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Anastasia Raven #4
Bury the Hatchet in Dead Mule Swamp
Anastasia Raven opens a box containing a bloody hatchet, apparently sent as some sort of warning to her friend Cora and Cora’s ex-husband. When a hacked-up body is discovered in the Petite Sauble River at the small village of Jalmari, everyone is stunned at the victim’s identity. Continued puzzling discoveries just don’t add up. Ana discovers herself agreeing to participate in a zany conspiracy with a tall and handsome man. (Anastasia Raven Mysteries, #4)
253 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 22, 2014
5 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Joan H. Young
29 books50 followersJoan Young has enjoyed the out-of-doors her entire life, and writes about those experiences. She has recently begun writing more fiction, including a cozy mystery series.
Highlights of her outdoor adventures include Girl Scouting, which provided yearly training in camp skills, and the opportunity to engage in a 10-day canoe trip, and numerous short backpacking excursions. She was selected to attend the 1965 Senior Scout Roundup in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, an international event to which 10,000 girls were invited. She has ridden a bicycle from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean in 1986, and completed the North Country National Scenic Trail on August 3, 2010. Her total mileage was 4395 miles. Young is the first woman to hike the entire trail, and the 9th person overall to complete it on foot.
Young also writes a monthly column for the Ludington Daily News called "Get Off the Couch."
Highlights of her outdoor adventures include Girl Scouting, which provided yearly training in camp skills, and the opportunity to engage in a 10-day canoe trip, and numerous short backpacking excursions. She was selected to attend the 1965 Senior Scout Roundup in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, an international event to which 10,000 girls were invited. She has ridden a bicycle from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean in 1986, and completed the North Country National Scenic Trail on August 3, 2010. Her total mileage was 4395 miles. Young is the first woman to hike the entire trail, and the 9th person overall to complete it on foot.
Young also writes a monthly column for the Ludington Daily News called "Get Off the Couch."
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 24, 2019
I am a huge fan of Joan's and I absolutely enjoy her blogs and outdoor adventuring!
Her Anastasia Raven Mysteries, just keep getting better and better! This one really does a great job of uniting all the characters of the small community, the book series is based in, and takes the reader right there, like you are part of the community!
Starting mystery #5 and I will be waiting "patiently" (at least I'll try!) for #6 to come out!! Excellent cozy mystery series!
Her Anastasia Raven Mysteries, just keep getting better and better! This one really does a great job of uniting all the characters of the small community, the book series is based in, and takes the reader right there, like you are part of the community!
Starting mystery #5 and I will be waiting "patiently" (at least I'll try!) for #6 to come out!! Excellent cozy mystery series!
November 6, 2020
Ana opens a box that was sent to Cora.
The contents were a hatchet that had blood on it.
Ana and Jerry later find a place covered in blood at the old school building Jerry bought for Ana's museum.
This was an entertaining story, that while had developed characters and a solid storyline.
For a mystery? The story focused more on the romance than the mystery so much that at one point I thought the author had forgotten there was a mystery to start with.
It was a nice chick-lit though.
The contents were a hatchet that had blood on it.
Ana and Jerry later find a place covered in blood at the old school building Jerry bought for Ana's museum.
This was an entertaining story, that while had developed characters and a solid storyline.
For a mystery? The story focused more on the romance than the mystery so much that at one point I thought the author had forgotten there was a mystery to start with.
It was a nice chick-lit though.
November 13, 2017
An easy read. What I liked about this novel is Ana does not endanger herself stupidly. She is nosey and investigates unnecessarily getting herself in trouble. It all works out 9in the end.
December 8, 2020
This series is getting better with each book. This book had a lot of build up but a very quick wrap up.
March 19, 2014
Please keep them coming, Ms. Young! They just keep getting better!
I thoroughly enjoyed book four in the Anastasia Raven cozy mystery series. ;o)
I read it in the early mornings on the treadmill, and several times I went over my three mile goal because I was caught up in the book. And I must admit, on those mornings when I didn't feel like walking, this book enticed me to get up there find out what happens next.
I love Ms. Young's natural writing style, spot-on dialog, and especially her sense of place. Nature plays a huge role in every book, and that most definitely draws me even more deeply into the stories. The feeling of the woods, the swamp, the small town... it's all so authentic and well-painted, I just can't get enough of these Ana books. I felt as if I were "there" in the boathouse when Ana sneaked in, and also fell into step beside her when she walked through the old, abandoned school house. Strangely enough, even though I am hardly a party-goer, I wanted to go to that Autumn ball that Ana helped plan, and found myself wishing we had such an event coming up in my own little town.
Aside from the diverse and totally memorable characters, there is something so very refreshing about Ana's personality, I find her unique and remarkable. The woman has been spurned by a husband only a year ago, and has shown the courage to move to a new town, buy a fixer upper in the swamp, actually start fixing it up, and she does not pine for love or company, or swoon at the first man who flirts with her. Very refreshing, like I said! She is completely satisfied with her own company, she gets down with the handiest men in town and can wield a hammer with the best of them. Yet, she also has made a few very good friends (never mind that these friends hate each other!), and has a heart of gold when it comes to helping out those in need, and especially young people who might be in jeopardy or hurting. And for all her handyman abilities, Ana can summon her feminine side without getting too "girly", she can really dress up with the most elegant gals in town and outshine them, which we discovered when she hosted the ball with her friend, the newspaper owner.
I won't rehash the delightful mystery's plot, but I highly recommend Bury the Hatchet in Dead Mule Swamp. The twists and turns will catch you by surprise, and you'll love the ride!
I thoroughly enjoyed book four in the Anastasia Raven cozy mystery series. ;o)
I read it in the early mornings on the treadmill, and several times I went over my three mile goal because I was caught up in the book. And I must admit, on those mornings when I didn't feel like walking, this book enticed me to get up there find out what happens next.
I love Ms. Young's natural writing style, spot-on dialog, and especially her sense of place. Nature plays a huge role in every book, and that most definitely draws me even more deeply into the stories. The feeling of the woods, the swamp, the small town... it's all so authentic and well-painted, I just can't get enough of these Ana books. I felt as if I were "there" in the boathouse when Ana sneaked in, and also fell into step beside her when she walked through the old, abandoned school house. Strangely enough, even though I am hardly a party-goer, I wanted to go to that Autumn ball that Ana helped plan, and found myself wishing we had such an event coming up in my own little town.
Aside from the diverse and totally memorable characters, there is something so very refreshing about Ana's personality, I find her unique and remarkable. The woman has been spurned by a husband only a year ago, and has shown the courage to move to a new town, buy a fixer upper in the swamp, actually start fixing it up, and she does not pine for love or company, or swoon at the first man who flirts with her. Very refreshing, like I said! She is completely satisfied with her own company, she gets down with the handiest men in town and can wield a hammer with the best of them. Yet, she also has made a few very good friends (never mind that these friends hate each other!), and has a heart of gold when it comes to helping out those in need, and especially young people who might be in jeopardy or hurting. And for all her handyman abilities, Ana can summon her feminine side without getting too "girly", she can really dress up with the most elegant gals in town and outshine them, which we discovered when she hosted the ball with her friend, the newspaper owner.
I won't rehash the delightful mystery's plot, but I highly recommend Bury the Hatchet in Dead Mule Swamp. The twists and turns will catch you by surprise, and you'll love the ride!
March 24, 2015
This was another wonderful, entertaining helping of Ana Raven and Dead Mule Swamp! I really enjoy Ms. Young's easy-flowing, smooth writing style and her realistic small-town setting with its plethora of quirky, diverse characters and the natural beauty of the surrounding woods and swamp.
Ana's strong, independent nature makes her one of my favourite female characters. She doesn't have to rely on burly, macho men to protect her or do things for her. She is as handy with a saw and hammer as she is with a blow-dryer! And, she doesn't swoon over or flirt with every man who looks at her, either. She is quite satisfied with her own company, but, at the same time, she cares deeply about other people and tries to help them out where she can.
The preparations for the Autumn Ball took up a fair bit of the book, but it was so interesting and fascinating that I didn't mind at all. I could vividly picture the old schoolhouse transformed into a fall wonderland replete with the aromas of pumpkin, apple cider, corn husks and crackling leaves.
I am thoroughly enjoying this series and will definitely continue on with it as long as Ms. Young keeps writing the books!
Ana's strong, independent nature makes her one of my favourite female characters. She doesn't have to rely on burly, macho men to protect her or do things for her. She is as handy with a saw and hammer as she is with a blow-dryer! And, she doesn't swoon over or flirt with every man who looks at her, either. She is quite satisfied with her own company, but, at the same time, she cares deeply about other people and tries to help them out where she can.
The preparations for the Autumn Ball took up a fair bit of the book, but it was so interesting and fascinating that I didn't mind at all. I could vividly picture the old schoolhouse transformed into a fall wonderland replete with the aromas of pumpkin, apple cider, corn husks and crackling leaves.
I am thoroughly enjoying this series and will definitely continue on with it as long as Ms. Young keeps writing the books!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews