Julianna Deering

Dear Readers,

There is nothing like a lighthearted mystery to while away the summer hours.  Rules of Murder by Julianna Deering fits that bill to a T, but not only is it a lovely mystery, it is set in England.  So with two of my favorite things to read, I was in Heaven.  This is not a great mystery and it is not a thriller by any stretch of the imagination, but I totally enjoyed reading it and am looking forward to the next book or two in the series.

Drew is a rich kid who is kind of at loose ends.  He is set to inherit his late father’s business and yet has no interest in helping his step-father.  He returns home to find that there is a party going on and yet he doesn’t really care for it either, especially when he finds out that there are 3 American girls who have been invited to spend a little time before embarking on a trip through Europe. 

Madeline is stopping by Fathering Place to visit with her Uncle Mason who is more like a father before setting out on a tour of Europe.  While there she has a chance to make Drew’s acquaintance and is finding that there is much more to like about England than its lovely countryside.  Unhappily, while getting to know each other, they make the grisly discovery of a murdered body.   Shortly after, Drew’s mother is also killed and Drew knows he needs to figure out who is the murderer and why they are killing.

If you were going to put a definition in the Webster’s Dictionary of what a perfect summer read would be you could easily put this book's picture next to it.  It is light and yet engaging, it is easy to pick back up when you have to lay it down and it makes you want to pick it up again.  It is over all just a charming read.  If you haven’t heard of Julianna Deerling it isn’t because this is her first novel, it is just her first one under this pen name.  I personally a looking forward to more good works from her.

Happy Reading