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The Lone Fox
Nothing is ever amiss in the nineteenth-century city of Northampton. That is, until Miss Roberts is mysteriously found dead.
Against the advice of young Officer Bentley, the victim’s closest friend—Miss Lydia Alderidge—takes it upon herself to solve what the police refuse to accept as murder. However, as the unlikely pair of detectives fall deeper into the case, more and more baffling deaths create a perilous mystery, and the answers they need cross paths with a devious family.
But will the murderous fox be rooted out before anyone else suffers?
Against the advice of young Officer Bentley, the victim’s closest friend—Miss Lydia Alderidge—takes it upon herself to solve what the police refuse to accept as murder. However, as the unlikely pair of detectives fall deeper into the case, more and more baffling deaths create a perilous mystery, and the answers they need cross paths with a devious family.
But will the murderous fox be rooted out before anyone else suffers?
324 pages, Paperback
Published July 22, 2023
12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 17, 2023
Captivating read! I read this book in less than one day, started around noon and finished around 9:30. I couldn’t put it down!!! Loved this book—this story. Amazing plot and careful weaving of the threads of the story. Everything came together SO well in the end! What a great and surprising twist at the end! Will definitely be rereading! I LOVED this book! Highly recommend!!
August 30, 2023
When Lydia Alderidge’s best friend mysteriously dies, the police believe that it was suicide. Lydia is the only one who suspects foul play. She sets out to find who murdered her friend. She gradually teams up with Officer Bentley to solve the murder. As they investigate, more mysterious deaths occur. Can they find the murderer before more deaths occur?
I absolutely love Lydia Alderidge! She was the classic female Sherlock Holmes type of amateur detective. She was very observant and highly intelligent. She was also a very loyal friend. She was also a very strong character and was independent. Throughout the novel, we learn more surprising details about her that I found fascinating. Thus, I found Lydia to be very entertaining. She made this book very enjoyable.
Officer Bentley was the other protagonist in this novel. Initially, I disliked him and found him annoying. He was straight-laced and always followed the book. Eventually, he won me over. He cared about the town and its people. I also liked the friendship and gradual romance with Lydia. I thought that they made a great team. Thus, Officer Bentley was a kind and caring hero in the novel.
Overall, this novel is about secrets, depression, and love. Besides Lydia and Officer Bentley, I did not care for the characters. Many of them were one-dimensional. The storyline was very drawn-out and repetitive. This was especially true in the middle of the novel in which I felt that the story was not going anywhere. It was more like a drama that did not seem to involve Lydia than a murder mystery. Therefore, I felt like the book did not know what it wanted to be. However, I found the ending to be spectacular and it had a twist I never saw coming! While The Lone Fox has its flaws, it was a solid debut! It was a light and entertaining cozy mystery! I hope that there will be more mysteries featuring Lydia Alderidge and Officer Bentley!
(Note: I read an ARC copy in courtesy from the author. All opinions expressed are my own.)
I absolutely love Lydia Alderidge! She was the classic female Sherlock Holmes type of amateur detective. She was very observant and highly intelligent. She was also a very loyal friend. She was also a very strong character and was independent. Throughout the novel, we learn more surprising details about her that I found fascinating. Thus, I found Lydia to be very entertaining. She made this book very enjoyable.
Officer Bentley was the other protagonist in this novel. Initially, I disliked him and found him annoying. He was straight-laced and always followed the book. Eventually, he won me over. He cared about the town and its people. I also liked the friendship and gradual romance with Lydia. I thought that they made a great team. Thus, Officer Bentley was a kind and caring hero in the novel.
Overall, this novel is about secrets, depression, and love. Besides Lydia and Officer Bentley, I did not care for the characters. Many of them were one-dimensional. The storyline was very drawn-out and repetitive. This was especially true in the middle of the novel in which I felt that the story was not going anywhere. It was more like a drama that did not seem to involve Lydia than a murder mystery. Therefore, I felt like the book did not know what it wanted to be. However, I found the ending to be spectacular and it had a twist I never saw coming! While The Lone Fox has its flaws, it was a solid debut! It was a light and entertaining cozy mystery! I hope that there will be more mysteries featuring Lydia Alderidge and Officer Bentley!
(Note: I read an ARC copy in courtesy from the author. All opinions expressed are my own.)
July 31, 2023
Trigger warnings for The Lone Fox include: violence, death and mental illness.
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I have had this ARC for genuinely months. And it's taken me forever to actually get through it. I was only able to really read a chapter or two at a time.
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I enjoyed the writing, and the general plot of it. I do like reading mystery and murder mystery types of books, but I think the thing that kept putting me off, and the thing that caused me to procrastination on reading it is the historical setting and element.
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I was aware before even starting it that there would be a historical element to it. But historical fiction, and historical settings in novels, save for a few exceptions, isn't something I particularly am thrilled and excited to read. That's just my personal preference, and not a criticism of the story or the book itself though.
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Despite the length of time it actually took me to finish this book, I did like it. It wasn't the type of book where I was trying to work things out before the characters, or trying to solve the murders. But it was a good time to read it. The ending really threw me for a loop, but that was the point, so I liked the direction it ended up going in.
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Thank you to author Evelyn Roland for sending me an ARC copy of this book.
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I have had this ARC for genuinely months. And it's taken me forever to actually get through it. I was only able to really read a chapter or two at a time.
~
I enjoyed the writing, and the general plot of it. I do like reading mystery and murder mystery types of books, but I think the thing that kept putting me off, and the thing that caused me to procrastination on reading it is the historical setting and element.
~
I was aware before even starting it that there would be a historical element to it. But historical fiction, and historical settings in novels, save for a few exceptions, isn't something I particularly am thrilled and excited to read. That's just my personal preference, and not a criticism of the story or the book itself though.
~
Despite the length of time it actually took me to finish this book, I did like it. It wasn't the type of book where I was trying to work things out before the characters, or trying to solve the murders. But it was a good time to read it. The ending really threw me for a loop, but that was the point, so I liked the direction it ended up going in.
•
Thank you to author Evelyn Roland for sending me an ARC copy of this book.
August 3, 2023
I had the privilege of being an ARC reader for this lovely novel.
I’m not lying when I say I read like half of this the first time I sat down with it! I adore historical fiction, and I’m trying to get more into mysteries so when I heard of the opportunity to be an ARC reader, I jumped on it! And I wasn’t disappointed!
This was such a cute read. For the majority of the book, it had cute budding-romance with a side of murder investigation vibes. (Only a true crime lover like myself would call a murder-mystery cute lol) The last 25 pages or so didn’t exactly give off “cute” vibes (iykyk). The mystery was great. The ending wasn’t what I was expecting (and if you know me, you know I love plot twists and/or unexpected endings). Like, seriously this plot twist was 10/10, perfectly executed. I truly didn’t see it coming! (I also adored the last chapter- that’s what was really cute.)
I’m not lying when I say I read like half of this the first time I sat down with it! I adore historical fiction, and I’m trying to get more into mysteries so when I heard of the opportunity to be an ARC reader, I jumped on it! And I wasn’t disappointed!
This was such a cute read. For the majority of the book, it had cute budding-romance with a side of murder investigation vibes. (Only a true crime lover like myself would call a murder-mystery cute lol) The last 25 pages or so didn’t exactly give off “cute” vibes (iykyk). The mystery was great. The ending wasn’t what I was expecting (and if you know me, you know I love plot twists and/or unexpected endings). Like, seriously this plot twist was 10/10, perfectly executed. I truly didn’t see it coming! (I also adored the last chapter- that’s what was really cute.)
September 15, 2023
I think the best summary for this book is a nice, sweet, and romantic, murder story. In my head, the two don't typically correlate but Evelyn Roland did an amazing job of writing a book that entertained both. As for the murder mystery plot itself, it keeps the reader on their toes and turning the page until the very end! By the end, the reader realizes the hints which were perfectly placed throughout the book. My favorite character was easily Lydia, from start to finish. Her character arc was so interesting to watch unfold and I am definitely looking forward to the author's next book!
September 22, 2023
I think the best summary for this book is a nice, sweet, and romantic, murder story. In my head, the two don't typically correlate but Evelyn Roland did an amazing job of writing a book that entertained both. As for the murder mystery plot itself, it keeps the reader on their toes and turning the page until the very end! By the end, the reader realizes the hints which were perfectly placed throughout the book. My favorite character was easily Lydia, from start to finish. Her character arc was so interesting to watch unfold and I am definitely looking forward to the author's next book!
August 10, 2023
Loved this story! The end was a twist I wasn’t expecting. I enjoyed the historical aspect and loved the way the characters were introduced.
September 3, 2023
A surprisingly engaging first novel. A refreshing wholesome read
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews