When a legend about the English estate of Monksrest dating from 1400 seems to come true in the 1960s with the murder of the Lord's daughter, Elizabeth Reid is called over from Los Angeles to attempt to put the case in perspective.
Liz Reid is persuaded to fly to London when Charlie Ebersole, her fellow worker in Los Angeles, sends her a poem from England about an ancient curse put on the estate of Monksrest by a monk, and tells her that the sister of his English friend, Reggie, has been murdered. It is the 1960s and Liz doesn't believe in curses, but she is interested in history and has been looking for a reason to go to England. When she arrives at Monksrest, beside the English Channel, it appears at first that members of the family may be in denial about what happened. But then Liz bonds with Lord Wheatley, Reggie's father, and agrees to get involved with finding the killer. What she doesn't know is, curse or no curse, showing too much interest in the murder investigation could get her killed.
Professional Reviews
Reviewed by Carmen Tenorio for Readers’ Favorite
Reviewed by Carmen Tenorio
Alan Cook's Death at Monksrest centers on a journey to England that Liz Reid, an L.A.-based financial fraud investigator, historian, and Chaucer enthusiast, couldn't resist taking. She immediately flew to London to meet her colleague Charlie, who whisked her off to Monksrest estate, located in the countryside near the English Channel. She was not only there to enjoy the English heritage and the breathtaking places it offered. More importantly, she was to help in solving the mystery of an ancient monk's curse and its supposed role in the murder of the estate owner Lord Oliver Wheatley's daughter, Emma. Staying at the place certainly gave Liz a taste of the '60s lifestyle of the gentry and their inherited wealth, seeing both their generous, genteel, and cheery persona and, unfortunately, their more dangerous, brutish, and vicious sides as well.
Death at Monksrest is a well-written novella and Alan Cook is a skilled writer as the structure and flow of his style smoothly transition from one thought or event to another without sacrificing important information needed to build the story. His keen attention to detail also helps in developing an atmosphere of suspense and he uses character unfolding that leads to the deeper, astonishing truth. It is a captivating work for mystery buffs like me and a readable yarn of intrigue, excitement, or even in-depth human behavior for others. It's great writing and a recommended read.
Reviewed by Michael P. Hartnett
Reviewed by Michael P. Hartnett
In Death at Monksrest, Alan Cook has given the reader a lively, breezy murder mystery, told with impressive concision. But the bigger attraction here is Liz Reid, who has made her presence known previously in Cook’s Charlie and Liz novels. The narrator of this twisted, atmospheric yarn, Liz comes to England for both intrigue and holiday. Resourceful and sharp, Liz is a free spirit in a 1960s when possibilities for liberated woman are only emerging. She follows her instincts, reads signals, and takes risks with style and nerve.
Liz will uncover a lurid tale connected to a medieval curse at the manse of Monksrest, one tied to inheritance, romance, and sordid motives. Her investigation leads to a breathless climax in a memorable setting. With echoes of Agatha Christie, yet updated for a more modern sensibility, Death at Monksrest delivers a fun read, featuring a heroine we are more than happy to follow.
I enjoyed reading this novella. In a succinct manner the author weaves the reader through an intriguing mystery. I loved the English setting and the hints of an old legend and curse being involved. As a lover of mystery, I was thrilled to read a story that I had not figured out long before the reveal. I suspected several but not the actual murderer. Well, done Mr. Cook.
Death at Monksrest is the third novel in his series of Elizabeth Reed and Charles Ebersole mysteries. Liz and Charlie are financial investigators in a major financial firm in Los Angeles. They find themselves going a bit beyond mere finances with their adventures.
The story starts out innocently enough, with Charlie taking vacation to walk the British Isles from the South of Wales to the tip of Scotland. Along the way, he plans to stop to see a former college roommate and buddy, Reggie Wheatley lives in an aging, but regal manor house that his family has owned for centuries. But in the 1960s the old aristocrats in England are giving up their lordships largely because their estates are really too expensive to maintain.
When Charlie arrives the manor is in disarray. Emma, Reggie's sister has been murdered. Charlie feels too close to be of any help and reaches out to Liz in LA because the police do not seem to be doing anything about solving the case. When Liz arrives she suspects that the killer may be a part of the extended family and begins learning as much as she can from them. Of course, along the way she finds out about various possible love affairs and intrigues that may or may not have anything to do with the murder.
One of the clues involves a legend of a curse caused by the murder of monks who had stopped at a stream on the property in the 15th century, giving the manor its name, Monksrest. Whether the curse had anything to do with the murder was also a subject of investigation.
The story takes a rather straightforward, easy to read, approach where all of the characters are well defined and easy for the reader to keep in mind on a first name basis. In fact, the story goes directly to the murderer without much deviation except for the twist that always comes.
It has a flavor of many whodunits with multiple suspects in large houses that dates back to Sherlock Holmes.
I will recommend it to those who like a good, easy-to-read and understand murder mystery that they can read in one sitting on their Kindle.
Ronald W. Hull is the author of Hanging by a Thread and 12 other books, short stories and poetry
This is a fun story to read with a somewhat surprise ending. Even though it's a short novella the story and well described setting is well worth the read.
In Death at Monksrest, Alan Cook has given the reader a lively, breezy murder mystery, told with impressive concision. But the bigger attraction here is Liz Reid, who has made her presence known previously in Cook’s Charlie and Liz novels. The narrator of this twisted, atmospheric yarn, Liz comes to England for both intrigue and holiday. Resourceful and sharp, Liz is a free spirit in a 1960s when possibilities for liberated woman are only emerging. She follows her instincts, reads signals, and takes risks with style and nerve.
Liz will uncover a lurid tale connected to a medieval curse at the manse of Monksrest, one tied to inheritance, romance, and sordid motives. Her investigation leads to a breathless climax in a memorable setting. With echoes of Agatha Christie, yet updated for a more modern sensibility, Death at Monksrest delivers a fun read, featuring a heroine we are more than happy to follow.
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