The Down-East Murders

Sarah Deane Mystery #2

by J.S. Borthwick

Working on the Godding Museum's annual local artist show is the perfect way for English teacher Sarah Deane to earn a few dollars, relax in the sun and sea air of coastal Maine, and spend the summer with her boyfriend, Dr. Alex McKenzie.
But when Sarah and Alex discover the body of Nate Harwood, a cranky local artist, caught in an offshore fish trap, they know they'll have no vacation from amateur detecting until they catch his killer.
Could his death be related to the "accidental" drowning of two elderly tourists shortly after they had brought a painting from Prior's Gallery? Is one of the contestants in the museum show willing to go to any lengths to win? Or does someone have strong feelings against seascapes?
Sarah and Alax canvass Weymouth Island trying to draw a clearer picture of the killer lurking among them--before they find the next victim.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Teachers

296 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

J. S. Borthwick is the pseudonym of Jean Scott Creighton. She lives on the Maine coast. She is the creator of 'Sarah Deane', a professor of English and amateur sleuth.

Series:
* Sarah Deane Mystery

Reviews

[Dollie]

A doctor, Alex McKensie, is also an amateur detective. He practices in Boston and comes home in the summer to vacation on Weymouth Island, off Port Clyde, Maine. During this particular summer there seem to be a lot of paintings that have been stolen and there has been a murder and an accident resulting in the death of an elderly couple. Alex’s girlfriend, Sarah Deane, a high school English teacher, is along for the summer and working at one of the art studios in Port Clyde. One of the Weymouth Island artists, Nate Harwood, has been drowned. He was pretty crotchety, so nobody was all that upset about it. But then his son, Roger, goes missing and his widow, Marian, starts acting very strange. Okay, but not really riveting. Okay, so it wasn't all that great, but it took place in Maine, so it was worth reading.

[Eugene]

Have seen Borthwick’s books on the used bookstore shelves occasionally for some time; on a whim I purchased this and quickly read it. Second in the series of 15 or so, not a bad effort. There are elements of “cozy” mystery here, so for those who avoid such, beware. That said, it was well written, nicely plotted, and “who dunnit” was only revealed in the end.
Enjoyed this enough that I’ll delve into some of the others and see how the series progresses.

[Vjera]

Read this one for out of order because the library didn’t have it. Very enjoyable to catch up with Alex and Sarah falling in love.

I had a inkling of how the mystery was going to turn out, so not as convoluted as her other stories.

[Helen]

This is a bit different from the others I have read by this author (who I do like!), and I was delighted to see all the skill I love in an author. Well developed plot and real to life characters .

Read this one and find other works. These are worth your time.

[Laura Lander]

A good read - multiple murder mystery complete with art thefts and sailing all while on holiday on the coast of Maine.

[Vicki]

Ladies wearing white gloves to a funeral took me back to my childhood!

[Cindy]

I loved the setting of the book but the characters fell flat and the story was filled with small details which were uninteresting and not necessary to the story.

[Heather]

3.75 stars

A good solid mystery with intelligent likeable MCs. I enjoyed watching Sarah & Alex's romance develop.

[Nancy H]

Set on a small island off the coast of Maine, this book tells the story of Sarah and her friend Alex, who have gone to Alex's home to visit with his mother and to have a vacation. When there are thefts of freshly-done paintings and also a murder, Alex and Sarah get involved and try to help solve the mysteries, especially since one of the stolen paintings was done by Alex's mother. There are multiple suspects for both crimes, many complications, and they must figure out who committed the crimes despite the complications. Although the plot is good, for some reason I just didn't get pulled in to this mystery like I normally do. The characters are okay and the setting is interesting, but I wasn't compelled to keep turning pages. It was an okay read.

[Linda]

I enjoyed this second entry in the series more than the first. Sarah was much more likeable and I enjoyed seeing her progress as a sleuth and her developing relationship with Alex. In some ways this book seemed to drag on somewhat but I enjoyed the action at the end and that all the loose ends got wrapped up.

[Laura]

very slow moving mystery - not that believable that it was a Maine murder - it just didn't feel right

[bex]

I advise against reading the back cover. It gives some away.

[Homerun2]

3 1/2 stars

[Georgene]

It's not a very good mystery when I figure out who the bad guy is before the end of the book. it's an o.k. book, but not one I'd search out to read. I just happened upon it and traded for it.

[Amanda White]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14332384