Harriet Klausner's Review Archive
A storm damages the church’s steeple, but also reveals a corpse buried inside for about two centuries. As she links the body to the Great Fire of 1811 that destroyed much of the business section, Andy continues to dig into the records of that time over the objections of almost everyone. That is until a second recently murdered corpse is found inside the church and a fire is set to Andy’s home. While the police investigate the current homicide, Andy continues her quest for the truth in the early nineteenth century that she believes is tied to today’s murder.
This interesting amateur sleuth introduces the reader to the residents of Newburyport so that the audience understands the motives of Andy to learn the truth and many leading citizens to shut her down especially with the 1811 investigation. About one third into the fine plot, the mystery begins and never slows down as the audience through intrepid Andy obtains a look at a Massachusetts port city just before the War of 1812. Tempa Pagel provides a fine whodunit, past and present, that readers will enjoy.