A review by jenn_o_3
Killer in the Carriage House: A Victorian Village Mystery by Sheila Connolly

lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

Gave the first book in this series 3 stars but the issues here are the same but worse so I went to 2. There simply aren’t enough viable suspects to keep you guessing nor any red herrings to set you down a false path. It really comes down to 2 possible killers. 

There is also really poor editing in the book. Example - a chapter ends with the characters eating lunch. Next chapter begins with them still looking for where to eat. Or they drive somewhere and then say “we walked here, better go back and get the car.” Just basic continuity errors within the span of 3 pages. 

Speaking of meals, the author relies on meals and descriptions of meals too much to mark the passage of time. Annoyingly so. And the timelines seem weird throughout. They’ll have 2 hours to kill, talk to someone for 3 lines and then worry they’ll be late. The convo could only have been 10 minutes tops. 

All these are small, but so easily fixed with a basic edit. 

In terms of the end: 

Why do they act like the energy company partially funding the renovation of ONE building is a win? Their business and profits for 100 years came from a patent you own and you’re getting a million maybe? Seriously? 100 YEARS of profits for a multi-state utility? Billions!! At the very least the town should have gotten stock in the company or a better ending.