Customer Reviews

Merryll Manning: The Health Farm Murders

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The Health Farm Murders by John Reid was fantastic. For any murder mystery fan, this title is sure to keep you guessing until the very end.

Merryll Manning is going on holiday. In need of a break, and time to relax he heads to the Health Farm, for some much needed rejuvination.

On the train he meets some others heading to the same place. While Merryll is ready to start to relax, that is the last thing that he will be granted as a series of murders take place.

As a Sergeant on the police force, he must take command and help local police solve these murders. The problem is, it could be any one of the guests staying at the Health Farm.

Local police want to point the finger at a know "bad boy" of the community, only Merryll is sure it's not him. Merryll must prove his innocence and find the real killer before "Jimbo" Punter meets his demise.

Reid did a fantastic job writing The Health Farm Murders. Action packed and sure to keep you guessing until the very end. With a surprising twist you will definitely want to add this to your murder/mystery collection.

I give The Health Farm Murders ***** (5) Stars, BK Walker, [...]

BK Walker Books - All Rights Reserved

When Miami police sergeant Merryll Manning travels to his mother's homeland of Australia, he looks very much forward to a week of rest and relaxation on a health farm, where he also plans to gain some helpful pointers about overall healthy living. What he gets instead, though, is thrust in the middle of a quickly unfolding murder mystery involving a rash of different victims. Surrounded by a host of likely suspects - all of whom seem to have something to hide - not to mention the growing suspicions of local law enforcement, Merryll soon realizes that he has his work cut out for him if he aims to solve the mystery - and preserve his own life - before it's too late...

The second installment in the Merryll Manning mystery series, The Health Farm Murders picks up right where its predecessor left off. Through the masterful combination of vivid, lifelike characters and genuine, compelling suspense, author John Howard Reid has crafted another riveting murder mystery sure to captivate the reader's interest until the very end. Further enhancing the tale are Reid's striking descriptions of the wondrous Australian countryside, providing a lush backdrop for the equally compelling action of the story.

With more than its fair share of surprising twists and turns, The Health Farm Murders is a gripping mystery thriller on par with the likes of Christie, Cornwell, et al. An engaging suspense thriller.

Josee Morgan

Apex Reviews

Miami Police Sergeant Merryll Manning is on vacation at a health farm in Australia after answering an ad that promises a return to health and happiness. Just what he needed, or so he thought. Merryll's hopes for rest and relaxation are quickly dashed when a fellow guest is found dead.

Available for the first time in North America, this is the second of twelve Merryll Manning books first published in Australia in 1985 by author John Howard Reid. Despite being a sequel, the book reads well as a stand-alone, and there is no need to read the prequel to become accustomed to the character.

Sister Susan's Health Farm is set in fictional Happy Valley, based on Blackheath, in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, Australia. Author Reid introduces a large cast of intriguing characters, each of whom have retreated to the farm for their own unique reasons. His protagonist is no stereotypical detective; Merryll (Merry) Manning is a sophisticated, eccentric policeman rather than the macho, ego-driven cops so common in the mystery genre.

When a retired film exhibitor is found dead and the local police arrive, there is immediate friction between Merryll and police sergeant George Lambert. Lambert's police skills appear limited and Merryll questions the sergeant's ability to solve a homicide. Lambert points the finger of guilt at local thug James "Jimbo" Punter. Merryll suspects the sergeant has a personal bias against Punter and learns Jimbo once had an affair with Lambert's wife.

Another guest is found dead. Merryll turns up clues that put nearly every one of the twelve vacationers, and even the proprietress Susan Delaflore, under suspicion at one time or another in the story. An enormous police manhunt for Punter begins in the vast valley. Meanwhile, the survivors of Sister Susan's farm set out on the final hike of the visit to Pulpit Rock Lookout. The hike is vigorous and dangerous as the author brings all the players together for an epic confrontation, but keeps the reader guessing the true identity of the killer until the final pages.

The author has a knack for scene-painting narrative. His vivid descriptions of the mountain scenery and the simple accommodations of the farm effectively put the reader right in the scene, watching the drama unfold. Mr. Reid has penned a captivating, soft-boiled detective story with a strong main character, a terrific supporting cast, and a plot with twists, turns, and plenty of red herrings. He treats the reader to a tale filled with tension, conflict, and quirky humor. The violence is minimal and there is no foul language.

I highly recommend Merryll Manning: The Health Farm Murders. This is an intelligent, old- fashioned-styled mystery that won't disappoint. Those who love a great whodunit will be hooked. Merryll is a superb hero and this is sure to be an entertaining, enjoyable series.

More "Merry" mysteries please!

John Howard Reid

[...] (September 16, 2008)

978-0557010066

Reviewed by William Potter

`On re-entering my room, I saw a man going through Zapata's things. At first I thought one of the other guests had got wind of Taylor's chocolate hoard and was helping himself. "Hold on there!" I expected the helping-hand guest to wheel around and offer some feeble excuse. Imagine my surprise when he pitched Zapata's bag right at me! The bag knocked me over but as the guru made to rush past I lashed out at his shins with my foot, tripping him up. As he fell forward on his face, I threw myself on top of him. He tried to roll sideways, kicking out with his feet, but I was too heavy for him. I grabbed his head with both hands and forced it on to the floor; but he arced out his left arm and caught me a glancing blow on the chin, - not forceful enough to knock me off. I knelt the more heavily on top of him, and burying both my knees into his arms, pulled his head back and forth by the hair, smashing his forehead repeatedly into the floor. "Enough! Enough!" he cried out. "You and I are going along to see Sister Susan." We both stood up. He preceded me into the corridor. He was a thickset gent, maybe thirty-five or forty, wearing black slacks and a black jumper. It was just beginning to dawn on me that he didn't seem like a fellow guest at all, when there was a sort of gurgling sob from the next room. The door opened and one of the Seabrook brothers wobbled out, his face ashen, his normally bulging eyes now wide as saucers. "It's Mr. Payne!" he cried out. "He's dead!"

Good old "Happy Valley." Located near Sydney, Australia and the perfect place to take a break to rejuvenate your body while taking a refresher course in living the natural way. Run, owned and operated by Sister Susan who promises to clean out your system, revitalize tired cells and set you on the road to health, happiness and low self-hostility. This sounded like the perfect get-away for police Sergeant Merryll Manning of the Miami Police Department. Little did he know that his trip would be quite the opposite.

The characters in The Health Farm Murders are of quite a variation. You have a minister, a movie critic/numerologist, a movie theater owner and an old sea captain, just to name a few. With the 1st murder I started looking at the possible suspects. I had my felon picked out only to have him murdered. I picked another suspect out of the guests visiting Happy Valley but soon found that person to have an alibi which appeared to make it impossible for him to be the murderer. So I changed my suspect choice and he too ended up being murdered. This went on throughout the WHOLE book! The Health Farm Murders turned out to be a book that completely stumped me as a "who-done-it" reader.

This is the 2nd book in the Merryll Manning suspense series; The Heath Farm Murders is brilliantly written in a crisp, first person narrative. This story follows Merryll as he travels to Sister Susan's Health Farm. With a strict environment and a no-junk food rule, Sister Susan's might be more than some guests had bargained for. The characters in this story can be somewhat eccentric, but they are also well-developed, very human and incredibly interesting! Scenic vistas, wide-open spaces and fire-scarred forests lend an uneasy, deserted atmosphere to Happy Valley that works well to builds tension and heighten the reader's awareness. This smoothly-flowing suspense novel will keep readers hooked with surprising, unexpected twists and creative plot developments. Merryll Manning has his work cut out for him as he has to assist with investigations and watch his own back; with a killer on the loose, who knows what could happen next. The author has included a very helpful list of characters at the beginning of the novel which readers may find useful. This is a highly recommended novel of suspense and mystery!

Copyright © Nurture Your BOOKS --- Bobbie Crawford-McCoy

Title: Merryll Manning: The Health Farm Murders

By John Howard Reid

Lulu, 2008

Genre: Mystery/Suspense Thriller

Pages: 232

Merryll Manning is a police officer in Miami Florida. In much need of a vacation he is taking a holiday to Happy Valley, in Australia. Happy Valley is based on a real town Blackhealth, in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, Australia. Merryll is scheduled to stay at The Health Farm which is full of promises of changing your life for the better. The Health Farm is run by Sister Susan. Sister Susan is a Health Nut that takes healthy eating to the extreme. The guests are a colorful group of characters that are very much set in their ways. They are less than happy when upon their arrival they are offered no food, not even a mere cracker. One guest offers them a Hershey bar that he has packed in his suitcase. The guests are more than happy for his generosity. Merryll has more than he has bargained for with this bunch of extreme individuals. His holiday is cut short when a murder happens right under his nose, now he is on a mission to catch the killer, but not before the killer murders more men practically before their eyes. Merryll can forget about any rest on this vacation, he is in the middle of a killing spree.

This is a great book for all of you mystery lovers. You will be taken away by the story, to a point where you feel like you are in the same room as the rest of the characters, especially since Reid has a way of taking you to this place with his details, and if you forget who's who Reid has listed the character's in the beginning of the book to refer back to. It is a well written mystery that you will be anxious to find out who the killer is.

John Howard Reid has written many books. The Merryll Manning series is a series worth your collecting for your reading pleasure.

Download this book to your kindle today, through Amazon.

More books by Reid

Merryll Manning: Trapped On Mystery Island

In All His Glory (Set in Agent Egypt)

Prophet, Priest, and King (A novel of King Solomon)

Micaela Morris in Jo's Heaven (Short Stories)

A Packet of Dreams (Short Stories)

Tracy Brusa

http://tracybrusa.vpweb.com

"It's not every day that a cop gets to travel on the same train as the murderer." The opening line sets the scene for John Reid's mystery novel, The Health Farm Murders. Thirteen people have booked in for a week's vacation in the idyllic surroundings of Sister Susan's Happy Valley Health Farm which is situated in the vicinity of the Blue Mountains in Sydney. Forty Five years `young' Merryll Manning is the cop from Miami who sets out for a much needed therapeutic holiday. On the train he meets other health seekers like him who are all ostensibly in pursuit of a health nirvana.

Sister's Susan's health farm turns out to be more of an austere monastery with strict vigilance and sparse vegetarian food. The thirteen vacationers themselves are a varied group. A retired sea captain regales anyone he encounters with his stories of exploits at sea while a chubby minister nicknamed, Pastor Tubby grabs bars of Hershey's because the food is so inadequate at Sister Susan's Health Farm. Merryll Manning encounters astrologer, E.J. Hopkins who analyses everything and everybody, the retired cinema exhibitor, Russell Payne, retired textbook publisher David Gray and several others.

The thirteen holiday makers have barely settled into the Farm when one of the inmates is murdered. Merryll Manning is in his element now. The vacationer takes a back seat while the cop takes over to solve this intriguing murder mystery.

This is a great traditional whodunit with all the classic twists and turns of a mystery thriller. Merryll's unconventional deductive abilities quickly outdistance the local police sergeant George Lambert's limited policing skills. Merryll also has a quirky sense of humour and an uncannily accurate observation of the people and surroundings. While the story starts out with an impressive array of characters and the reader is found flipping pages to cross check who is who, John Reid quickly manages to grip the reader's attention and keep him glued to the end. To add to the book's value is the Australian setting which Reid has depicted with much panache and accuracy. For the Australian reader it brings to life this land's magnificence and for the reader who has never set foot here, it is sure to rouse an interest and perhaps a visit at least to the gorgeous Blue Mountains.

ISBN: 9780557010066

Published by [...]

Detective Merryll Manning is in need of a mini vacation. When he sees Sister Susan ad saying "Take a refresher course in Sunny Australia: The Happy Valley Health Way is the Natural Way", Manning decides to book a trip.

Sister Susan runs a health clinic. Merryll is joined by David Grey, a text book publisher, Erasmus J. Hopkins, astrologer, Lester Jurd, retired ship captain, Russell Payne, retired firm exhibitor, and Seldon "Zapata" Taylor, firm critic to name a few.

It seems that even when Merryll wants some rest and relaxation that it is hard to get any when dead bodies pile up around him. Russell Payne has been found murdered. Merryll must find the killer before it is too late. It won't be easy as everyone is a suspect.

The Health Farm Murders is the second Merryll Manning mystery novel. I read the first book, Trapped on Mystery Island and enjoyed it. What I like the most about these books is all the kooky and colorful characters. You can't really take the characters seriously. It was funny to see the other characters try to tell Manning how to do his job. It was like he was surrounded by a bunch of junior detectives. There were many twists and turns in the story line to keep a mystery fan like me guessing until the very end. Who knew that being healthy was to die for!

It's great to see the second Merryll Manning mystery gaining excellent reviews in America. The first in the twelve-book series, Merryll Manning: Trapped on Mystery Island, was published in the U.S.A. earlier in 2008. In England and Australia, "The Health Farm Murders" was published first, and with little fanfare. Nonetheless, the book ran through three hardcover editions and enjoyed fine notices. The Times described the novel as "an inventive mystery-thriller, set in a thinly disguised Blackheath in Australia's famous Blue Mountains. Author John Howard Reid displays a very fertile imagination and considerable powers of invention. This book receives our strong commendation." The Newcastle Herald was equally enthusiastic: "Most exuberantly conceived... Author John Howard Reid shows a firm grasp of character, incident and suspense. A very good mystery indeed!" Bookseller and critic Selwa Anthony even proclaimed:

"John Howard Reid is an Australian Agatha Christie!"; but American critic Richard Deutch of The Sunday Telegraph disagreed: "I find the comparison a little unfair -- to Mr Reid. If Reid's work needs comparing, I would liken it to Graham Greene's best light novels."

Here is an April 24, 2010 comment posted by author Melissa Bowersock at Reviews4 Reviews: "Merryll Manning is a Miami cop who decides to take a break at an Australian health farm. Fresh air and natural foods seem like the perfect way to de-stress, but then people start dying one by one. No matter that it's his vacation, Manning cannot remain a useless bystander but jumps into the case with both feet, to the chagrin and (eventually) the gratitude of the local police. Unraveling the tangled thread of old friendships gone bad, passions gone wild and secrets galore, Manning follows the twists and turns of events just a few steps behind the killer. Through one surprise after another, one startling revelation after another, he claws his way to the truth. The book moves along at a good clip and never drags. Each new bit of information leads the reader on to the next, twisting and turning like a ride on a roller-coaster. Reid's subtle dark humor sparkles, and he even takes a page from Agatha Christie's playbook and does it well. This was a fun read, full of surprises."

And here is a July 14, 2010 notice by the professional reviewer and author, Elaine Smith: "Most everyone loves a good 'whodunit' and Reid's book easily falls into that category. An educated Miami Police Department detective is attracted to an advertisement for a healthy retreat in his mother's native Australia. He jumps at the chance, finding himself with a mixed bag of companions. Happy Valley is anything but happy, despite the scenic vistas and untamed natural areas, as a fire in the recent past laid waste to much of the area. The town itself harbors a secret, and a sinister aura permeates the atmosphere. Juxtaposed to the dark essence hovering over the valley is Sister Susan's Happy Valley Health Farm.

However, the Health Farm is far from healthy as guests are suddenly dying in their sleep. Merry Manning must sift through the ashes of the fire ravaged countryside and Happy Valley dreams to discover the murderer before all the guests meet their demise. The characters are well developed and the story line has enthralling twists and curves which deepen the mystery and keep the reader's rapt attention. The front and back cover designs are themselves somewhat mysterious--appropriate for the story of a sleuth. Mr Reid relates his story in first person, in a somewhat unusual style, and with many artfully written passages which keep the reader's attention and maintain the suspense throughout the book. 'Merryll Manning: The Health Farm Murders' is a top notch murder mystery with moments of brilliance, vivid descriptions, and believable characters. This is an entertaining read which will keep you turning the pages."

Going on vacation to the world down under is a dream for most of us, but Merryll Manning not only gets to travel to Australia but to a health farm to learn about healthy living. A dream come true?

Miami is the home of police sergeant, Merryll Manning who finds himself in his mother's homeland of Australia on a week long vacation to a health farm. He is first seen on a train with various other colorful characters also attending the farm. Each person brings his own fears and idiosyncrasies to the Blue Mountains. However, Merryll Manning soon finds himself in the middle of several murders and in the crosshair of the local Sergeant, George Lambert. The colorful characters all seem to be hiding something and it looks like it is up to Sergeant Manning to solve the crime. A local, who had an affair with Sergeant Lambert's wife seems to be the most likely suspect, but is he just the scapegoat for the affair? Can Sergeant Manning solve this crime before he loses his own life?

This book was first published in Australia and England and had a great following and finally a decade later it is being released in the United States. The story travels through roads that I have yet to tread and this author makes me want to visit with his vivid descriptions of the land. He even makes the desolate areas sound intriguing.

I was a bit confused at the start of the story because of all of the people involved in the story so I really appreciated the cast of characters at the beginning of the book to keep them straight. This is a book you have to follow through to the final word. You never know when one character will reach out and just surprise you with something they did or had done to them. After I started to figure out who was who, the story flew and kept me interested until the very last page. I did find my vocabulary was greatly enhanced by the time I finished the book. It was an enjoyable read and I'd recommend this for anyone who is up for a challenge of who done it. I hope Mr. Reid gets to share some other adventures of Merryll Manning with the folks here in the U.S.