Customer Reviews

A Wicked Way to Burn

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
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Margaret Miles has carved a cozy niche for herself in Colonial America. Set in the fictional village of Bracebridge, Massachusetts, this first in what one hopes will be a long series of historical mysteries is steeped in rich period detail and lively characterizations. Through adept dialogue and insightful interior monologues, Ms. Miles makes the past resonate for modern readers; remarkably, she manages to do so while never stepping outside the constraints of what was known and believed in 1763. This thoughtful research, coupled with fine writing and a page-turning plot, is sure to kindle mystery readers' interest in "A Wicked Way to Burn."

In contrast to the Victorian mysteries by Anne Perry, Ms. Miles' prose is concise, offers flashes of wry humor, and thankfully avoids the former's tendency toward climbing on a soapbox. While Ms. Miles occasionally tweaks the village parson for his self-righteous hypocrisy, the only ax this author has to grind is for chopping wood to heat up Charlotte Willett's tea kettle. With an entertaining plot, intelligent and engaging characters like Mrs. Willett and her scientifically-inclined neighbor Richard Longfellow, and a fresh perspective on life in the Colonies, there's every reason to look forward to the pleasure of a return visit to Bracebridge.

Karen Lyon

It is a fine line which Margaret Miles successfully treads, crossing a lively and well-paced mystery with a text that is historically accurate. The command of her scholarship is evident in the everyday details she provides about life in 18th century Massachusetts, yet her character development is modern, which is a major reason that the story is so riveting. This is a complicated murder mystery with none of the modern conveniences available in either weapons or forensics. Yet, again, due to the author's bone-deep scholarship, the whole premise is compelling and believable. A wonderful read, can't wait to get the next one in the series!

As I am fond of the historical fiction genre and also enjoy mysteries, I was intrigued by the premise of this book. The events take place in 1763 in the small village of Bracebridge, located in the colony of Massachussetts. Charlotte Willett is a young widow who resides within the confines of the village. Her keen intelligence and her penchant for getting to the bottom of things make her a natural sleuth. When a traveling merchant appears to have been a victim of spontaneous combustion, disappearing without a trace, her curiosity is peaked, and she is determined to get to the bottom of the matter.

Of course, as this is colonial America, the actions and rights of women are circumscribed by the mores and custom of the times. So, Charlotte has to rely on some of her male friends for assistance in overcoming some of the restrictions governing her actions. In this, she has a willing accomplice in her neighbor and friend, Richard Longfellow, a gentleman landowner and an amateur scientist.

The characters in the book are well-fleshed, and Charlotte Willett is an especially engaging one. Although the book was a Mystery Guild Signature Selection, however, I did not find the mystery itself to be all that interesting. The strength of the book lies more in the historical fiction aspect, as the author captures the flavor of early colonial America, making it a somewhat interesting read for those who are fans of the genre.

I loved this book! I think that is has everything in that goes on to make a great mystery. There is a complex plot, lots of suspects and a surprise ending. The main character is Charlotte Willet, a young widow living in a small New England town in 1763. She finds herself in the middle of a perfect riddle and manages to come out of it with grace.

The supporting characters include her neighbor Rich Longfellow, an aspiring scientist with a Holmes quality to him; his sister Diana, a Boston, pampered lady who is smarter than people think and Lem, a young boy who works for Charlotte and wants to go to Harvard one day. The whole cast is wonderful and they add color to the overall story.

The mystery: a man who just flashed some gold in a local tavern seems to burst into flames and disappear! This is spotted by a local who begins to weave a strange story. This whole novel had a old-time flavor to it and is one of the best modern mysteries that I have read. Oh, by the way, the history is accurate and really places the story in time and place. I highly recommend this to anyone.

Ms. Miles has done a superb job of capturing the atmosphere of early America - furthermore, the images of New England fall ring wonderfully true. Those images of leaves turning, cool nights and harvest end offered some small relief to this reader suffering through a blazing hot Kansas August.

Charlotte Willett, the main character, is intelligent and self confident, without undermining the realistic treatment of her place as a widow in colonial society. I was much impressed by this balance as achieved by the author.

The developing political pressures between the colonies and England are present, and offer hope for additional volumes set in increasingly turbulent times. All in all, well researched, convincingly written and with well paced plot turns. I am seeking out the additional volumes immediately.

The book has been summarized already. I just want to add that the book was interesting, kept your interest and brought the time period to life. I hope Ms. Miles continues on her journey through the 18th century and I'm prepared to join her there. Bring on more!

In 1763, with the French and Indian War finally over, the New England Colonies have become a thriving place to make a living. In the small village of Braceville, just west of Boston, the prosperous good times have helped the residents to flourish. However, the peace and tranquillity is destroyed when a visiting rich merchant suddenly bursts into flames and vanishes into thin air.

Most of the townsfolk feel that witchcraft caused the seemingly spontaneous combustion. However, the widow Charlotte Willett (owner of a nearby farm) and her erudite and quaint neighbor Richard Longfellow think that either murder or a gigantic hoax has occurred. When more deaths follow, the town is held in the grip of mass fear and hysteria while the intrepid duo tries to uncover a more secular cause or what is happening to the town.

Historical who-done-it fans and Colonial era readers will relish Margaret Lawrence's latest mystery, A WICKED WAY TO BURN. Ms. Lawrence brilliantly paints the prosperous New England lifestyle that followed the end of the hostilities with France while placing an intriguing mystery inside of that era. Charlotte and Richard are eccentric protagonists whose adventures readers will enjoy as the pair turns this terrific tale into a wonderful reading experience.

Harriet Klausner

I was very excited to read this book, but within the first few pages, I was soon bored with it. The plot premise was great, but I felt that Margaret Miles added so many "unexpected" twists, turns, and subplots that I had trouble keeping everything and everyone straight. Her characters were very one-dimensional, and they stayed that way throughout the story. Also, I could not sympathize with ANY of the characters, even the widow whose life was threatened several times. The climax of the story was extremely disappointing; Miles rushed through it, and it was over before I knew it. The denouement tied up most of the loose ends, but it was boring and too drawn-out. I think she tried to create a bit of an 'are-the-two-main-characters-going-to-eventually-get-together' subplot, but it really didn't work well. Finally, some of the conclusions drawn by the characters surrounding the mystery were so far-reaching, I had a hard time believing it. All in all, this book was not worth my time or money; I kept reading it in the hopes that it would redeem itself, but, sadly, it did not.

The premise of this book--a wealthy stranger arrives in a Colonial New England town and then apparently bursts into flames--sounded intriguing. Sadly, it did not fulfill its promise. Absolutely nothing in this book ignited my imagination.

To me, the characters seemed one-demensional and formulaic: the brave little widow, the potential love interest next door, the spoiled sister, etc. The period detail was generic and didn't give me a sense of "being" in 1763. The mystery itself, while not riveting, was interesting enough to get me to finish the book, but I won't be reading the sequels.

In 1763, with the French and Indian War finally over, the New England Colonies have become a thriving place to make a living. In the small village of Braceville, just west of Boston, the prosperous good times have helped the residents to flourish. However, the peace and tranquillity is destroyed when a visiting rich merchant suddenly bursts into flames and vanishes into thin air.

Most of the townsfolk feel that witchcraft caused the seemingly spontaneous combustion. However, the widow Charlotte Willett (owner of a nearby farm) and her erudite and quaint neighbor Richard Longfellow think that either murder or a gigantic hoax has occurred. When more deaths follow, the town is held in the grip of mass fear and hysteria while the intrepid duo tries to uncover a more secular cause or what is happening to the town.

Historical who-done-it fans and Colonial era readers will relish Margaret Lawrence's latest mystery, A WICKED WAY TO BURN. Ms. Lawrence brilliantly paints the prosperous New England lifestyle that followed the end of the hostilities with France while placing an intriguing mystery inside of that era. Charlotte and Richard are eccentric protagonists whose adventures readers will enjoy as the pair turns this terrific tale into a wonderful reading experience.

Harriet Klausner