For the first time, a Petteril book turned out to be slightly less than a perfect read for me. Probably just me in the wrong frame of mind, although it crossed my mind that maybe the series has hit the Mulder and Scully problem – the romantic tension of the early books has evaporated now that the principals are married, and there just isn’t that much drama between them. Added to which, the mystery really wasn’t any great shakes this time. All the tension, such as it was, revolves around April’s history, which isn’t uninteresting, but I didn’t find it as riveting as some of the earlier books.
There were some intriguing new characters, like Great Aunt Prudence and her eccentric entourage, some I would have liked to have seen but didn’t (like Gussie, ill for the whole book), and a fair few that seemed to be repeat characters but I didn’t remember them. But that’s a problem I have with any long-running series, so I’m not going to blame the author for it.
I suspect the biggest problem I had with this book is that it didn’t surprise me at all. April running off looking for trouble and not bothering to tell Piers about it is old news now, and although it may be a necessary stage in the development of their relationship, I just wanted to slap her upside the head sometimes. He’s your husband, dear, so trust him, and let him help you.
All that said, this was still an enjoyable read, and a welcome return of the two ill-assorted lovers. Four stars and I hope the next book is a bit more on my wavelength.
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