Murder on the Moor: A Drew Farthering Mystery

In Deering’s winning fourth mystery set in 1930s England (after 2014’s Murder at the Mikado), Hubert “Beaky” Bloodworth needs the help of Eton classmate Drew Farthering. Soon after Beaky and his beautiful bride, Sabrina, moved to Bloodworth Park Lodge, the family estate in the village of Bunting’s Nest, someone bashed in the head of the local vicar. More murders follow, and the suspects include Sabrina. Meanwhile, Drew and his American wife, Madeline, investigate noises in the house’s old north wing, paw prints of a massive hound, and a long-standing feud with the old man of the neighboring estate, as well as the unknown person who’s been lurking about the ruins of a stone church and an ancient kiln out on the moor. Delwyn, the family’s handsome Welsh gamekeeper, spends a lot of time on the moor, but then again, so does Sabrina. Deering smoothly blends suspense and humor with a touch of romance. Agent: Wendy Lawton, Books & Such Literary Agency. (Feb.)