suspense, superstitions, action, whodunit, scary-good, folklore, England *****

Dartmoor. The very name conjures up darkness, fears, and folklore. This story embodies all that and more! I found it rather Sherlockian in its relentless search for the realities that fed the fear of the locals as well as the misdirection and astounding plot twists. Which is my way of saying that I loved it! The publisher's blurb is better than most, and spoilers are disrespectful to the author, so I can only suggest that if it looks intriguing, you won't regret reading it.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thanks again!

This was a solidly written whodunnit kind of cozy mystery story. I kept falling for the red herrings as they were being considered by the main characters until they got down to the real culprit, which was a surprise for me. I would have rated the book higher if it was more authentic with the setting, I didn’t get the feel of Victorian era England, so that was a little disappointing to me. Would have been more immersive and authentic if the author had used British spelling and terminology and old English. It was still a great story. I just feel like it could have been more believably placed in a small New England area town.

Received an ARC through #NetGalley.

I was drawn to request this book after visiting Dartmoor and falling in love with it! A charming, warm read which was perfect for rainy days. Although this is the second book in the series (I hadn't read the first) it was a throughly enjoyable mystery which I read over a couple of days. Merula Merriweather and Lord Raven Royston are likeable characters and this book is a well written, cozy read. 4 stars
Thank you to The author, Netgalley and publisher for allowing me to read.

This book reminded me a bit of older Victorian mysteries. Lots of mystery with just a hint of romance. It had some twists and surprised me at the end

After finishing the first in the series, The Butterfly Conspiracy, I could hardly wait to dive into the second: Death Comes to Dartmoor. As soon as it was made available, I gobbled it up in a matter of days...hooked from the first chapter. If you are a fan of a good mystery with a touch of lore, you will love this book.

I met and got to know the stars of this tale in the first book. What a delight it was to see their relationship grow and change throughout the story! The intellectual and romantic tensions between these two characters is masterful. I loved their dynamic so much in the first book that I wondered how Ms. Conroy would keep it fresh...I need not have worried. Their relationship continues to deepen and develop as they grow closer and is just as engaging in this book.

The heroine (h), Merula Merriweather, is easily one of my favorite characters in this series. Her past is a mystery and even though her Aunt and Uncle have given her a home and their own version of love, she has lived a hard life not knowing what became of her parents. Yet, she is compassionate, intelligent and determined to find answers.

Lord Raven Royston is an absolute delight. His wit, sharp tongue and humor blend together to make an engaging hero. I loved watching how his demeanor and attitude slowly changed toward Merula leaving the reader in no doubt as to his feelings for her. In fact, Merula seems more in doubt than the reader. This made it even more fun to read as I felt I was "in on" the secret.

Both characters have a mystery from their past to solve, and Conroy does a phenomenal job of weaving their unanswered questions into the background of the big mystery in this story. She leaves you just enough at the end to want more. I love the dual mystery approach. SO fun!

I wish I hadn't read it so quickly, as now I will be pining for the next book in the series. Well written Ms. Conroy!

This book is a lovely cozy mystery. I think the characters are very well written. They are both realistic and just a touch exaggerated, enough so that their emotions catch you as you go along. The premise of the story does really well in dealing with the differences between superstition and logic, country and city, outsiders and insiders, and the fantastic versus the real. I think, of the characters, Lamb and Bowsprit are probably my favourite, simply for doing things they're probably not supposed to do. My main critique of this story is that the murder is a little contrived to make everyone a suspect. I think if the "how" question were answered earlier on, this wouldn't happen. However, the fact that everyone is a suspect is rather important to the story, so it works out well. All in all, it's very well written and a great read.

I have been struggling to find a read that matched my current reading mood. I have started several books but nothing has been a fit. While perusing NetGalley, I came across Death Comes To Dartmoor and was excited to see it is the next in the Merriweather and Royston series. Another bonus? It was a read now, so I immediately downloaded it and fell back into the shenanigans of these two adventurers.


I am happy to say that Raven and Merula did not disappoint, in fact I enjoyed this one even better the the first in the series, The Butterfly Conspiracy. In this outing we are able to learn more about Merula’s past and see her relationship with Raven deepen. It also warmed my heart to see her come to understand and embrace the power of friendships.

I loved the setting (the moors of the English countryside) and how the murder mystery played into that. The book moved along at a good pace and left me eagerly awaiting their next adventure.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Death Comes to Dartmoor has strong vibes of Sherlock Holmes and Charles Dickens in way of dark vibes and mysterious creatures that are killing girls left and right in the middle of the night. With plenty of deaths, the villagers are frightened and turn mob-like, causing much trouble amongst the small village of Dartmoor. There’s lots of action, adventure, and near death experiences for our characters from beginning to end of this book, with mysteries aplenty as well. Who killed the girls? Why would someone pin the blame on an old man? And what of the connection to their friends?

This was an enthralling read that had me from beginning to end, and I found myself rapidly turning page after page, attempting to guess who it was that killed them. I was right about the killer but wrong about the reasons, so the author gets bonus points for that as well.

If you like dark mysteries that are spooky, and full of atmospheric death scenes, I highly recommend you reading this series. It’s got something for everyone, and while long the payout is definitely well worth it!

4/5 stars!

The book reminds me of the old style of mysteries where the plot was twisted and the ending was a surprise. I liked the old style! The village is a bit creepy and the inhabitants are a bit backward,,,at first glance. Then the greed and human frailties start to appear. The story unfolds less like a mystery and more like the result of finding themselves in a situation. I found the book to be well done in keeping the characters revealing parts of themselves as the story progressed. I liked the story.

I loved this book! 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It is the 2nd book in a series, but I didn’t read the first book yet and had no issues understanding plot or character dynamics. The premise surrounds a woman who travels with her companions to the English moors in order to stay at the home of a well know collector of zoological specimens, which she is fascinated by. Just before their arrival, the murder of a local girl sparks superstition and mass hysteria. She was found strangled by the river with markings on her neck that indicate she was killed by a kraken!! A kraken (as seen below) is essentially a large squid, but in certain communities, especially along the sea, is a source of great fear and irrational thinking. They believe kraken are to blame for ship wrecks and other water tragedies. A kraken is part of Lord Oak’s collection and the villagers believe this and other specimens are coming to life at night and killing the locals!!

Are his specimens somehow supernaturally causing harm or is there an evil person behind these deeds?

The story is fun, gave me a peek at some cool folklore, keeps you guessing, maintains suspense and was an overall fascinating mystery!!

#ThankYouNetgalley
#DeathComesToDartmoor
#Kraken
#Folklore