Rules of Murder: Drew Farthering, Book 1

This was a mystery with twists and turns that kept me guessing. It is the first time I have read a mystery with a Christian theme that did not seem contrived. Good job!

The good is: 1) the price - it was on sale, 2) the narrator - Simon Vance is one of the very best, and 3) the plot was plenty twisty in the end. The bad is: 1) the story was rather plodding and I almost gave up on it several times so almost didn't get to the end, 2) as other reviewers have mentioned, there is an inordinate amount of gratuitous religion and "preaching" that is not necessary to the story, 3) while I don't want to reveal any spoilers there are a number of instances that occur that make little sense as they are never totally explained or resolved, and 4) in the era this story took place, I have trouble imagining that young women would be allowed the freedom with the opposite sex that these girls apparently had.

All that being said, however, it was an okay read but I am afraid I am spoiled by the Christies, Allinghams, and Edmund Crispins etc. of the literary world. This one doesn't measure up by those standards.

"Rules of Murder" is the first of the Drew Farthering books, a new series which is set in England in the 1930's. It meets all the requirements for a British classic detective story -- a large country estate hosting a large party, a wealthy man playing detective (in connection with several murders at his large country estate), an investigating police superintendent who would very much prefer that the amateur sleuth stayed out of his way, a rather sweet love story, a loyal sidekick, a number of servants who don't realize they have important information, and red herrings galore.

Given that framework, Julianna Deering has created an engaging and intricate plot, and has peopled the book with intelligent characters who engage in intelligent, very often amusing, dialog. The amateur sleuth, Drew Farthering, is not, alas, an aristocrat, but this failing does not keep him from being bright, intelligent, eager and, of course, handsome. The plot is well-paced, and several red herrings kept this reader guessing.

As usual, Simon Vance's performance was superb.

I would recommend this book to fans of Sayers, Allingham or Marsh. While this may not be quite up to their standards, it will still entertain, and I believe that succeeding books will reach higher standards over time.

I have long been seeking new mystery novels that were written in the old style where the puzzle was the focus and the emphasis wasn't on sexual perversion or graphic gory details. If you enjoyed the writing of Agatha Christie, you will appreciate the new books by Julianna Deering.

I don't usually listen more than once, but maybe I would in the future.

Yes. It was a long way into the book before I figured it out.

No

I don't know!

“Rules of Murder” is the first book in a mystery series. The author Julianna Deering set the story in 1930s England. The book is a bit different in that we have a female author with a male main character. The book is written in the classic mystery style set by Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, and Arthur Conan Doyle. The author writes in a simple style and uses an active voice rather than passive. None of the prose is out of place or awkward, Deering keeps constant to the 1930 style of speech. Drew Farthering is the hero character, he is the wealthy heir to the Farlinford Processing Company his companion is Nick Dennison and Madeline Parker the American niece of Drew’s step father is the romantic item. They are all avid mystery fan readers and discuss Ronald Arbuthnot Knox, a Catholic Priest who came up with the 10 commandments for a detective novelist. In solving the murders at the Farthering home they mark off all the rules the current situation brakes. The story is written in a light style with humor, suspense and a glimpse of life in a wealthy English home of the 1930s. The book makes a delightful read and brake from more serious reading. The audio master Simon Vance narrated the book.

A cozy little murder mystery . . . that didn't quite catch my fancy . . . although there's not one thing I can put my finger on . . . the narration is very good . . . and I love English mysteries, the resolution was good . . . clean story . . . just didn't get into the tale as I would have wanted to . . . maybe you will . . .

Superb performance, well written mystery with a terrific ending! Looking forward to more by this author and narrator.

Kept me intrigued! narration very good. First time for this author, will not be the last!

This was a great mystery, a cute love story, and I can't wait for the next book in the series. I like mysteries where I don't know "who dunnit" until the end and this kept my interest from the beginning. Although this story is set in the 19 thirties, it does not have much historical involvement. The performance by the narrator was exceptional. His accents helped me see the characters. I look forward to more!