13 January 2015

Review #123: Under an English Heaven: An Ellie Kent Mystery by Alice K. Boatwright



My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It is the dim haze of mystery that adds enchantment to pursuit.
----Antoine de Rivarol, a Royalist French writer during the Revolutionary era

Alice K. Boatwright, an American author, entranced me with her cozy mystery novel, Under an English Heaven: An Ellie Kent Mystery , that will keep you guessing through the pages as the main protagonist Ellie searches for the truth behind the murder of a mysterious man.

Synopsis:
When Ellie Kent moves to an English village with her new husband Graham, she fears the villagers will always see her as that young American who snared their attractive vicar during his sabbatical in California. But this challenge is nothing compared to what happens when she stumbles across a body in the churchyard. The villagers insist they don't know the murdered man, so suspicion mounts that the killer must be the incomer - the vicar's new wife. As evidence piles up against her, Ellie tries to stay one step ahead of the police to unravel a decades-old literary mystery and love story. Will others die before she can solve it? And what will be left of her new life and marriage, even if she succeeds?


Ellie Kent is modern and independent woman who in her other life was a literature professor in the US, but in her present she is married to an alluring English vicar in an old English village. From her dressing style to talking style, everything is in contrast with the people of the English Cotswolds. But when people discovered a body of a mysterious on her backyard, it was not hard for them to put their fingers on! But, Ellie is on a mission to clear her name as well as to find the identity of this mysterious man, thus stumbling upon some forgotten love-affairs as well as her own darkest secrets.

I know many people don't prefer cozy mysteries, even I too fall into that category, since the mysteries are not that thrilling/intriguing enough to keep me guessing till the end! But Boatwright's new book simply changed my perspective about cozy mysteries, I read quite a few cozy mysteries, and I have to say this that Alice K. Boatwright is one hell of a rare gem in the world of cozy mystery writers. Her writing style is absolutely fabulous, though the book opened in a slow pace, as the author was building her characters in the beginning of her book. But her plot is really mind-blowing, it was one hell of a thrilling roller coaster ride for me.

The author's protagonist, Elli may project herself as someone who is bold and loves to follow trends that are either considered as too modern or forward. And the way Ellie lighted up the dark road to an unraveling mystery is simply striking enough and with the author's intricate detailed layering of the mystery, it felt really nice and brilliant to read the story. The rest of the characters are equally bright and colorful and terribly English! Their quirkiness made the story more interesting to read.

Moreover, the way the story progressed is simply scintillating, and the author unraveled her mystery one layer at a time. But the plot had its own flaws, if you're a die-hard crime book fan like me, then this story might not strike you or intrigue you since, at times I felt the tightly wrapped mystery was falling short and I could guess away the killer quite easily. Well, if you enjoy a good cozy mystery, then go for this!

Verdict: Cozy stories are always meant to be read under a cozy blanket with a hot mug of coffee in a lazy Saturday afternoon!

Courtesy: I'm really grateful to the author, Alice K. Boatwright, for giving me an opportunity to read and review her book. 
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Author Info:
Alice K. Boatwright's first Ellie Kent mystery, Under an English Heaven, is set in the English Cotswolds.  Alice is also author of the award-winning book Collateral Damage (Standing Stone Books, 2012). Winner of the 2013 Bronze Medal for Literary Fiction from the Independent Publisher Book Awards, Collateral Damage is three interlinked novellas that explore the long-term impact of the Vietnam War on those who fought -- and those who didn't. It was a Small Press Distribution bestseller in 2012 and 2013 and has been a popular selection with book clubs and for classroom use, particularly in association with study of the Vietnam War. 
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