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Hunter's Heart Ridge
Hunter's Heart Ridge: A Mystery | Sarah Stewart Taylor
1 post | 1 read | 1 to read
In this sequel to Taylors lyrical series debut, Agony Hill, Detective Frank Warren and his formerly CIA-connected neighbor Alice Bellows return to investigate the death of a diplomat. It's November of 1965 and the second weekend of Vermont's regular deer season when Vermont State Police detective Franklin Warren is called out to what looks like an accidental shooting at The Ridge Club, an exclusive men's hunting and fishing club for congressmen, diplomats, judges, and titans of industry: a former ambassador has been shot while out hunting. With the war in Vietnam picking up speed on the other side of the world, Warren quickly realizes that many of the clubs members are powerful men who may have ulterior motives and connections in high places. While Warren's suspicions about the club members build, his neighbor Alice Bellows is throwing a dinner party, preparing for Thanksgiving, and worrying about her pregnant friend and fellow widow, Sylvie Weber, whose due date is coming up. When Alice's old handler and friend, Arthur Crannock, unexpectedly shows up in Bethany, Alice begins to wonder whether his presence has anything to do with the death at the hunting club. As an early season snowstorm bears down on Bethany, knocking out power and phone lines and blocking the roads, Warren and his assistant, Trooper Pinky Goodrich, are trapped at the Ridge Club, likely along with a killer, and Alice, increasingly fearful that her past in the intelligence world is no longer in the past, will have to act fast to save Sylvie and her baby. Sarah Stewart Taylors historical series combines the intricacy of a satisfying mystery with keen observation of a time and place during great transformation and upheaval.
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robinb
Hunter's Heart Ridge: A Mystery | Sarah Stewart Taylor
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Nicely done second entry in the new series from Taylor...technically maybe third entry as there is an initial short story (Mud Season) before the novels start.
My biggest happy here was a bit of a "locked room" mystery revolving around an ex-diplomat murdered in the woods at a private hunting lodge in rural Vermont. There are quite a few suspects (fellow hunters, caretakers, spouses, etc.) and of course, a snowstorm to make it all a bit ?

robinb cozier. LOL
The story toggles between the murder (which becomes two) investigation, a mysterious visit from a government spy and an unexpected pregnancy scare so there's lots going on in this one.
I enjoy Taylor's writing style, her attention to detail, her interesting plots and her well-established characters. I started as a fan of her Maggie D'arcy mystery series (highly recommend) and am happy that I gave this one a try as well. Looking 🔻
1mo
robinb forward to more from Warren and Alice. 4.25/5⭐️ 1mo
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