Customer Reviews

Murder at the Altar (Ellie Quicke Mystery Series #1)

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Ellie Quicke, a middle-age woman accustomed to being dominated by her husband, Frank, suddenly finds herself a widow. She soon realizes she must deal with a greedy, bossy daughter and an obstreperous aunt who both feel they not only can tell Ellie what to do but that they also deserve a great amount of money from Frank's estate. To complicate matters, a murder occurs in the church, which lies directly across from Ellie's front window. Once the killer realizes that Ellie may be a witness to the crime, the chase is on. The author, Veronica Heley, has created a cozy English village mystery with Ellie Quicke, a very likeable character, as she begins to exhibit her emerging independence and courage. The reader is also treated to the author's very subtle humor throughout the story, which adds much enjoyment to the unfolding mystery. Let's hope we hear more of Ellie Quicke. Readers of Murder at the Altar will also enjoy books by M. C. Beaton, Dorothy Cannell, Jeanne Dams, and Caroline Graham.

In the past I enjoyed the books of few cozy British writers, like M C Beaton, Rhys Bowen or Emily Brightwell. So, I can honestly say that even if my preferance lays in the gritty, edgy crime writing, I am not an unfair judge of the English village subgenre.
Unfortunately, this trite and predictable book follows every cliche possible, without even an obligatory attempt for originality and creativity.
For once, in my compulsive mystery book buying, I stopped with the first in the series. Good bye Ellie Quicke.