I love a good mystery and I love historical fiction. This was a great combination of both! Frank moved to Vermont and became caught up in the mystery. Good beginning to a new series! Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for letting me read this book early. This is my honest review.

A new series from author Sarah Stewart Taylor, who writes the Maggie D'Arcy series set in New York and Ireland. This series takes an entirely new track as a historical fiction novel set in 1960s rural Vermont. Police detective Franklin Warren has just transferred to Bethany, Vermont, after a personal tragedy and immediately catches an arson case that may be a suicide or homicide. As he gets to know his new neighbors and learn his way around the backroads and farms of Bethany, he wonders if one of them could also be a murderer. There are a lot of interesting characters in Bethany, and I'm looking forward to learning more about them as this series progresses - I'm already looking forward to the next installment!

Agony Hill by Sarah Stewart Taylor was an extremely intriguing story.
This was an engaging, multi layered mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end.
Sarah Stewart Taylor has done a terrific job of integrating her characters into an original storyline.
A fun, well thought-out mystery.

Thank You NetGalley and Minotaur Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Frank Warren, formerly a big city detective, has moved to small town Vermont for a fresh start and is forced to quickly jump into his new role when several mysterious crimes occur. It’s up to him to navigate small town dynamics to try to solve the crimes, all while exploring 1960s rural America on the cusp of lots of societal change.

I enjoyed the cast of characters this author brought to life and the vivid snapshot of small town life she created. Though not a page turner, the characters and setting kept me interested while reading. I plan to continue in the series when the next one is released and I’m in the mood for an atmospheric, quaint, character-driven mystery. Thanks to Minotaur and NetGalley for the digital ARC!

Was it suicide, or was it murder?

In 1965 there are major changes afoot, both in the small town of Bethany, VT, and beyond. The conflict in Vietnam is escalating with rising fears of an increase in the drafting of young men, people fleeing the draft or looking to get back to the land are setting up homesteads, and the construction of an interstate highway is bringing even more outsiders into this quiet area, sometimes at the cost of family farms which are being taken by eminent domain. Franklin Warren, a young police detective from Boston with an excellent record but looking for a fresh start after a personal tragedy that impacted his career, arrives in town, having been recruited by Detective Lieutenant Tommy Johnson of the Vermont State Bureau of Criminal Investigation who happens to be an army buddy of Warren’s businessman father. Warren is still unpacking in his rented lodgings when he is summoned to a nearby farm where the barn caught fire and a body has been discovered. The Weber family lives the life of homesteaders at this farm on Agony Hill, and it is husband and father Hugh Weber who has perished. His pregnant young wife Sylvie and four sons were asleep in the house so all survived, and it seems like a clear cut case of suicide. The one accessible door by which one could enter or leave the barn was latched shut, and Hugh was alone inside (and likely drunk). His history of letters to the editor railing against many things, but especially the intrusion of the new highway on pastoral life, has contributed to the locals not much liking Hugh, and his latest missives read like possible suicide notes. Another local farmer recently committed suicide in just this way, which may well have served as inspiration for Hugh. As Warren, with the assistance of the young local officer assigned to him, Trooper “Pinky” Goodrich, does his best to thoroughly investigate the scene, he must deal with the resentment of the local police chief, Roy Longwell, who is no fan of the relatively recently created state police force, as well as the volatile brother of the deceased who has arrived in town from New York expecting an inheritance that is not forthcoming. With petty crimes popping up in town, another fire set close to the farm on Agony Hill, and Warren’s gut instinct that all is not as cut and dried as it seems, this small town is not the peaceful hamlet he expected. Did Hugh make an enemy angry enough to kill him over land ownership, money, or political views? Do the several people in town having ties to Washington DC and possibly intelligence work during an earlier war tie into current events? And what, if anything, do the unusual Mrs. Weber and her boys have to do with events on the night of the fire?
The first in what looks to be a new series, Agony Hill is a mystery set during a historical time period of great upheaval in a well=crafted rural Vermont setting. The characters, from the highly capable detective haunted by events in his past trying to acclimate to a closely knit small town to the local widow next door with an amazing garden and seemingly some intrigue in her background, the young trooper eager to learn from the experienced newcomer to the newspaper editor looking to ferret out his next headline, are complex and appealing. This is no fast-paced, car chase laden police story; it is more P D James than Joseph Wambaugh, and would appeal to readers of Julia Spencer-Fleming, Kate Flora and Bruce Robert Coffin. I found it an authentic and compelling read, and look forward to future entries in the series. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for allowing me access to an early copy of this engaging story.

I want to thank Random House Publishing, Ballantine Books and Sarah Stewart Taylor for the opportunity to read an ARC of Agony Hill; my review reflects my honest opinion. The location and timeframe of Agony Hill was Bethany, Vermont in 1965. The community was torn about the construction of an Interstate that had resulted in the destruction of some farms and generated concerns that crime would increase as more and more people came to the area. One man from a nearby town even committed suicide to protest the construction. The draft is in place and young man are dying in Vietnam, fearing that they will be called to serve, and contemplating or actually going to Canada. It was rather turbulent time in a place where neighbors knew neighbors and doors were unlocked.
Franklin Warren moved to Berhany from Boston to accept a position with the Vermont State Police and to escape the painful memories of a personal tragedy. Before he can even unpack he was called to a fire at the farm of Hugh and Sylvie Weber located on Agony Hill. Hugh Weber was a " back to the land," outspoken, argumentative, generally contrary and not well-liked farmer. His wife Sylvie was raising 4 boys, a working partner on the farm, responsible for the home and pregnant. The fire was devastating in that Hugh died; the question: was it an accident or murder?
An intriguing character in the book was Warren's neighbor 55 year old Alice Farnham Bellows. Alice had been raised in Bethany, yet traveled the world with her s "satesman" husband. She returned to Bethany after he died, and was well respected and liked. She had a penchant for solving local mysteries; I envisioned her as the Jessica Fletcher of Bethany. She was however a very astute woman who had aided her husband through his intelligence career and could still be called upon to provide information and insight.
Agony Hill was a very satisfying read for me. While it was not a keep me at the edge of my seat book, it slowly drew me in. I enjoyed meeting Warren and the other residents and visitors, it was a good portrayal of the timeframe and it brought the beauty of Vermont alive. I understand there will be a second book featuring Warren, and I hope Alice; that is great news. 4 stars

My thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC of "Agony Hill" in exchange for an honest review.
On the plus side, - a beautifully rendered portrait of a unique time and place in history - a bucolic, picturesque little Vermont town and farming community of Bethany in 1965. But even such a seemingly peaceful place is beginning to feel the effects of the escalation of the Vietnam War. and all the subsequent societal, political and cultural upheavals in store for America. Another plus - the finely created cast of characters including newly appointed State Police.. detective Franklin Warren, A former Boston cop, he arrives a damaged, haunted man, tormented by the memories of finding his young wife brutally murdered. p
Still settling in to a small town where everybody takes an interest of everybody's else's business, Franklin's confounded by the apparent bizarre suicide of Hugh Weber, Bethany's most disliked farmer.. A man of hot temper and raging opinions, what could have led him to lock himself inside his barn and set fire to it? Warren finds no rational answers from Weber's weary, but beautiful wife Sylvie, now struggling to maintain the farm with the help of her large brood of children, nor any help from Weber's equally cantankerous, volcanic=tempered brother Victor.
And who's the elusive mystery man who may have started another fire and committed various thefts around town?
While it's fascinating to follow Franklin and the young green cop assisting him as they methodically track down clues and question potential suspects and people of interest, the book slows to a crawl in when it delves into the small down lives of the Bethany residents and their official busybody amateur detective Alice Bellows. The story than begins to resemble the most antiquated, snail-paced Cozy mystery that takes forever to get wherever it's going...
The only thing remotely interesting about the slow, slow townsfolk stuff is that Bethany has an unusual amount of neighbors with histories in the U.S. Intelligence community...........as if the place is Florida for elderly spies. A captivating idea, but nothing's really done with it.....at least in this first book in the series.
As I mentioned, the world building is truly admirable, but the book depends on this to wander about if it had all the time in the world to fully lay out its story. Which is why I felt myself exhaling long sighs when it left detective Warren to go leisurely poking among the Bethany folk. A solid cast of characters and a surprisingly heart-rending resolution to the primary mystery.......but you'll need a measure of patience to arrive at it.

Set in 1965 in rural Vermont, Agony Hill is the first in a series about Franklin Warren, a Boston police detective with a mysterious past that has caused him to start over in this bucolic village. The cast of characters is wonderful, from next door neighbor Alice Bellows, who has secrets of her own, to the members of the police department, to the local folks around town. The story is a slow burn with an ending that was very satisfying but also left me wanting more. I'm excited to read more in this series and looking forward to getting to know this town and the people who reside there. Thanks to St. Martins Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on August 6, 2024.

Such a good story! Very realistic portrayal of life in southern Vermont on the verge of change. Vietnam, the Cold War, personal tragedy, small town grapevine: all come into play in this fascinating mystery. Alice Bellowes is an enigma herself as she "guides" newcomer state trooper detective Warren. He is a very troubled man who hopes small time life will help settle him. I can't wait to read the next book!

Another true masterpiece of a mystery - this time with a new detective, a new protagonist. He's had a tortured past and ends up in a small town with a series of murders, injuries and misadventures to solve. Truly captivating.

3.5 stars. I have really enjoyed the Maggie D’Arcy series, so I was excited to read this start of a new series by Sarah Stewart Taylor. The main character, Franklin Warren, left Boston after his wife died to become a detective in the small town of Bethany, Vermont. On his first day, a mysterious barn fire kills a farmer who most of the residents did not like. So, Warren has to investigate to determine if the fire was a suicide, a murder, or arson. Through Warren and his elderly neighbor (and resident busybody) Alice Bellows, the reader not only learns the result of the fire investigation but also gets a glimpse into many of the townspeople of Bethany. This was an engaging story that was beautifully written, but it was definitely a slow burn, perhaps a bit too much of a slow burn for me. Nonetheless, Agony Hill was a good read, and I look forward to the second book in this new series.

This is the story of a barn fire located in Bethany, Vermont as Franklin Warren is relocated there in 1960. The fire killed Mr. Weber, member of the community that nobody liked. The people of Bethany Vermont have many secrets. This is the first look at a series and was a slow burn as it is a character driven book. I loved the character of Mrs. Alice Bellows and her WWII stories about her husband's activities. I look forward to more books by Sarah Stewart Taylor. If you love historical novels from the 1960's then you will love this book. Highly recommended!

I was definitely liking the vibes for this story but I made it to 35% and the story was just moving so slowly and I was having to force myself to pick it up. There are obviously secrets that towns people are keeping but I just didn't care. Maybe I'll try it again at some point but for now this story just didn't have enough thrill or suspense to keep my attention.

Thanks you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the chance to read this early in exchange of an honest review.

In 1965, the small town of Bethany, Vermont, is struggling towards modernization; the new interstate is gouging swathes through pristine farmland, and farmers are barely compensated for their loss. Crack investigator Franklin Warren, happy to leave his dark memories in Boston, has made the move at the behest of Tommy Johnson of Vermont’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation. He is barely unpacked when called to the site of a barn fire, where a farmer’s body has been discovered in an annexed room, the door locked from the inside. Likely to be ruled a suicide, things do not add up for Warren or the sharp-witted Trooper ‘Pinky’ Goodrich, who Warren immediately commandeers as his deputy. Why sleep in the barn, why bolt the door, what started the fire?

I read this in one sitting, becoming quickly immersed in the strongly character-driven story and Taylor’s nuanced handling of the events, not felt so much in the crime itself as in the larger picture—the locals and what they are withholding. Small sideline events grow into more pertinent issues in Taylor’s deft hands, eliciting the townsfolks’ protectiveness towards each other, including the taciturn pregnant widow and her four unusual sons. Atmosphere runs high with an underlying feeling that we are only privy to part of the story, which adds to the overall need-to-know for the other part. Behind-the-scenes events are as important as those which are obvious, and untoward things happen which are not necessarily part of the mystery, keeping the twists and turns lively. Haunted by personal tragedy, Warren’s forgiving nature is touchingly revealed through his all-too-human reaction to certain scenes. I was not particularly surprised by the culprit, but it did not matter, because this is about ordinary people finding their way through life’s drama. It is the first in a planned series, which was my hope as I finished the novel.

Rural Vermont in the '60's with a dash of mystery & mayhem🏞

4-4.5🌟 stars
Agony Hill gave a good flavor for the period and the life of a small town in the still innocent 1960's, but the best element for me was the central drama of the back to the basics Weber family and how and why their patriarch Hugh died in a fiery barn. The mystery was well executed and I was totally surprised by the solution that Warren, the newly-arrived state trooper investigator, uncovers.

I was not sure why so much emphasis was put on Warren's neighbor Alice, who considers herself a bit of an amateur sleuth, but eventually I understood how her story dove-tailed into the bigger mystery.

I thought it well-written, though a little drawn out. If it's the start of a series, I would read more about this fictional town, its residents and their secrets.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

While some readers will find the setting of Sarah Stewart Taylor's Agony Hill a strange and unfamiliar world, for me, being back in the days of Woodstock, draft dodgers, and communes-- let alone no cell phones-- was a blast from the past. (And one that I enjoyed revisiting because Taylor skillfully puts readers in her setting without a bit of "information dump.")

The cast of characters is interesting. Frank Warren is no stranger to tragedy, and he's taken the job as a detective for the Vermont State Police to get a fresh start. He's not familiar with small towns and farms, and there's a scene where he gets lost in the woods that both made me laugh and gave me chills, and that's a rare reaction indeed.

Warren finds himself drawn to the dead man's wife, Sylvie, an enigmatic woman who's a capable yet fearful wife, mother, and poet. The fleeting scenes when she tries various wordings to set her surroundings into poems were among my favorites in Agony Hill.

As for my favorite character, that would have to be Warren's next-door neighbor, widow, and amateur detective Alice Bellows. There's much more to this woman than her amazing gardening skills.

Frank Warren did want to learn how Agony Hill got its name, and, unfortunately, we never did find out. Taylor uses misdirection to good use, and although Agony Hill is a good, solid mystery with interesting characters, I find myself uninterested in reading more. I've read two previous books by this same author with much the same reaction, so... although she's good and I have friends who love her writing, she's just not my cup of tea. Don't be surprised if your mileage varies!

Thoroughly enjoyed this mystery set in Vermont in the sixties which crosses police investigation, family dysfunction and hints at an underlying spy novel that may unfold as the series progresses. It’s not action packed but I couldn’t resist turning the pages to see where it was going. Characters are relatable and we learn enough about each to form an impression of their character. Can’t wait for the next chapter.

Thank you Netgalley & Minotaur Books for an eARC💓

Agony Hill is a great read! It's a mystery set in rural Vermont in the 1960s, and it's got a really immersive atmosphere. The main character, Franklin Warren, is a detective who's trying to figure out what happened to a local farmer. As he digs deeper, he uncovers some pretty surprising secrets.

I loved the setting - it's like you're right there in the small town with Warren, trying to piece together the clues. And the characters are all really well-written, too. Warren's a great protagonist, and the people he meets in Bethany are all complex and interesting.

The mystery itself is pretty clever, too. I didn't see the twist coming at all! It's one of those books where you'll want to keep reading to find out what happens next.🔥

This is the first book I've read by this author and the first in a new series. It's set in the 1960s in Vermont, and it's very atmospheric and reminiscent of that time in history. Main character Franklin Warren moves to the small town of Bethany to take a job as a state police detective, and his job starts off with a bang when, almost immediately after he arrives, a suspicious death occurs. As he investigates, he realizes that he might not be the only inhabitantf of Bethany who moved there to escape something. I'll definitely continue the series so that I can find out what secrets will come to light next. This is a great book to read if you like a quieter historical mystery that is character-driven and focuses on interpersonal relationships but still has a puzzle at its center that moves the plot along nicely.

Agony Hill by Sarah Stewart Taylor is a highly recommended mystery set in rural Vermont during 1965. This is the first book in a new historical mystery series featuring Frank Warren. In 1965 the winds of change are blowing across the rural state of Vermont as a new interstate highway is under construction which will bring new people and opportunities to the area. This is also a time of protests against the war in Vietnam and the Cold War.

Franklin Warren arrives in Bethany, Vermont, after accepting a position as a detective with the state police, and immediately called up to investigate a death in a barn fire along with help from Trooper Goodrich. By all appearances it is a death by suicide where Hugh Weber set fire to his barn and himself, with the door barred from the inside. There was a similar case where a farmer immolated himself in his barn protesting the interstate highway. Warren has his doubts that this is a copy cat case because Weber was so disliked in the area. Sylvie Weber is left a young widow with four boys and is also pregnant, seems reticent and self-contained.

A companion story line follows Warren's neighbor Alice Bellows, widow and amateur detective who clearly has her own secrets. She collects information, keeps track of Warren's investigation, and also conducts one of her own over stolen merchandise from a store. Alice is intelligent, insightful woman whose husband was part of the intelligence community.

The excellent writing captures the atmosphere of New England during this time in history while introducing us to the fully realized characters. All of the characters in this novel come to life along with the setting. Both Warren and Alice are exceptionally well written. There is a large cast of characters readers will be introduced and all of them add something to the atmosphere of the novel.

The plot is full of intrigue while being intricate and nuanced as the investigation unfolds in a slow, even pace. The numerous details do slow down the pace, but add to the rich experience reading Agony Hill. All of the details will likely serve readers well in future installments of this new series. I'll be looking forward to the next novel featuring Warren and Alice in Bethany, Vermont. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.