This book continues in the fine tradition of the first volume. It's about a charming, quaint, pleasant English village at Christmas time, with all that entails. Well, *mostly* pleasant.

As with the first volume, if you don't find life in rural England charming, this probably isn't your thing. It continues to unfold the English village and the people in it to the American foreigner. She continues to make good friends and help people, not with super detective skills, but by caring enough to listen. (And then she does have to think a bit.)

Like the first volume, the mystery is ok. It depends more on coincidence in the investigation than I'd like. I didn't think this was quite as enjoyable as the first one, perhaps because for me a lot of the enjoyment was just getting to know the people and the village, and I'd already done most of that. Unlike the first one, I also found the ending harder to believe. (It seems like there were simpler things the antagonist could have done, but then it wouldn't have been a "cozy" mystery with a happy ending, I guess.) But despite all that, I'll very likely read the next volume when it comes out (especially when it comes out on Kindle Unlimited, like the first two are now). ( )

I enjoyed this mystery set in the Cotswolds, with an American heroine now the wife of an English vicar. An abandoned baby leads her to continue the sleuthing that began in the first of this all-too-short series. ( )

cozy-mystery, England, law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation

A year ago Ellie was a professor, had an ex husband and an ex lover, and celebrated Christmas with her parents in California. This Christmas she is a vicar's wife and amicable stepmother in a Cotswold village with a new assortment of friends including some of her friends' teenagers. And she soon became involved in the second murder investigation and a missing person since taking up residence. The detective on the cases is predictably less than pleased with her involvement. There is a young woman gone missing nearly three months, an unknown tiny newborn in the creche during the Christmas Eve service, a young woman who did not commit suicide, and other linked mysteries. The mystery is well crafted and the characters are engaging.
I have it as Whispersync and Saskia Maarleveld proves to be a remarkable voice performer! ( )