My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Grace Interrupted was a very enjoyable cozy mystery.
Summary via the Penguin Website:
On the grounds of Marshfield Manor, Civil War re-enactors have set up camp. And what a dedicated troupe! One of them has really been killed…
It continues with the characters from Grace Under Pressure (also a pleasant read), but knowledge of the events there isn’t necessary for understanding this book. I did like the continuing process of getting to know Grace and the other characters, and that’s where I would have missed up if I’d jumped straight to this book.
As with most cozies, the emphasis is character first, setting second, mystery third, but all three are strong here, and all have improved since the first book.
I liked the behind the scenes look at the world of Civil War re-enactors. The passion, the politics, the continuing friction between those that believe in the details vs. the spirit of the experience… all of these rang true for me.
Grace’s personal relationships are moving along slowly. That’s fine for now– I like some caution– but I’ll need to see some progress (forward or back) within a couple more books.
And the mystery? It wasn’t all that compelling, except as it gave reasons for the characters to interact, but it was competent. Clues were laid down and picked up, plausible motives were explored. I was happy with the arc of the story.
Beyond everything mentioned here, Grace Interrupted was simply pleasant to read, and that’s why I’ll be thrilled to pick up the next book in the series.
I received Grace Interrupted from Berkeley Prime Crime for review. Thank you!
Liz
August 11, 2011 at 5:45 pm
Enjoyed Grace Under Pressure and all of the White House Chef series. Haven’t caught up with Grace Interrupted yet but will soon.
Melissa B
August 23, 2011 at 9:30 am
Saw you on twitter! =)
this looks like a great book, thanks for the review!