I think it may be me tiring of Victorian-era reading than the actual book. A decent read and a good mystery about two zoologists travelling to Dartmoor to escape London for a while. Merula and Lord Royston (she, the forward-thinking-yet-restrained-by-her-gender gentlewoman, and he, the darkly-brooding-lord of the manor-love interest) travel to visit a friend of Lord Royston's, an eccentric zoologist who collects specimens from around the world to study.

There is talk of shipwrecks (with a mysterious wreckmaster discussed but never met - or was he actually the man who took Merula's sketches?), rumours of a hideous monster, a Kraken that drags ships and those aboard into the depths, the murder of a young maid who worked for their host, and a slightly untrustworthy neighbour.

Merula and Lord Royston get pulled into the mystery when their host is arrested for his maid's murder. There is more to this than meets the eye, and they must sift through gossip, superstition and the statements of self-interested parties to find the truth. A decent read, but I think I have to give the Victoriana a rest for awhile as the properness of behaviour, speech and action are getting tiresome.

The second in the Merrieweather &Royston series, Death Comes to Dartmoor is a 19th century mystery surrounding the strange disappearances and death of young village girls. As zoologist Merrula and Lord Raven attempt to solve the case, Merrula learns more about her strange origins.

Author Vivian Conroy provides enough information about the characters that this could be read as a standalone. Albeit the mystery is a bit on the silly side, I did enjoy the story enough to reach the end.


Goodreads review: 22/06/19
Expected publication: 13/08/19

A smartly written historical thriller in the vein of Arthur Conan Doyle. There are plenty of red herrings in this investigation into murder, suspicion and superstition amongst the moors of Dartmoor.

Merula Merriweather and Lord Raven Royston have arrived in Dartmoor to visit an acquaintance, Lord Oak, who has invited them to see his zoological collection. They discover that a murder has been committed and the novel centres on their attempts to uncover the culprit. To say any more would involve spoilers.

The characters are entertaining and plot moves at a good pace. My one slight gripe, as a British reader, is that it does have an American slant to it in terms of spelling and terminology. That said, it was an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My first read from this author and I've been looking forward to this. Love the cover too.

Merula and Lord Raven are both zoologists but they also share a history of detecting. Having saved one person from the gallows they now search for mythical creatures in the wilds of Dartmoor in the home of the reclusive Oaks. What they encounter is not exactly what they were looking for. A young woman working in the house has been found murdered with the marks of the kraken around her neck and the villagers are out for blood.

How Raven and Merula jointly try to uncover who and what and why of this senseless murder is the story. Village life in all its detail - superstitious, incredulous to the outsider and how to bring justice about is painstakingly done in this story.



I liked the Victorian setting but I also liked Merula's modernity and the touch of romance over hanging the whole story though nothing actually materialised in this one. Lets hope it happens in the next!

Another good entry in the merriweather and Royston mystery series. The mystery was interesting though a bit confused at times, I would recommend to any mystery lover

Even the carriage ride to Dartmoor for Merula and Royston suggests that something is not quite right in the area where they will be visiting. Hot on the heels of saving her uncle from the gallows, Merula and Royston decide to visit one of his friends who supposedly has gathered many zoological oddities from his many trips to different exotic places in the world. Their host’s maid has gone missing, and the townspeople believe that those specimens that he has come to life and roam the moors at night, wreaking havoc. What is going on at Dartmoor?

The author has a great way of setting up suspense and scenes. On the carriage ride at the start of the book, suspense is set in motion right away when the carriage is not allowed to pass on a road near the cliffs. Clearly, somebody doesn't want what is happening on the beach to be seen. The description of their host’s home is very nearly Gothic. A giant bat is seen outside before they even get in. The host has no servants, so the whole manor is in a bit of disarray—and more than a little bit creepy. I thought Merula and Royston played well off each other. They both have distinct personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. I love the dry humor and banter between them.

If you enjoy historical suspense with creepy things that go bump in the night (and creepy villagers fomenting to become a mob), you may very well enjoy this engaging book.

A murder mystery set in Dartmoor in the late nineteenth century. Reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes if Warson was a young lady. Fun read.

Death Comes to Dartmoor is the 2nd book in the Merriweather and Royston Mystery Series by Vivian Conroy. The story centers around the mysterious murder of a girl, whom the villagers immediately believe was killed by Merula's and Raven's current host, Oaks. Oaks is known for his house full of zoological specimens and its existence stirs fears, gossip, and rumors in the nearby village. Merula and Raven wish to help their host out and find the real culprit, so they use their knowledge, power and deduction to help find clues and whittle down the list of suspects.

For me, what always sets these type of mysteries apart from one another are two things: 1) are there other stories and plots occuring outside of the main mystery and 2) how is the mystery actually solved within the story - meaning is it just told to us or do we as readers get to look at the clues ourselves and make assumptions and guesses, even if the characters can't hear our ideas.

In this story, there are additional stories or subplots that occur that help the readers take a mental break from the mystery at hand as well as help us get to know the characters better and what is important to them. In this book, this mainly includes a potential romance for Lamb and some clues to Merula's parentage. I am always thankful when there are backstories and subplots in mysteries as it makes it more enjoyable for me and helps me to care more about the characters as well know who they in different situations.

As with any mystery story, writing a review can be difficult since you don't want to spoil anything. So, what I will say is that I did enjoy the mystery as well as enjoyed seeing the world a little differently than how I see it in my 2019 eyes. We have so much knowledge and information now right at our fingertips, but at the time of this mystery there was still much learning occurring - in this case zoologically speaking - and no internet to help provide answers to questions that arise. As far as the mystery goes, the main issue that did call out to me as I read it was that toward the end of the story the main characters seemed to throw out random guesses at the potential culprit without any proof in the hopes to see what would stick. Although that kind detective work does occur, it seemed to happen too frequently within a short reading time span and the characters didn't really have too much to go on when they did it. So, all in all I would have liked a little more 'fact' going into that section of the book.
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This novel is a delightful read and one of the best things about this mystery is how easy it is to enjoy. This is what I call a Sunday afternoon read - it is pleasant, enjoyable, and entertaining. I hadn't read the first in the series and there were at times I wished I had in order to help me understand the relationship between Merula and Raven better, but it never kept me from enjoying the book I do recommend this book and I myself will look forward to reading the next in the series.

The following appeared on my book review blog this morning:

Who doesn’t love a period book set against a vast English countryside complete with a sweeping country manor and a couple of amateur sleuths that are eager to get a break from Victorian London and the murder mystery that they just solved?

A MERRIWEATHER AND ROYSTON MYSTERY
Death Comes to Dartmoor is the second installment of the Merriweather and Royston Mysteries. The novel picks up on the heels of the first book. That said, this installment is hard to get into and fully understand the backstory if you have not read, The Butterfly Conspiracy. It is beneficial to read the first book of this series before you begin Death Comes to Dartmoor or you might be lost and not be able to get into the mystery that unfolds for our pair of zoologists whose vacation doesn’t go anywhere near as planned.

MURDER IN THE VILLAGE
I don’t know what it is about Devon, maybe it’s the moors and the overall vibe of the village, but there are so many novels like And Then There Were None and even The Hounds of the Baskervilles that use the moors and Devon as their setting. Much like stories before, our main characters Merula Merriweather and Lord Rayven Royston arrive in Devon with Merriweather’s maid, Lamb, and Royston’s valet, Bowspirit only to find that their idyllic country getaway is going to be far from what they expected.

Oaks, their host, is acting incredibly strange. The specimens that he collects are thought to be coming back to life and then, his maid disappears. Oaks is bordering on delusional and the villagers are calling for his blood. Almost inevitably, the maid turns up dead and Oaks is the main suspect, leaving Merriweather and Royston to delve into the mystery that they have walked into and prove Oaks’ innocence.

CONTINUING STORY LINE
In The Butterfly Conspiracy, we learn that Merriweather does not know who her parents are. She has lived with an aunt and uncle who have loved and raised her, but she is still determined to find out where she comes from. Merriweather’s parental lineage comes into play again when she encounters a man from a traveling theater company at a local gathering who makes the comment that she looks so much like her mother. Merriweather is given a lead into her mother’s past that she is eager to flesh out and it will be interesting to see what the story of her parents are and how she reacts when she finally uncovers the truth behind her parents’ past and how it will play out in future books within this series.

BOOK INFORMATION
Death Comes to Dartmoor: A Merriweather and Royston Mystery by Vivian Conroy will be released on August 13, 2019, from Crooked Lane Books with ISBN 9781643850092. This review corresponds to an advanced electronic galley that was supplied by the publisher in exchange for this review. To snag special pre-order pricing click the link above!

I just couldn’t get into this book. Others have said that it stands alone, but I found that I was a bit lost in chapter one instead of hooked. Instead of immediately getting to know the characters, I found myself wondering over and over what I had missed. I recommend that readers start at the beginning of this series.

I follow the GoodReads rating system. Please note that this means even the 3-star books are ones I liked.
1 star – didn’t like it
2 stars – it was OK
3 stars – liked it
4 stars – really liked it
5 stars – it was amazing; I’ll read it over and over and/or it will impact my daily life.

I chose this book on Netgalley for the attractive cover and because I like historical detectives.
The story was entertaining enough but I found the characters rather shallow and the story had little depth.
Interesting enough to read the book to the end but I don't think I will read the other episodes in the series.

2,5 stars, but will round up to 3

I want to thank Netgalley for providing me with an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun historical romp! I enjoyed the setting, characters, and dialogue - however I did not realize this was a sequel. I think I would have enjoyed the book and the characters more intimately, had I known I had an opportunity to get to know them prior to this novel. I will be going back and reading the first book, and look forward to giving this book another go after that point in time! It was an overall fun read - great for a sunny day or a rainy day curled under a blanket.

Death Comes to Dartmoor by Vivian Conroy is the second in the Merriweather and Royston Mystery series. You will get a better backstory and understand some events that are mentioned by reading the first book, The Butterfly Conspiracy, but it’s not necessary to have read it to enjoy this one. In Death Comes to Dartmoor our two main characters, Merula Merriweather and Lord Raven Royston are travelling together to visit a friend, Lord Oak, who has invited them to see his zoological collection. This should be a welcome break for both after the taxing events of the first book, but their idea of a peaceful holiday is immediately shattered.

Upon arrival they find that there has been a murder, villagers are baying for the blood of their friend and there’s a mystery about an escaped beast. The main storyline is an investigative journey to find the real killer and free their friend from his jail cell, but there’s also an ongoing side story of Merula’s investigation into her own mysterious past. It’s hard to review a cosy mystery without any spoilers, so all I will say that this is an enjoyable and intriguing read, with some fun folklore and a nod to The Hound of the Baskervilles that will appeal to fans of the cosy genre. I’ll definitely be reading book three!

This is the second in the Merriweather and Royston mystery series.

Merriweather is in fact Merula Merriweather, who saved her Uncle from falsely being hanged for murder in the first book. A trip to Dartmoor is prescribed to blow away the cobwebs and soothe the nerves.

Royston is in fact Lord Rayven Royston a zoologist who is using natural history as his last vestige of respectability after some dubious events. Royston helped Merriweather with the exoneration of her uncle. He agrees to accompany her on her trip.

To maintain the air of respectability there is also Lamb, Merriweather's maid and Bowspirit, Royston's valet.

Surely Victorian Devon is going to be less dangerous than Victorian London....

But when they get to the house they are meant to be staying at, after being diverted by the wreckmaster high up on the moor, all is not as it seems. Oaks, their host seems to be in some sort of delirium, his maid has disappeared, the natural history specimens he collects seem to be coming to life and the local villagers are baying for his blood.

Then the maid's body turns up and it looks like Oaks is responsible.

This is not the quiet respite that Merriweather and Royston were after. And it looks like their unlikely detective partnership is going to have to be used again to solve the mystery.

I think to understand in more depth the relationship between the two main characters you needed to have read the first book, I am sure that would have made the second book, this one, more enjoyable for me. An interesting concept as a series of novels and I thoroughly enjoyed the setting and the landscape descriptions. I think the series can develop but there was something just missing from the storytelling which just didn't grab me and make me want to read more. I really wish I knew what it was.

An acceptable book to while away a few hours in front of the fire and escape from the present day.

Merula and Lord Ralston or Raven rode smack dab into an unthinkable situation of which their host was threatened with a lynching. When the hanging party almost broke down the door to get in the following morning, Merula and Ralston along with their valet and maid went in search for answers. Their sleuthing upturn a hornet's nest, in a village full of angry residents ready to take the law into their own hands, off of someone’s wicked and evil conspiracy for money. Merula was also in search of answers as to her birth parents seeing as she is an orphan. This book was not what I expected at all, Dartmoor sounds so boring, I thought it was going to be one of those without much excitement. But its storyline was a surprisingly intriguing and captivating one, the characters are awesome, making this book an entertaining and engaging package.

Death Comes to Dartmoor is a fabulous mystery that is well written and with great characters. I loved this book and can't wait to read more from this author.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting and had depth, the many plot threads kept me guessing and the ending was satisfying. It’s very well written,

I really appreciate a book where you feel obliged to think as you go, I love it when I get some aspects right, but there are still some surprising twists in the story. I look forward to reading more of the books in the series.

With many thanks to the author, the publishers, Crooked Lane Books. and NetGalley for my free copy to review

A well-written story that I enjoyed from beginning to end. The author sets the scene by (re)introducing us to the four characters (Raven, Merula and their servants). on their journey to visit an odd friend with an odd house in Dartmoor. What they face there (superstitions, traditions) and what they struggle to prove (their friend's innocence) become a battle between resisting and embracing progress. But, before taking sides, they must solve the murder at hand: building theories, eliminating suspects...
Merula finding out very small bits about her family's past muddies the waters even more and leaves you wishing for more (looking forward to reading the next volume)

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. Death Comes to Dartmoor is the second title featuring Merula Merriweather and Lord Raven Royston. Following the events of the Butterfly Conspiracy, Merula and Raven are leaving London to visit an acquaintance of Raven's in Dartmoor to give Merula some time to rest and recover. Upon arrival, it becomes clear that something is not right in the neighborhood; after leaving the train and transferring to carriage, their carriage is stopped and forced to go the longer route round through a local village. While traveling through the village, the pair hears of a missing local girl. Upon finally arriving at his friend's house, Merula and Raven finally arrive at Oak's house and find him behaving oddly. Early the following morning, a mob wakes them looking for Oak and threatening to burn down his home after the body of the missing girl has been found and he is believed to be responsible for her death. The mystery over who and why the girl was killed was well done and entertaining; there were enough twists and turns to keep me changing my mind about who the murderer was several times. The book also continues the storyline introduced in the previous book about Merula's heritage as she was orphaned young and doesn't know her parents. A local traveling theater company offers Merula a lead into her mother's past when a man she encounters at a local gathering comments on how much she looks like her mother. I'm curious to see how the story about her past unfolds. Overall, I found this to be a very enjoyable way to pass a weekend and am hoping for many more titles in the series.

This is a solid, well written mystery story from start to finish. Lots of twists and more than its fair share of red herrings! The plot is really interesting and quite unlike anything I have read before (not a spoiler but it involves an alleged Kraken) and the growing field of zoology. I am a fan of this author and this one did not disappoint. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy for review.