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Thaddeus Lewis mysteries #5
Wishful Seeing: A Thaddeus Lewis Mystery
2017 Arthur Ellis Award, Best Novel ― Shortlisted
Saddlebag preacher Thaddeus Lewis uncovers murder and conspiracy in Northumberland County.
A body is discovered on an isolated island in Rice Lake. Saddlebag preacher Thaddeus Lewis is sent on a desperate hunt for the truth when a woman for whom he feels a guilty attraction stands accused of the murder. Meanwhile, railway mania grips the everyone expects to get rich off the Cobourg–Peterborough rail line ― some at the expense of others.
Aided by his fifteen-year-old granddaughter and a charming but inexperienced lawyer, Thaddeus defends the woman while privately questioning his motives for doing so. With little hard evidence to go on, the courtroom battle to prove the woman’s innocence seems doomed ― until a startling discovery gives the case a fighting chance. But the trio’s digging uncovers a conspiracy that could threaten the future of the entire district. With the fortunes of the county, and his own future, on the line, Thaddeus struggles against shady characters and his own conscience to solve the crime.
Saddlebag preacher Thaddeus Lewis uncovers murder and conspiracy in Northumberland County.
A body is discovered on an isolated island in Rice Lake. Saddlebag preacher Thaddeus Lewis is sent on a desperate hunt for the truth when a woman for whom he feels a guilty attraction stands accused of the murder. Meanwhile, railway mania grips the everyone expects to get rich off the Cobourg–Peterborough rail line ― some at the expense of others.
Aided by his fifteen-year-old granddaughter and a charming but inexperienced lawyer, Thaddeus defends the woman while privately questioning his motives for doing so. With little hard evidence to go on, the courtroom battle to prove the woman’s innocence seems doomed ― until a startling discovery gives the case a fighting chance. But the trio’s digging uncovers a conspiracy that could threaten the future of the entire district. With the fortunes of the county, and his own future, on the line, Thaddeus struggles against shady characters and his own conscience to solve the crime.
304 pages, Paperback
Published August 23, 2016
3 people are currently reading
344 people want to read
About the author
Janet Kellough
19 books45 followersJanet Kellough is an author and performance storyteller who has an abiding interest in bringing Canadian history to life. As well as the Thaddeus Lewis series of historical mysteries with Dundurn Press, she has self-published three books, recorded two CD's and written and performed in countless stage works and concerts that feature a fusion of music and spoken word.
She currently lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada, an island community perched on the north shore of Lake Ontario where her family has been resident for over 200 years. She inhabits an old farmhouse on the cusp of the Marysburgh Vortex with her sound engineer husband and two rescued dogs.
www.janetkellough.com
On the Head of a Pin was a Dewey Diva pick for 2009.
http://ampersandinc.ca/files/buttons/...
She currently lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada, an island community perched on the north shore of Lake Ontario where her family has been resident for over 200 years. She inhabits an old farmhouse on the cusp of the Marysburgh Vortex with her sound engineer husband and two rescued dogs.
www.janetkellough.com
On the Head of a Pin was a Dewey Diva pick for 2009.
http://ampersandinc.ca/files/buttons/...
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 27, 2016
I received a copy of Wishful Seeing by Janet Kellough through Net Galley for an honest review. My thanks to Dundurn Publishing and to Janet Kellough for the opportunity.
Dead men tell no lies and the truth often comes from unlikely sources.
Janet Kellough presents her fifth book in the Thaddeus Lewis Mystery Series. Like you, I have not pulled up a chair and read any of the preceding books in this series. Wishful Seeing is a stand-alone book that makes light references to the past adventures of Thaddeus in order to round out this approachable, colorful character.
Thaddeus Lewis, a well-worn saddlebag preacher in the outstretches of Canada West, has been assigned to the Rice Lake area. Thaddeus is not your average tight-laced man of the cloth. He's lived a very "earthy" life before taking up his assignments. Thaddeus has walked in the steps of one who knows the downfalls of this life. He's never been one to camouflage or misrepresent himself in the likes of the summer of 1853.
Because of this earthiness that Thaddeus possesses, he seems to find himself in the mix of crimes and misdemeanors of the woodlands. When a dead body is found on Spook Island, (Oh, love that appropriate name!) witnesses come forth describing a mysterious woman in a blue dress. The blue dress is later found soaking in a wash tub with what appears to be a dark blood stain. The owner, Ellen Howell, is arrested and finds herself behind bars for the crime. Her husband has taken off for parts unknown.
Thaddeus is not one to sit on the sidelines. He intervenes on behalf of Mrs. Howell and finds himself drawn to her like a bee to a fragrant flower....not your average preacherman. The bars of the jail cell may keep Ellen within and Thaddeus' feelings in check.
Kellough introduces us to Martha, his granddaughter, who has assisted him in previous adventures. She adds flavor to the storyline and is painted in vivid colors of strength, curiosity, and the demonstrative brain of a woman far above her peers. A golden touch!
I found myself enjoying this series by Janet Kellough. Kellough has a way with her character development and brings out the humanity of each. While the mystery is not laced with high tension, it does bring out the evil within the human heart. I'm looking forward to the next in this line of mysteries and will search out the preceding ones. Bravo, Ms. Kellough!
Dead men tell no lies and the truth often comes from unlikely sources.
Janet Kellough presents her fifth book in the Thaddeus Lewis Mystery Series. Like you, I have not pulled up a chair and read any of the preceding books in this series. Wishful Seeing is a stand-alone book that makes light references to the past adventures of Thaddeus in order to round out this approachable, colorful character.
Thaddeus Lewis, a well-worn saddlebag preacher in the outstretches of Canada West, has been assigned to the Rice Lake area. Thaddeus is not your average tight-laced man of the cloth. He's lived a very "earthy" life before taking up his assignments. Thaddeus has walked in the steps of one who knows the downfalls of this life. He's never been one to camouflage or misrepresent himself in the likes of the summer of 1853.
Because of this earthiness that Thaddeus possesses, he seems to find himself in the mix of crimes and misdemeanors of the woodlands. When a dead body is found on Spook Island, (Oh, love that appropriate name!) witnesses come forth describing a mysterious woman in a blue dress. The blue dress is later found soaking in a wash tub with what appears to be a dark blood stain. The owner, Ellen Howell, is arrested and finds herself behind bars for the crime. Her husband has taken off for parts unknown.
Thaddeus is not one to sit on the sidelines. He intervenes on behalf of Mrs. Howell and finds himself drawn to her like a bee to a fragrant flower....not your average preacherman. The bars of the jail cell may keep Ellen within and Thaddeus' feelings in check.
Kellough introduces us to Martha, his granddaughter, who has assisted him in previous adventures. She adds flavor to the storyline and is painted in vivid colors of strength, curiosity, and the demonstrative brain of a woman far above her peers. A golden touch!
I found myself enjoying this series by Janet Kellough. Kellough has a way with her character development and brings out the humanity of each. While the mystery is not laced with high tension, it does bring out the evil within the human heart. I'm looking forward to the next in this line of mysteries and will search out the preceding ones. Bravo, Ms. Kellough!
November 17, 2016
I picked this book because it is set in and around the town I live in, Cobourg, Ontario during the year 1853, when two pivotal events that shaped the town’s destiny took place: the building of the railway from Cobourg to Peterborough over Rice Lake, and the building of the opulent town hall that was to signify the riches that the railway would usher in - both never to materialize.
I also understood that this book was labelled a crime genre novel, the fifth in the Thaddeus Lewis mystery series, about an itinerant Methodist Episcopal minister who travels the country and solves murders. When I met the author at a writer’s meeting recently, she kept insisting that she was a historical fiction author, determined to chronicle life in the 19th century in her native South Eastern Ontario, and that she was NOT a detective series author as she had been pigeonholed. Therein lies the danger, for when an author introduces the “puzzle” (i.e. the mystery element) into her desired story in order to engage readers, the tail very soon starts to wag the dog.
I had to admit that I was less enamoured with the whodunit part while being thoroughly absorbed in the historical fiction. I was totally captivated with the depiction of life in Northumberland County before the creation of Canada, and the author is excruciatingly detailed on this portrayal. Some observations that got my attention:
1) The Globe Hotel stood where the old Park Theatre stands today, the latter heading towards extinction like its predecessor that was burnt down in 1864.
2) The Cobourg-Peterborough railway lasted only three days.
3) Jane Austen was popular then as she is now.
4) Small journeys like Cobourg to Cold Springs, or Cobourg to Baltimore, or Cobourg to Gores Landing where arduous ones on horseback or via carriage. The preparations that needed to be made for such journeys with respect to clothing, food and were equally onerous.
5) Young girls usually had only three dresses in their wardrobe: a well-worn one for rough outdoor work, a day dress, and a Sunday dress. Dresses were passed down from older to younger siblings by turning up hemlines or tucking in waistlines, several times.
6) The main form of transportation between the towns and cities in Ontario was by steamers that plied the Great Lakes.
7) Grand Juries existed in Ontario.
8) Debating evangelists was a great form of entertainment and a means of recruiting converts.
9) Land was given out in Southern Ontario to military personnel coming out of England to help stave off another American invasion. Except that the land title system was not administered well, and it is this mismanagement that provides the foundation for the novel’s crime plot.
Thaddeus is an unprepossessing detective. A widower, and a bit slow in the acuity department (he is 59, bone-weary of riding the preaching circuit, and is looking forward to retirement), he has the misfortune of falling in love with a married woman, Ellen, who is facing a charge of murder while her shady husband is in hiding. Thaddeus is helped by his sprightly granddaughter, Martha, and an ambitious rookie lawyer from Toronto, Ashby, and they set out to save the hapless Ellen while being resident in a close-minded community where his “improper” conduct as a man of the cloth consorting with a married woman places his reputation and job in jeopardy. Of course, all ends well in the end, as most detective novels do, and we are even entertained by a courtroom drama that quickly supplements and surpasses the detective element.
I was disappointed in the pacing, for the build-up in the first half of the novel was slow. The cover blurb describes the author as a professional storyteller, and that comes through clearly with the omniscient narrator who jumps in and out of everyone’s head indiscriminately in order to tell us everything: to explain the motives behind people’s actions, to describe the history of the area through Thaddeus’ thoughts, to state the obvious outcomes of certain developments, to warn us of the ill-fated railway’s demise through Thaddeus’s contemptuous view on it - all unnecessary in my view. There was also a struggle with stagecraft during action scenes, like in the one when the sinkhole opens up on Ellen’s property, and in the scene between Thaddeus, his assistant Small, and
the two burglars. I had difficulty visualizing those scenes as they were described.
I wish we could have just seen the story play out more in character actions and dialogue. But therein lies the challenge of presenting history—albeit, not a well-known history—along with a crime story: scene and character painting will need a certain amount of telling.
Shortcomings notwithstanding, the novel ends well and Thaddeus is set up well for his next adventure, while the dreams of the Cobourg merchant class wash into Rice Lake with ironic inevitability.
I also understood that this book was labelled a crime genre novel, the fifth in the Thaddeus Lewis mystery series, about an itinerant Methodist Episcopal minister who travels the country and solves murders. When I met the author at a writer’s meeting recently, she kept insisting that she was a historical fiction author, determined to chronicle life in the 19th century in her native South Eastern Ontario, and that she was NOT a detective series author as she had been pigeonholed. Therein lies the danger, for when an author introduces the “puzzle” (i.e. the mystery element) into her desired story in order to engage readers, the tail very soon starts to wag the dog.
I had to admit that I was less enamoured with the whodunit part while being thoroughly absorbed in the historical fiction. I was totally captivated with the depiction of life in Northumberland County before the creation of Canada, and the author is excruciatingly detailed on this portrayal. Some observations that got my attention:
1) The Globe Hotel stood where the old Park Theatre stands today, the latter heading towards extinction like its predecessor that was burnt down in 1864.
2) The Cobourg-Peterborough railway lasted only three days.
3) Jane Austen was popular then as she is now.
4) Small journeys like Cobourg to Cold Springs, or Cobourg to Baltimore, or Cobourg to Gores Landing where arduous ones on horseback or via carriage. The preparations that needed to be made for such journeys with respect to clothing, food and were equally onerous.
5) Young girls usually had only three dresses in their wardrobe: a well-worn one for rough outdoor work, a day dress, and a Sunday dress. Dresses were passed down from older to younger siblings by turning up hemlines or tucking in waistlines, several times.
6) The main form of transportation between the towns and cities in Ontario was by steamers that plied the Great Lakes.
7) Grand Juries existed in Ontario.
8) Debating evangelists was a great form of entertainment and a means of recruiting converts.
9) Land was given out in Southern Ontario to military personnel coming out of England to help stave off another American invasion. Except that the land title system was not administered well, and it is this mismanagement that provides the foundation for the novel’s crime plot.
Thaddeus is an unprepossessing detective. A widower, and a bit slow in the acuity department (he is 59, bone-weary of riding the preaching circuit, and is looking forward to retirement), he has the misfortune of falling in love with a married woman, Ellen, who is facing a charge of murder while her shady husband is in hiding. Thaddeus is helped by his sprightly granddaughter, Martha, and an ambitious rookie lawyer from Toronto, Ashby, and they set out to save the hapless Ellen while being resident in a close-minded community where his “improper” conduct as a man of the cloth consorting with a married woman places his reputation and job in jeopardy. Of course, all ends well in the end, as most detective novels do, and we are even entertained by a courtroom drama that quickly supplements and surpasses the detective element.
I was disappointed in the pacing, for the build-up in the first half of the novel was slow. The cover blurb describes the author as a professional storyteller, and that comes through clearly with the omniscient narrator who jumps in and out of everyone’s head indiscriminately in order to tell us everything: to explain the motives behind people’s actions, to describe the history of the area through Thaddeus’ thoughts, to state the obvious outcomes of certain developments, to warn us of the ill-fated railway’s demise through Thaddeus’s contemptuous view on it - all unnecessary in my view. There was also a struggle with stagecraft during action scenes, like in the one when the sinkhole opens up on Ellen’s property, and in the scene between Thaddeus, his assistant Small, and
the two burglars. I had difficulty visualizing those scenes as they were described.
I wish we could have just seen the story play out more in character actions and dialogue. But therein lies the challenge of presenting history—albeit, not a well-known history—along with a crime story: scene and character painting will need a certain amount of telling.
Shortcomings notwithstanding, the novel ends well and Thaddeus is set up well for his next adventure, while the dreams of the Cobourg merchant class wash into Rice Lake with ironic inevitability.
July 30, 2016
Although this book fits into my usual reading genre of crime, it was very different in its style and setting. Thaddeus Lewis is a 'Saddlebag Preacher' a Methodist minister who spread the Word to far flung communities in 19th Century Canada.
When the community where he is based is rocked by the news that a local woman has been accused of murder, Thaddeus decides to investigate. Aided by his granddaughter and a newly qualified lawyer they seek to uncover the truth.
I loved how well the author captured the time and I really liked the characters. Although this is part of a series, it works very well as a stand alone story.
Thanks to Netgalley for introducing me to this series- I need to find more of them I think!
When the community where he is based is rocked by the news that a local woman has been accused of murder, Thaddeus decides to investigate. Aided by his granddaughter and a newly qualified lawyer they seek to uncover the truth.
I loved how well the author captured the time and I really liked the characters. Although this is part of a series, it works very well as a stand alone story.
Thanks to Netgalley for introducing me to this series- I need to find more of them I think!
July 31, 2016
Thaddeus Lewis, the traveling preacher sleuth, is back on the road again. He’s headed to speak at a gathering of Methodist Episcopalians when he finds himself involved, once more, in a murder case. This cozy mystery is my second in an endearing series by Janet Kellough. I snapped up the DRC when I saw that Dundurn had made it available on Net Galley, so I read it free in exchange for an honest review. This title will be available to the public this Saturday, July 30.
A body has been found in Rice Lake, and there are witnesses that saw Major Howell and his wife Ellen, the woman in the blue dress, near the scene of the crime “in the right place at more or less the right time”. In the Canada that existed back then, that was enough to put Mrs. Howell in jail; her husband would be there too, but he is nowhere to be found.
Lewis finds himself drawn toward her case. Is it because he saw bruises on her arm that suggested her spouse may have handled her ungently? Is it because she is lovely, and he wishes she were with him instead? Or is it because Lewis just can’t scratch that legal-eagle itch enough times to be rid of the urge? Likely it’s some of each.
The main draw card here is setting. Kellough has done a good deal of research in laying out both the area around Toronto during its frontier period. The result is a historical mystery with a travelogue feel to it. Kellough takes us to a time and place nobody can visit anymore except through literature, and she does a great job of it. She includes a lot of interesting details about the history of the Canadian legal system that drew my attention, because it was very different from what those of us raised in the US have come to expect. I found this aspect of it fascinating.
I also really enjoyed the part played by the little dog, Digger. I wouldn’t care to see him start solving crimes, but I hope we see him again in a future installment.
The only weak part is—perhaps unfortunately—at the beginning. There is so much of Thaddeus’s inner narrative, so much soul searching and comparison of beliefs among the various Protestant denominations that if I had not read Kellough’s work before, I would have wondered if I had inadvertently stumbled across Christian fiction. In fact, my notes show that at one part I wondered anyway.
Yet in another way, if there has to be a slow part, let it be at the beginning. And it’s clear that Kellough is not attempting to put together a thriller that grabs the reader by the throat, but rather is treating us to a relaxing story that one may take to the hammock and flop down with.
Nevertheless, by the time all the groundwork has been laid, it is a hard book to put down.
So this is your beach read. Take it to the shore, to the mountains, to the river, or even your own back yard, but don’t cheat yourself by passing it by. You can have it this weekend, and those that enjoy both historical fiction and mystery wrapped up at once are in for a treat.
A body has been found in Rice Lake, and there are witnesses that saw Major Howell and his wife Ellen, the woman in the blue dress, near the scene of the crime “in the right place at more or less the right time”. In the Canada that existed back then, that was enough to put Mrs. Howell in jail; her husband would be there too, but he is nowhere to be found.
Lewis finds himself drawn toward her case. Is it because he saw bruises on her arm that suggested her spouse may have handled her ungently? Is it because she is lovely, and he wishes she were with him instead? Or is it because Lewis just can’t scratch that legal-eagle itch enough times to be rid of the urge? Likely it’s some of each.
The main draw card here is setting. Kellough has done a good deal of research in laying out both the area around Toronto during its frontier period. The result is a historical mystery with a travelogue feel to it. Kellough takes us to a time and place nobody can visit anymore except through literature, and she does a great job of it. She includes a lot of interesting details about the history of the Canadian legal system that drew my attention, because it was very different from what those of us raised in the US have come to expect. I found this aspect of it fascinating.
I also really enjoyed the part played by the little dog, Digger. I wouldn’t care to see him start solving crimes, but I hope we see him again in a future installment.
The only weak part is—perhaps unfortunately—at the beginning. There is so much of Thaddeus’s inner narrative, so much soul searching and comparison of beliefs among the various Protestant denominations that if I had not read Kellough’s work before, I would have wondered if I had inadvertently stumbled across Christian fiction. In fact, my notes show that at one part I wondered anyway.
Yet in another way, if there has to be a slow part, let it be at the beginning. And it’s clear that Kellough is not attempting to put together a thriller that grabs the reader by the throat, but rather is treating us to a relaxing story that one may take to the hammock and flop down with.
Nevertheless, by the time all the groundwork has been laid, it is a hard book to put down.
So this is your beach read. Take it to the shore, to the mountains, to the river, or even your own back yard, but don’t cheat yourself by passing it by. You can have it this weekend, and those that enjoy both historical fiction and mystery wrapped up at once are in for a treat.
July 29, 2016
Historical, factual and sometimes dry but still intriguing I have to say I did enjoy this book. I have not read the first four books in the series and found this story able to stand alone.
My first thought when reading was, “This is slow.”
Second thought was, “There is a lot of religion in this story.”
Third thought was, “Martha, at fifteen, is much more mature than most fifteen year olds.
Fourth thought was, “The action really begins in the last third of the book.
Fifth thought was, “I wonder what happens in book six?
Thaddeus is a saddlebag preacher who rides from meeting to meeting for the Methodist church. It sounds like he has not always been a man of God but became one at some point when he met the woman who would be his wife. His life has not been easy and most of his female family members are deceased. His granddaughter takes care of him. He has had many adventures in life and loves to solve mysteries. In this story he sees someone that reminds him of his deceased wife and is intrigued enough to assist her legally. There are mysteries to solve, an accused murderer to exonerate, a few people with romance on their minds and at least two people that will need to figure out what to do with their future.
I enjoyed the book and am glad I did not give up on it in the beginning. It is slow at first but does pick up. The author states she is a storyteller and the book is “told” by the author rather than “experienced” by the characters in the book. There was quite a bit of historical information imparted through the story so if you want to know more about the railroad, Canadian law in the 1800’s, what religion and life were like in the past this book might be one you will enjoy. If you want action-packed, seat of the pants, fast paced suspense then this is not a book you will enjoy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn for the copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
My first thought when reading was, “This is slow.”
Second thought was, “There is a lot of religion in this story.”
Third thought was, “Martha, at fifteen, is much more mature than most fifteen year olds.
Fourth thought was, “The action really begins in the last third of the book.
Fifth thought was, “I wonder what happens in book six?
Thaddeus is a saddlebag preacher who rides from meeting to meeting for the Methodist church. It sounds like he has not always been a man of God but became one at some point when he met the woman who would be his wife. His life has not been easy and most of his female family members are deceased. His granddaughter takes care of him. He has had many adventures in life and loves to solve mysteries. In this story he sees someone that reminds him of his deceased wife and is intrigued enough to assist her legally. There are mysteries to solve, an accused murderer to exonerate, a few people with romance on their minds and at least two people that will need to figure out what to do with their future.
I enjoyed the book and am glad I did not give up on it in the beginning. It is slow at first but does pick up. The author states she is a storyteller and the book is “told” by the author rather than “experienced” by the characters in the book. There was quite a bit of historical information imparted through the story so if you want to know more about the railroad, Canadian law in the 1800’s, what religion and life were like in the past this book might be one you will enjoy. If you want action-packed, seat of the pants, fast paced suspense then this is not a book you will enjoy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn for the copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
June 15, 2016
This is a murder mystery historical fiction set in 19th century Canada, in the town of Cobourg on the shore of Lake Ontario.
I thought the story did a good job of transporting the reader into the period, of conveying how different life was, and how different the legal system was. Of particular note is how Janet Kellough highlights the place of women in society during the period of this story, and through the character of Martha (Thaddeus' granddaughter), brings up issues of gender equality.
This is one in a series of murder mystery books featuring Thaddeus Lewis, a circuit preacher. In this book he has just accepted what is probably going to be his final assignment. Even though it is part of a series, I do think it is sufficiently standalone. It makes references to earlier stories, but I was able to enjoy the book without having details of these priors.
There is little in the way of suspense or thriller components. Readers who prefer their mystery works without them should find this book to their liking. I found enough unexpected twists to find this book engaging and enjoyable.
(This ARC was supplied by the publisher through NetGalley.)
I thought the story did a good job of transporting the reader into the period, of conveying how different life was, and how different the legal system was. Of particular note is how Janet Kellough highlights the place of women in society during the period of this story, and through the character of Martha (Thaddeus' granddaughter), brings up issues of gender equality.
This is one in a series of murder mystery books featuring Thaddeus Lewis, a circuit preacher. In this book he has just accepted what is probably going to be his final assignment. Even though it is part of a series, I do think it is sufficiently standalone. It makes references to earlier stories, but I was able to enjoy the book without having details of these priors.
There is little in the way of suspense or thriller components. Readers who prefer their mystery works without them should find this book to their liking. I found enough unexpected twists to find this book engaging and enjoyable.
(This ARC was supplied by the publisher through NetGalley.)
May 28, 2016
I think this book was ok. I had a hard time getting into it. This is my first book in this series, so I'm not sure if that was the reason I couldn't get into it.
I'd like to thank NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I'd like to thank NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
February 14, 2024
Wishful Seeing: A Thaddeus Lewis Mystery Book 5 by Janet Kellough
304 Pages
Publisher: Dundurn, Dundurn Press
Release Date: August 23, 2016
Fiction (Adult), General Fiction (Adult), Mystery, Thrillers
It is 1853 in Northumberland Country, Canada West. Ellen Howell is on trial for the murder of Paul Sherman, a railroad executive. No one knows how he got on the isolated island and Ellen denies shooting him. There is a dodgy land deal and counterfeit money. After Ellen was arrested, her husband, George, goes missing. Her dress was found soaking with what looked like blood and she has bruises on her body.
Thaddeus Lewis is the local saddlebag Methodist minister who travels around attending meetings. His young associate, James Small, is infatuated with Thaddeus’ fifteen-year-old granddaughter, Martha, but the feelings are not reciprocated. He begins visiting Ellen which makes people question his actions. He has been known to conduct his own investigations and this time is no different.
The story has a steady but building pace, the characters were developed, and it was written in the third person point of view. The author has a descriptive writing style that makes the reader feel a part of the story. If you are a fan of the Murdoch Mysteries, you will enjoy this book.
304 Pages
Publisher: Dundurn, Dundurn Press
Release Date: August 23, 2016
Fiction (Adult), General Fiction (Adult), Mystery, Thrillers
It is 1853 in Northumberland Country, Canada West. Ellen Howell is on trial for the murder of Paul Sherman, a railroad executive. No one knows how he got on the isolated island and Ellen denies shooting him. There is a dodgy land deal and counterfeit money. After Ellen was arrested, her husband, George, goes missing. Her dress was found soaking with what looked like blood and she has bruises on her body.
Thaddeus Lewis is the local saddlebag Methodist minister who travels around attending meetings. His young associate, James Small, is infatuated with Thaddeus’ fifteen-year-old granddaughter, Martha, but the feelings are not reciprocated. He begins visiting Ellen which makes people question his actions. He has been known to conduct his own investigations and this time is no different.
The story has a steady but building pace, the characters were developed, and it was written in the third person point of view. The author has a descriptive writing style that makes the reader feel a part of the story. If you are a fan of the Murdoch Mysteries, you will enjoy this book.
August 3, 2017
A cozy mystery about a circuit riding Methodist Episcopal preacher with a bent to solving mysteries set in the Cobourg, Ontario area c1853. A woman is charged with a murder and Thaddeus Lewis is sure she is innocent. The trial is contemporaneous with the ill-fated Cobourg to Peterborough RR and all the excitement it generated before the bridge across Rice Lake collapsed.
The author gives us a rich view of the background of the area, places that current residents of Northumberland County will be familiar with, how the courts worked, and much more.
The author gives us a rich view of the background of the area, places that current residents of Northumberland County will be familiar with, how the courts worked, and much more.
June 13, 2018
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway.
Stories set before modern times are not typically in my wheelhouse and as expected it took some effort to get out of the "why can't he just call" modern mentality when reading this. The mystery in the story is interesting though a touch convoluted. The characters were interesting and seemed well thought out. A good quick mystery read for vacation or a longer commute.
3.5 stars.
Stories set before modern times are not typically in my wheelhouse and as expected it took some effort to get out of the "why can't he just call" modern mentality when reading this. The mystery in the story is interesting though a touch convoluted. The characters were interesting and seemed well thought out. A good quick mystery read for vacation or a longer commute.
3.5 stars.
January 1, 2024
This was recommended to me because I am familiar with the area that is written about. I enjoyed it, but thought there might have been a bit more historical information about the railroad and who would have used it. I really liked the main character and his granddaughter. I would suggest anyone familiar with Rice Lake, Ontario, and area, spend a couple of days reading this mystery. #1443
March 27, 2018
Never read a book in this series before. A gentle murder mystery with a lovely cast of characters. Not one for you if you're looking for a thriller.
June 8, 2021
3.5 Feel good historical mystery series. This one set in Peterborough and Rice Lake area of Ontario in 1853.
January 18, 2022
set in 1853 Cobourg
September 19, 2016
What a great book about the continuing adventures of Thaddeus Lewis! I love the history, I love the geographical area and I am pretty darn fond of Thaddeus and all his family. I think this is the most enjoyable who-dun-it of the series, I was never quite sure what was a red herring and what was a clue. More...I want more.
September 30, 2016
An intriguing look at the Canadian communicate of Couburg and the surrounding land in 1857. The railroad is coming and everyone is determined to make their fortune. Then a man is found dead and the wife of the suspect is arrested and tried for murder. She had caught the attention of the saddlebag minister, who pulls strings to find a lawyer for her. I enjoyed the story even though it wasn't particularly complicated. But what I really enjoyed was learning about the Candian frontier's legal system and a glimpse into the religious life of pioneers.
September 4, 2016
As a Methodist, I am well aware of the days of circuit riding ministers. Thaddeus Lewis is close to retirement, but accepts a circuit in Canada where he can have an assistant and live in a manse. During one of his camp meetings, he encounters a woman to whom he is strangely attracted. When she is accused of murder, Lewis cannot remain on the sidelines. Excellent place setting and interesting history of a time and place with which I was not familiar, rural Canada during the 19th century.
Read
August 30, 2016Another great Thaddeus Lewis mystery set in pre-Confederation Ontario. Janet Kellough really knows her stuff! And Thaddeus's granddaughter Martha is a wonderful, bright young woman, and I hope to see more of her in the next book.
December 16, 2015
Great new edition to this series!
October 9, 2016
Excellent! !
April 28, 2017
Enjoyed the read .
April 29, 2017
In the fifth Thaddeus Lewis mystery, the saddlebag preacher is assisted by his grand daughter Martha
in solving another murder set amidst the Railway Bubble that engrossed Upper Canada in the 1850's.
in solving another murder set amidst the Railway Bubble that engrossed Upper Canada in the 1850's.
Want to read
October 31, 20181.) On The Head Of A Pin
2.) Sowing Poison
3.) 47 Sorrows
4.) The Burying Ground
5.) Wishful Seeing
6.) The Heart Balm Tort
2.) Sowing Poison
3.) 47 Sorrows
4.) The Burying Ground
5.) Wishful Seeing
6.) The Heart Balm Tort
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews