters from Agony Hill. A must-read short story.
If you are curious about Alice, you must read Mud Season: A Bethany, Vermont Story! It includes an illustrative map of Bethany, Vermont, and all the places you will find in Agony Hill. Alice is a hoot, with a case she gets involved in and the introduction of Detective Warren.
I was unaware of the prequel until I saw it in another's review. It is free on Amazon, so grab it. After reading the novella, I bumped up my review from 4 to 5 stars for Agony Hill. Mud Season features the inquisitive widow and amateur sleuth Alice, with a teaser of Agony Hill. (June 2024) 5 stars as well. Review coming.
In Agony Hill, you learn more about Detective Warren around the 70% mark, so be patient. It's a tragic story and will make you appreciate him even more.
The slow-burn mystery comes to life with its vivid backdrop, well-developed plot, and engaging characters. I loved Alice's stunning garden, the food, the neighbors, her stories, and the town. Alice is one sharp, resourceful, interesting cookie! I also enjoyed the mysterious Sylvie, a mother, her poem writing, and her love of books. I can't wait to catch up with all these characters in the next edition.
It has a noir vibe since it was set in the 1960s without all the modern cop procedurals, cell phones, etc. Vivid storytelling! The author does a great job with the small rural town setting and its politics, gossip, death, greed, money, and more. I loved Alice's Ford Falcon (the car we owned at my wedding).
Readers will be eager to learn more about Warren, his background, and why he moved to rural Vermont from Boston. I particularly enjoy books set in the '60s since I grew up in the era before all the modern conveniences of the world took over. I cannot wait to see what's next from Warren, Alice, and all the characters in Bethany!
This is my first book by the author; however, it appears she has some popular series and resides in Vermont. I look forward to more! I highly recommend it.
Recs...
AGONY HILL and the series is for fans of the author and those who enjoy works by Jan Karon (The Mitford Series), Linda Castillo, Heather Gudenkauf, Ron Rash, William Kent Krueger, Tim Johnston, Allen Eskens, T. Greenwood, Nicole Baart, Robin Mahle, and Julia Spencer-Fleming.
Thanks to Minotaur Books for a gifted digital advanced reading copy via NetGalley.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Aug 6, 2024
Praise
“The author of the Maggie D’arcy mysteries (A Stolen Child) launches a historical mystery series with a compassionate, vulnerable detective and a setting so vividly described it could be a character. Julia Spencer-Fleming fans will want to try this one.”
–Library Journal (starred review)
“A classic mystery that pulls the reader in and doesn’t let go until there’s a resolution.”
–First Clue
“A wonderful mystery set in 1960s rural Vermont, filled with sheep, an Old Home Day celebration, home canning...and murder. Or is it?...A terrific read!”
― Archer Mayor
"Sarah Stewart Taylor's stunning new mystery examines life and death in a small town in 1965 with a loving but unsentimental eye. Her rich evocation of the physical world - summer heat, cool green water, the taste of fresh bread - matches the deep inner lives of her characters, all of whom have secrets to conceal and questions they're desperate to answer. Stewart Taylor builds the several investigations as carefully and intricately as one of Vermont's timeless stone walls - I loved this book, and you will, too."
–Julia Spencer-Fleming
Mud Season
A prequel short story
June 2024 Minotaur Books
Enter the world of 1960s Bethany, Vermont in this suspenseful short story featuring characters from the forthcoming Agony Hill.
It's mud season in Bethany, Vermont. As spring nears, the thawing ground and melting snow-pack have created muddy, impassable roads. It's not unusual to see a driver pushing their car or going for help. But a car with Pennsylvania plates has been completely abandoned, still stuck in the mud.
Alice Bellows, an inquisitive widow who seems to know everything going on in town, can't help but wonder what would lead someone to abandon their car like that. All that's left in the car are two suitcases sitting in the trunk, no registration or keys. The police aren't too concerned about the abandoned car, but Alice thinks there's more to the story. Not sure what she'll find or who may get hurt, she takes it upon herself to find the car's owner and what they're hiding in her small town. BUY THE BOOK
About the Author
Sarah Stewart Taylor is the author of the Sweeney St. George series and the Maggie D'arcy series. The first Maggie D'arcy mystery, The Mountains Wild, was on numerous Best of the Year lists and was a Library Journal Pick of the Month. The fourth Maggie D'arcy mystery, A Stolen Child, will be out in June, 2023.
Sarah grew up on Long Island, and was educated at Middlebury College in Vermont and Trinity College, Dublin, where she studied Irish Literature. She has worked as a journalist and writing teacher and now lives with her family on a farm in Vermont where they raise sheep and grow blueberries. Sarah spends as much time in Ireland as she can. WEBSITE
