A Study in Stone: A British Mystery (The Devonshire Mysteries prequel)

Author: Michael Campling

4 out of 5 stars

Needing a break from corporate life in London, Dan agrees to house sit for his sister in the small village of Embervale. Soon finding himself bored, he stumbles upon a coded message on a stone slab in a cafe in Exeter. With help from his new friend, Alan, he tries to figure out the secret message and how it might be connected to a well known local family.

I liked the plot. It was intriguing but pretty straight forward. There was more of a focus on the characters. However, there were times that things felt a bit rushed. Also, I felt like it wasn’t explained enough why Dan was so intent on solving the mystery around Cyril. It seemed to be a combination of curiosity and distraction from his career troubles, but I would have preferred if it had been explained a bit more.

For fans of history, there is plenty of that in here. We learn the story of Saint Sidwell and about multiple military battles. As well as a bit about the city of Exeter, England.

I have to admit that I was on the fence about Dan for a good portion of the book. He was impulsive and brash and even comes across a bit snobbish and arrogant. However, he had grown on me by the end of the story. In contrast, I liked Alan immediately for his friendly demeanor and being the voice of reason with Dan. I enjoyed following the development of their friendship.

Overall, this was a good book, so I’m rating it 4 out of 5 stars. If you like more character focused mysteries, than you should try this one.

Current price through Amazon Kindle: $3.99

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07S1GTNV7

(I do not benefit from the use of this link.)