A Study in Stone (The Devonshire Mysteries #1)
Author: Michael Campling
5 out of 5 stars
I originally did a review of the first version of this book. Mr Campling rewrote and expanded it into a full novel. He reached out to me and sent me a free copy, but everything in this review is my own opinion.
After losing his job, Dan Corrigan decides to get out of London and stay at his sister’s holiday cottage in Devon. After befriending his new neighbor Alan, they visit Exeter together and find The Aquifer Cafe. Owned by Deborah Kenning, a member of the upper-class Kenning family, she piques their interest when she mentions the Roman artifacts she displays for the public. While looking at them, Dan is more intrigued by the coded message on a stone slab. Eager for a puzzle to solve, Dan takes up the challenge of decoding it, and Alan joins him. They’re shocked when they return the next day and find out that someone broke in and stole the Roman artifacts. Wanting to help Deb, Dan and Alan begin investigating, but soon find themselves diving into hidden history and family secrets. Will Dan and Alan be able to solve these mysteries?
I really enjoyed this book, and the rewrite fixed the issues I had with the original story. The theft of the artifacts is an added plot line. It was a well written and interesting second mystery, and it meshed well with the original mystery. The pacing of the story was good, and the writing had a nice flow. I looked back at the first version to check a few things (I didn’t reread it because I didn’t want to be comparing them the entire time), and I noticed some sections where there were added details that just made things flow a little more smoothly. There’s also still plenty of history in this book with the telling of the story of Saint Sidwell and military history.
Without the higher stakes of a murder, there’s a bit more focus on the characters. Dan and Alan are a good team. Dan is focused, impatient and often abrupt, whereas Alan is more patient and friendly and able to smooth things over when Dan ruffles people’s feathers. Dan can be a bit of a snob sometimes, like with coffee, but I warmed up to him faster than I did when I read the first book. He can be friendly and charming. More is also shown about the direct aftermath of him losing his job, which makes him a more sympathetic character. There are also more scenes, compared to the original story, that show more of how their friendship develops. For example, in the original the reader is told that they hit it off at the pub, but now that night at the pub is included. The story is from Dan’s perspective, so you get a better feel of his character versus Alan, but there’s really nothing that can be done about that. The side characters were also more prominent and fleshed out.
Overall, I found nothing wrong with this book. Between the intriguing mysteries and well written characters, it’s certainly earned 5 out of 5 stars. If you like character focused mysteries or are looking for a mystery without a murder, then this is the book for you. Although, if you are wanting mysteries without murder, just know that the rest of the series are murder mysteries.
Current price through Amazon Kindle: $0
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Study-Stone-British-Devonshire-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0FJ9ZH131
(I do not benefit from the use of this link.)