Cradle to Grave

Author: Eleanor Kuhns
Genre: Historical Fiction / Mystery
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2014
Pages: 352
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Will Rees is adjusting to life on his Maine farm in 1797, but he’s already hungering for the freedom of the road, and his chance to travel comes sooner than he expects. Lydia has just received a letter from her old friend Mouse, a soft-spoken and gentle woman who now lives in the Shaker community in Mount Unity, New York. To Lydia and Rees’s astonishment, she’s in trouble with the law. She’s kidnapped five children, claiming that their mother, Maggie Whitney, is unfit to care for them.

Despite the wintry weather and icy roads, Rees and Lydia set out for New York, where they sadly conclude that Mouse is probably right and the children would be better off with her. There’s nothing they can do for Mouse legally, though, and they reluctantly set out for home. But before they’ve travelled very far, they receive more startling news: Maggie Whitney has been found murdered, and Mouse is the prime suspect.

In Cradle to Grave, Eleanor Kuhns returns with the clever plotting, atmospheric historical detail, and complexly drawn characters that have delighted fans and critics in her previous books.

Review: They say not to choose a book by its cover, but in this case it paid off.

I did not realize until I finished this book that it is part of a series (Will Rees Mysteries, #3). That annoys me, but I will say since I didn't pick up on their being two prior novels the author did a good job of drawing the reader in and making it feel like a stand-alone book.

I don't know what methods were used to solved crimes in the late 18th century, but the author wove an interesting story and the details of the investigation seemed plausible. If there's anything negative to say about this is that there are a lot of names and relationships to keep straight. I read a few paragraphs more than once in order to understand how all of them tied together. All in all, this was an enjoyable, entertaining read and that's good enough for me.