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Edna Davies #1
Murder by Yew
Being a prime suspect in a murder investigation isn't quite the idyllic retirement anyone would envisioned but when her handyman dies of taxine poisoning, Edna Davies is placed in just such a predicament. As an amateur herbalist, she is certain she didn't concoct a poisonous potion but she is shunned by the townsfolk, questioned by the police and threatened by thieves. As she desperately tries to save herself from arrest ... or worse, she follows a trail that leads her back 40 years in the victim's history.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Suzanne Young
11 books22 followersA writing career, in my opinion, springs from a love of words and of books. I’ve been an avid reader since about the time I could hold a book and a student of the English language since my earliest school days. I was the fourth of five children in my family and mostly ignored by my older siblings as the “pesky kid sister,” so I had plenty of solitary time to spend exploring people and places between the pages of any book I could get my hands on. My parents were both avid readers themselves, encouraging the same in all of us. We had an extensive home library that I could peruse whenever I couldn’t make it to the nearby local library.
Our weekends, summers and most school holidays were spent at a farm near Hope Valley, Rhode Island. The main house and outbuildings had originally been a stagecoach stop on the New London Turnpike, one of the first interstate highways in the country, built originally to link Providence and New London, Connecticut. In good weather, Mother would say, “It’s too nice a day to be inside. Go out and play.” Often, I’d take a book, find my favorite apple tree and read away the hours. Apple trees are wonderful places to hide out because you don’t have to climb down if you get hungry.
In middle school … known as “junior high” in my day … I was blessed with the most wonderful teacher for both English and History lessons. I credit Walter Blanchard for recognizing and encouraging the writer in me. He gave essay assignments to the class and selected students read their work aloud. I remember him praising one particular piece of mine as reminiscent of excerpts from “Life with Father.”
My love of Rhode Island and U.S. history came from several sources besides our old farm. Again, I am thankful for my middle school teacher who regaled his students with snippets of history that weren’t in our school books … at least not in the 1950’s … like the fact that George Washington had wooden false teeth. My father was another rich source of local history and my mother took us to many local places of interest, like Gilbert Stuart’s birthplace in Saunderstown. During the school year, we lived in an old house on Division Street, a road that divides the towns of Warwick and East Greenwich. The house was built in 1780 by Jeremiah Greene, a favorite uncle of Nathanael Greene, and served as both home and medical office. Although I didn’t appreciate its historic significance when growing up, I did know that the house was drafty with a spooky attic that smelled of dry, dusty wood and an unfinished cellar that always seemed humid and cold. If you’ve ever spent a night in a creaky old house with steam heat emitted through radiators, you can imagine “things that go bump in the night.”
I was in my thirties when I read my first Agatha Christie story and got hooked on the cozy mystery genre. By that time, I had moved to Colorado and, as fate would have it, unintentionally and unwittingly segued from a career in writing to one in computer technology. I began writing programs instead of newsletter articles, but my spare time was filled with mysteries and suspense. Shortly before I retired from the tech industry, I decided to try my hand at writing fiction in the genre I’d come to love and completely different from non-fiction and technical manuals.
I began my new career by taking short story classes and quickly learned that fiction isn’t as much about writing as about telling a story … or spinning a good yarn. Writing was the easy part; plotting a who-dun-it was the challenge.
I have just published my eighth book in the Edna Davies mystery series which is set in Rhode Island. I’ve been pleased to have my protagonist touted as a cross between Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher. My Colorado mystery, starring two elderly widows, may or may not be the beginning of another series. Time and my imagination will decide.
Our weekends, summers and most school holidays were spent at a farm near Hope Valley, Rhode Island. The main house and outbuildings had originally been a stagecoach stop on the New London Turnpike, one of the first interstate highways in the country, built originally to link Providence and New London, Connecticut. In good weather, Mother would say, “It’s too nice a day to be inside. Go out and play.” Often, I’d take a book, find my favorite apple tree and read away the hours. Apple trees are wonderful places to hide out because you don’t have to climb down if you get hungry.
In middle school … known as “junior high” in my day … I was blessed with the most wonderful teacher for both English and History lessons. I credit Walter Blanchard for recognizing and encouraging the writer in me. He gave essay assignments to the class and selected students read their work aloud. I remember him praising one particular piece of mine as reminiscent of excerpts from “Life with Father.”
My love of Rhode Island and U.S. history came from several sources besides our old farm. Again, I am thankful for my middle school teacher who regaled his students with snippets of history that weren’t in our school books … at least not in the 1950’s … like the fact that George Washington had wooden false teeth. My father was another rich source of local history and my mother took us to many local places of interest, like Gilbert Stuart’s birthplace in Saunderstown. During the school year, we lived in an old house on Division Street, a road that divides the towns of Warwick and East Greenwich. The house was built in 1780 by Jeremiah Greene, a favorite uncle of Nathanael Greene, and served as both home and medical office. Although I didn’t appreciate its historic significance when growing up, I did know that the house was drafty with a spooky attic that smelled of dry, dusty wood and an unfinished cellar that always seemed humid and cold. If you’ve ever spent a night in a creaky old house with steam heat emitted through radiators, you can imagine “things that go bump in the night.”
I was in my thirties when I read my first Agatha Christie story and got hooked on the cozy mystery genre. By that time, I had moved to Colorado and, as fate would have it, unintentionally and unwittingly segued from a career in writing to one in computer technology. I began writing programs instead of newsletter articles, but my spare time was filled with mysteries and suspense. Shortly before I retired from the tech industry, I decided to try my hand at writing fiction in the genre I’d come to love and completely different from non-fiction and technical manuals.
I began my new career by taking short story classes and quickly learned that fiction isn’t as much about writing as about telling a story … or spinning a good yarn. Writing was the easy part; plotting a who-dun-it was the challenge.
I have just published my eighth book in the Edna Davies mystery series which is set in Rhode Island. I’ve been pleased to have my protagonist touted as a cross between Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher. My Colorado mystery, starring two elderly widows, may or may not be the beginning of another series. Time and my imagination will decide.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 23, 2022
As an opening to a new series I thought this book held up well. I was disinclined to like Edna, the MC, at first but she grew on me.
Edna Davies and her retired doctor husband have just moved into their new home, but it seems he is only semi retired and he jets off to conferences and who knows what else leaving Edna to cope on her own. She has some issues like not being able to charge her cell phone which, though good for the story line, was bad for her personal character development! I mean who has a phone and cannot charge it?
Eventually Edna becomes a bit of a Miss Marple and solves not one but two cases for the police. I really started to like her when she began to stand up for herself, and her actions in the final scenes were excellent. I did guess the murderer very early on but there was still a lot of fun watching Edna arrive at the same conclusion.
This was a great story with a cranky cat, an heroic dog, a cute as a button deaf child and lots of information about poisonous plants. Just in case you are interested! I enjoyed it all very much.
Edna Davies and her retired doctor husband have just moved into their new home, but it seems he is only semi retired and he jets off to conferences and who knows what else leaving Edna to cope on her own. She has some issues like not being able to charge her cell phone which, though good for the story line, was bad for her personal character development! I mean who has a phone and cannot charge it?
Eventually Edna becomes a bit of a Miss Marple and solves not one but two cases for the police. I really started to like her when she began to stand up for herself, and her actions in the final scenes were excellent. I did guess the murderer very early on but there was still a lot of fun watching Edna arrive at the same conclusion.
This was a great story with a cranky cat, an heroic dog, a cute as a button deaf child and lots of information about poisonous plants. Just in case you are interested! I enjoyed it all very much.
May 27, 2010
If you are a fan of the classic style of the mystery greats you will find yourself right at home. Unlike most stories you will not find that you have figured out most of the details of "who did it" before you are half way through it. You will be drawn right into trying to fit the clues into the puzzle with Edna. Edna is a very relatable character who has not been given any special traits or skills necessary to solve a crime. She could be you or me. Mary, her would be side kick, a bit of a hoot, is the perfect contrast to Edna's more serious nature. All of the characters are crafted with normal human behavior, whether it be good or bad. The plot is simple and believable, not entangling the reader in complicated unbelievable twists and turns. The knowledge of the various uses of the plants is intriguing and adds a touch of allure. Once you get started you will not want to put it down.
June 27, 2010
Murder by Yew is an absorbing mystery that speaks directly to the baby-boomer generation. Edna Davies, a competent mother and housewife, happily married to a doctor who has recently retired, is settling into a small Rhode Island town to enjoy their "Golden Years." Her instinctive politeness and her skills in art and gardening suggest an easy life, but two frighteneing events happening while her husband is away drag her into a search for dangerous criminals. It is fascinating to see Edna, armed only with the foritude and skills she has developed as a wife and mothther and the stalwart determination she has inherited from her New England ancestry, tackle the hidden evil. Miss Maarple has entered the 21st century.
March 16, 2010
Suzanne Young has created a warm, charming and feisty heroine in amateur herbalist Edna Davies, and the Rhode Island setting provides the perfect backdrop for the novel. Full of twists and turns, this book is hard to put down.
July 21, 2019
It starts as usual: City girl newly transfered to a small village trying to fit in. Most cozy mystery starts like this, what surprised me was how fast the people turned on her.
I can understand being wary, especially when the person is suspected of a crime, but some characters were physically aggressive and without any obvious reason beside simple dislike.
The protagonist is so clueless and naive she doesn't seem very fit as a sleuth, in fact it's her friend Mary who does most of the work rescuing her. Her dependance on other people is actually worked into the story, but she only realizes how much of a problem that is at the end.
The mystery was also a bit lacking, I figured out the murderer at the beginning, the clues are kind of all over the place until she figures out the truth in the end.
Another thing I didn't like is how absent her husband was, this is only the second cozy I've read where the protagonist is married but with how little he's mentioned he might as well not exist. I can only assume he'll be appearing more in the rest of the series, or it was an excuse to introduce their daughter.
I can understand being wary, especially when the person is suspected of a crime, but some characters were physically aggressive and without any obvious reason beside simple dislike.
The protagonist is so clueless and naive she doesn't seem very fit as a sleuth, in fact it's her friend Mary who does most of the work rescuing her. Her dependance on other people is actually worked into the story, but she only realizes how much of a problem that is at the end.
The mystery was also a bit lacking, I figured out the murderer at the beginning, the clues are kind of all over the place until she figures out the truth in the end.
Another thing I didn't like is how absent her husband was, this is only the second cozy I've read where the protagonist is married but with how little he's mentioned he might as well not exist. I can only assume he'll be appearing more in the rest of the series, or it was an excuse to introduce their daughter.
August 28, 2011
I loved this story. The main character Edna reminded me of a cross between Jessica Fletcher and Miss Marple.
Edna and her husband just recently moved into their new house. The former owner was an avid gardener and kept extensive journals on the different plants and their uses. Edna was excited to learn more about the plants and to spend more time with her husband, now that he had retired. Edna had been settling in very well to her new home and had already had made some good friends in her neighbor Mary and Tom who was the handyman who handled minor repairs.
When Tom becomes sick and dies, suspicion is directed in Edna's direction because of her habit of mixing her own tea blends. Edna decides she is going to find out who else might have a reason to poison Tom with the help of Mary. A bad storm makes her snooping slightly difficult, but not impossible.
This is a great story and I can't wait to read the next one in the series. I just found out today that there is a third installment due out soon!
Jessica Fletcher watch out! Here comes Edna Davies.
Edna and her husband just recently moved into their new house. The former owner was an avid gardener and kept extensive journals on the different plants and their uses. Edna was excited to learn more about the plants and to spend more time with her husband, now that he had retired. Edna had been settling in very well to her new home and had already had made some good friends in her neighbor Mary and Tom who was the handyman who handled minor repairs.
When Tom becomes sick and dies, suspicion is directed in Edna's direction because of her habit of mixing her own tea blends. Edna decides she is going to find out who else might have a reason to poison Tom with the help of Mary. A bad storm makes her snooping slightly difficult, but not impossible.
This is a great story and I can't wait to read the next one in the series. I just found out today that there is a third installment due out soon!
Jessica Fletcher watch out! Here comes Edna Davies.
March 12, 2013
This was my first time reading a mystery by Suzanne Young. I'm happy to find another cozy mystery series I can cozy up to! If you enjoy heroines who have lived long enough to possess wisdom, you will like Edna Davis, the wife of a newly retired physician. The setting is Rhode Island on the Atlantic shore. Lovely quirky characters, strong emotion, and an interesting mystery. The only flaw I found was a too providential coincidence, which kept it from 5 star. HOWEVER, I will be purchasing and reading more of Suzanne Young's mysteries. Thanks for doing such a great first book in a series, Ms. Young!
September 15, 2026
Very simple story. This is another Amazon free book. The main character seems to be patterned after a 1950's housewife. Her husband charges her cell phone because she does not know how. Painful to read.
March 27, 2020
Good mystery
Good cozy, but has a cliff hanger. That's why the 4 star rating. Would have liked all questions answered, but... I will read the next book, hoping to get my answers.
Good cozy, but has a cliff hanger. That's why the 4 star rating. Would have liked all questions answered, but... I will read the next book, hoping to get my answers.
October 8, 2012
Young’s “Murder by Yew” is a well written and well edited cozy mystery, so cozy that you will be drawn right into the mystery. You may very well try to help the protagonist Edna find and sort through the clues to solve the mystery. Edna Davies is happily married to a doctor who has recently retired; they are settling into a small Rhode Island town to enjoy their "Golden Years" of retirement. Edna Davies, an amateur herbalist, becomes the prime suspect shortly after her handyman dies of poisoning. After she was questioned by the police, the townsfolk begin to avoid her; her art class even fails to show up at her house. Nearly certain that she hadn't concocted a poisonous tea potion, Edna struggles against mounting circumstantial evidence. Now it is a struggle to keep her sanity, find the clues, and solve the mystery with the help of few.
The dialogue is lively and credible; the characters are well-developed and seem to fit the small town locale. The plot is simple, straight forward, and believable; it does not entangle the reader in complicated unbelievable twists and turns. The knowledge of gardening and the various uses of the plants is intriguing. The mystery revolving around plants and herbalists reminds me of an enjoyable mystery series from PBS: “Rosemary and Thyme.” In “Murder by Yew,” unlike the herbalists Rosemary and Thyme or Christie’s good old Miss Maple, Edna is drawn into this mystery as she becomes a suspect herself. I did not expect to like Edna based on some of the negative reviews; however, it did like her as a character. Certainly it is not the quality of some of the others I mentioned; however, I fully enjoyed Young’s story, and if you like a “light,” but delightful, “cozy” mystery, I do recommend “Murder by Yew” to “yew”!
The dialogue is lively and credible; the characters are well-developed and seem to fit the small town locale. The plot is simple, straight forward, and believable; it does not entangle the reader in complicated unbelievable twists and turns. The knowledge of gardening and the various uses of the plants is intriguing. The mystery revolving around plants and herbalists reminds me of an enjoyable mystery series from PBS: “Rosemary and Thyme.” In “Murder by Yew,” unlike the herbalists Rosemary and Thyme or Christie’s good old Miss Maple, Edna is drawn into this mystery as she becomes a suspect herself. I did not expect to like Edna based on some of the negative reviews; however, it did like her as a character. Certainly it is not the quality of some of the others I mentioned; however, I fully enjoyed Young’s story, and if you like a “light,” but delightful, “cozy” mystery, I do recommend “Murder by Yew” to “yew”!
June 19, 2013
Very enjoyable first of a mild cozy mystery series. I liked Edna as the main character--very pleasant, unassuming, ordinary. Her talent for drawing and interest in gardening help with her deductive reasoning and provide some interest to the reader. There's not a whole lot of sleuthing, but the mystery did keep my interest, and I was glad that she didn't go off half-cocked like so many cozy mystery protagonists do. Secondary characters of next-door neighbor Mary and daughter Starling were good and fairly well defined. I got absolutely no sense of Edna's husband since he was gone for the entire book; I can't even remember his name.
I'll definitely continue with the series when I'm looking for a quiet, easy read.
I'll definitely continue with the series when I'm looking for a quiet, easy read.
December 28, 2011
Edna and her husband have retired to Rhode Island where she becomes interested in the medicinal properties of the herbal garden on their new property.
Being a prime suspect in a murder investigation isn't quite the idyllic retirement anyone would envisioned but when her handyman dies of taxine poisoning, Edna Davies is placed in just such a predicament. As an amateur herbalist, she is certain she didn't concoct a poisonous potion but she is shunned by the townsfolk, questioned by the police and threatened by thieves. As she desperately tries to save herself from arrest ... or worse, she follows a trail that leads her back 40 years in the victim's history.
Being a prime suspect in a murder investigation isn't quite the idyllic retirement anyone would envisioned but when her handyman dies of taxine poisoning, Edna Davies is placed in just such a predicament. As an amateur herbalist, she is certain she didn't concoct a poisonous potion but she is shunned by the townsfolk, questioned by the police and threatened by thieves. As she desperately tries to save herself from arrest ... or worse, she follows a trail that leads her back 40 years in the victim's history.
August 16, 2013
Edna Davis and her husband, Albert, retired to a small town in Rhode Island and bought a 3 acre property with massive herb and flower gardens. Edna finds that many of the plants seem to have poisonous aspects if used in the wrong way. The former owner left lots of information about their uses and recipes as well. When the handyman, Tom Greene, dies after having tea at her home a cloud hangs over her head, threatening her acceptance in her new community, she determines to help find his killer. In the process she develops a friendship with the spinster next door. The mystery was pretty simple but the writing style was interesting and I would read more of the series.
April 11, 2013
Mixed review on this, certainly the price was right at 99 cents for the kindle, and, as a RI native, I enjoyed the local color. Reading on the kindle obscures details like how many pages, but this was a very quick read, less than a day. For a murder mystery, this was pretty uneven. For instance, I was annoyed that several plot points depended on older crime-fighting heroine not knowing how to recharge a cell phone (her husband was out of town, ya-see, so obviously impossible to recharge the phone). Still, I'll probably read the next two in series too, the cost is low.
May 21, 2012
I found Murder by Yew to be a very enjoyable read. My wife is inclined to read the Hi-Tech, over complicated (at least in my mind) plots and I am usually reading scripts. I took a break to read Ms. Young's book and was delighted. Unlike Miss Marple, Edna is thrust into this mystery by virtue of being a suspect herself. Stories intertwine as does the list of "who dun its". I think you will enjoy it as well.
December 20, 2011
A solid 3.5 stars. I very much liked Edna Davies and all the herb lore. Edna doesn't really do much sleuthing, but does get the mystery solved. It was a nice mystery with some red herrings that led me astray more than once. I'll definitely go to the second book in this series.
August 19, 2011
Such a nice # 1. More please and please continue to use Melba Sibrel as narrator.
December 28, 2011
Well written, well edited cozy mystery. I enjoyed it and would read another by this author.
May 9, 2012
Lots of information about herbal remedies and poisons as they form background to this cozy murder mystery. Interesting characters, good plot.
November 16, 2012
A very nice read! Well rounded characters, a great plot.
December 24, 2012
Murder for the middle aged. ... A very tame tale about a middle aged woman who was far too pathetic for my liking!
August 8, 2013
If you like Agatha Christie's Miss Marple or Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote, you will definitely enjoy Edna Davies' sleuthing skills. A enjoyable, easy to read cozy mystery.
February 20, 2015
i really liked this one. Good story, with a tight plot and well thought out characters. The first in a series, I am pretty sure I will be looking for more in this series.
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May 15, 2017Easy read.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews