Murder at Blackwater Bend

May 4, 2020
Too much is going on in McKenna’s uneven sequel to 2019’s Murder at Morrington Hall, again set in 1905 Hampshire. Viscount Lyndy Lyndhurst is teaching his American fiancée, Stella Kendrick, to fly-fish when her line snags the body of corrupt peer Lord Fairbrother, who’s been stabbed. One suspect is George Parley, who was enraged when Fairbrother bested his entry in a pony competition for the seventh year in a row. Another is Stella’s friend Harvey Milkham, the village snake catcher, who accused Fairbrother of burning down his cottage the day before the murder. Stella wants to clear Milkham, but the challenge of hosting her first large English party proves distracting. Meanwhile, Lyndy’s mother conspires to break his engagement to Stella and force him to marry Fairbrother’s widow, the socially impeccable Lady Philippa, now that she’s available again. The subplots overwhelm the sleuthing, though McKenna manages to pull the many story lines together toward the satisfying conclusion. The author’s fans will hope for a return to form next time. Agent: John Talbot, Talbot Fortune Agency.