Someone to Watch Over Me

Grace & Favor #3

by Jill Churchill

Lily Brewster and her brother Robert were living high on the hog in Manhattan until the Crash of '29 took the family fortune south. Abruptly penniless, they have taken up residence in their late great-uncle Horatio's upstate estate on the banks of the Hudson and are slowly getting used to small-town life. But while tearing down a dilapidated ice house on the property, Robert inadvertently stumbles upon a well-dressed, mummified human corpse, the obvious victim of foul play. And as Lily works hand-in-hand with the disarmingly attractive Chief of Police howard Walker on the local front and Robert pursues the Manhattan connection in search of their well-heeled John Doe's identity, a second dead body turns up to complicate an already complexly murderous matter -- tying the Brewsters up in a knotty mess of deception and betrayal ... and leaving them dangerously exposed to the watchful eyes of a killer.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Historical, Mystery Thriller

260 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

A pseudonym used by Janice Young Brooks.

Jill Churchill, winner of the Agatha and Macavity Mystery Readers Awards, and nominated for an Anthony for her best-selling Jane Jeffry series, lives as Jane does, in a midwestern suburb. On purpose! She says writing this series and the Grace and Favor series is the best treat she can have without a knife and fork.

Under her real name, Janice Young Brooks, and various pseudonyms, she's written historical novels, a gothic novel, and a history textbook as well as many articles for newspapers and magazines. When she's not writing, she's avidly doing genealogy which she says is a lot like mysteries with all the red herrings, clues, speculations, and surprises.

She gardens enthusiastically, needlepoints superbly, and plays a mean game of gin against the computer. She has a son and daughter and two granddaughters, Rose Louise and Emma. Janice is currently in a battle of supremacy with her cat Max.

Reviews

[Nate Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mystery and story part was fun, but I especially enjoyed the historical part of the book.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book the best of all the Grace and Favor books. The author enlightened me to even more of 1930's history, such as The Bonus Army, the despicable actions of Hoover and MacArthur (yes, THAT MacArthur) with the somewhat unwilling participation of Eisenhower as well. (this last bit I found out while researching the Bonus Army and the horrid things they went thru due to the mistreatment and disregard of the government...sound familiar?)

Of all of Jill Churchill's books, this one I most recommend. This one has a period of our history that we forgot and need to remember, especially during our own time of war today. We need to make sure, irregardless of our own opinions of the war- for or against- that those that fight and defend us in the USA and other places are treated with respect and dignity and taken care of when they return.

Blurb from Author's Site:

SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME
Lily and Robert each have a murder to solve. Robert’s is discovered when he’s got helpers taking down the old ice house in the woods to reuse the wood. It’s an almost mummified body of a well-dressed man. Robert can’t stand not knowing how and when and why he got there.

Meanwhile, Lily is at the Voorburg Ladies League meeting when Police Chief Walker arrives to tell one of the other women her husband’s been killed. Lily is determined to get to the bottom of this before the Police Chief can.

While lots of people’s old secrets are revealed and picked apart by the brother and the sister, Jack Summer has gone to take a first hand look at the Bonus March going on in Washington D.C. and gets into the thick of the horror there.

There are some surprising twists and turns as all three stories are resolved.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like other Jill Churchill books I've read, the "mystery" in this story reads almost like an afterthought. It is an engaging story full of interesting details about life during the depression, but the resolution to the mystery seems anticlimactic. Also like other Churchill books, the secondary characters seemed to be more fully developed than the main characters - at least you get a better sense of their personalities. I would read more in this series only to see how those main characters develop... it's a shame this development apparently has to happen over several novels.

[Kimberly Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 3rd in the Grace & Favor series which I am mostly (#2 has not yet arrived) reading in order (Don't Faint).

Robert & Lily are settling into Grace & Favor Cottage (manor) nicely. Robert has decided to do some work around the estate & begins w/ the tearing down of the Ice House.... The door which once held the key is now locked & the key is gone forcing Robert to take the door from the hinges.

Inside the Ice House Robert and the Harbinger brothers find the mummified body of a man in a very expensive tailored suit.... the quest to identify the man & his murderer begins with Robert going to Manhattan & seeking out the tailor.

Meanwhile, Lily has joined the local do-gooders Ladies League and helps the local police chief make inquiries around the town.

These are very enjoyable historical mysteries: the characters are likable, intelligent, & enterprising. The story line is not overly improbable rather easy to read & entertaining.

Interestingly enough, the author gives us quite a bit of national political history, what I learned about Herbert Hoover really dismayed & disturbed me, especially the veterans' march on D.C. and the u.s. military terrorist attacks on them by President Hoover, General MacArthur, Major Eisenhower, & Patton.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The series is set in New York State in the years following the financial disaster of 1929, this one is in the summer of 1932.
There are a couple of decent mysteries going on, and the depiction of the difficulties faced by law enforcement of the time should serve as reminders of how far we've come in that regard.
For me, the most notable segments dealt with the Bonus Army and the March on Washington. The basis was the legal promise made to the veterans of WWI to pay a financial bonus to each of them in 1945. As the country was deep into a depression and people were without jobs or resources, they needed the money now, but Hoover had his head in the sand and not only denied them the money, but denied that the country really was in need. When men and families were so desperate that they camped out in tents and packing crates across from the senate, at one point Hoover sent MacArthur, Eisenhower, and Patton on horseback with drawn swords and tear gas to remove the children, women, and men, many of whom had nowhere to go due to foreclosures.
The historical facts check out, but are presented in the context of fictional persons.

[Terry Southard · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick little "mystery" - in quotation marks because the mystery isn't really even the biggest part of the book. It's more about the townspeople and their attempts to deal with life in the midst of the Depression.

When I started the book, for the first few chapters I was completely unimpressed, but it grew on me toward the middle and I ended up enjoying it for what it was - a quick read. I needed something light and this fit the bill. While I wouldn't necessarily seek out the next one in the series, if I happened upon it I would probably read it.

[Tiffany E-P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another series I’m pretty sure I read years ago. Unfortunately this one mentioned Hooverville and the US government setting the military on veterans who camped out in DC and Maryland while waiting for Congress to authorize payment of bonuses they had been promised. Scary that right now in 2026, the president mulls over whether to declare martial law on citizens speaking up and protesting his regime. While Americans were starving and living through depressing hard times, Hoover was denying that there were any issues. Gee, who does that sound like? “Affordability is a hoax.”

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for an extra challenge prompt for 52booksclub, and found it to be quite enjoyable. A brother and sister - Robert and Lily Brewster - who were once wealthy, now lived in their uncle's mansion after the Crash of 1929. Robert finds a man's mummified body in the old icehouse, and soon after that another man's body was found in the woods. New to the community, the Brewsters tried to help the police chief solve the mysteries.

[Karen Marchello · Rating 2 out of 5]

So so. The author is more detailed in describing the characters, setting and relationships than actually building suspense or even giving a hint, even a misguided one. Easy reading to be sure, but not at the top of my list.

[Cathie Murphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't not like this book period. It was weird. To be honest, I couldn't even get all the way through it. I find it disturbing that a sister is calling her brother "darling." You've got to be kidding. It just seem to odd and strange.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute cozy mystery! I like the time period, the story kept my interest. I enjoy stories set on the East Coast, particularly the tri-state area. I would read more of this series.

[Sadie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favorite of the first 3, so far!

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 - Didn't Like It

[Linda Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this sweet book. Easy reading and very light. Not sure where the title came from…..

[Sylvia Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this story. It was interesting to view the 1930's through a modern perspective. I enjoyed the interactions of the characters.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A library find.

[Xyra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this mystery. Historical mysteries are interesting. Looking forward to reading more.

[Benedetta777 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great second book

[Graculus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the next in the series of books set in 1930's small town America, following on from In the Still of the Night, and after their ill-fated attempt to make money by organising a houseparty, Robert and Lily Brewster decide that the best way to make a living is to get themselves more involved in their local community. They also, finally, decide to own up to the fact they're as poor as churchmice, despite the fancy house where they're living, because of the terms of their uncle's will.

Getting involved in the demolition of an abandoned icehouse, taken apart for the timber, Robert finds a well-preserved body. Meanwhile, Lily is making friends with the local quilting group and Jack Summer, the editor of the local paper, is off in New York trying to see what the locals are doing to get work. It's a trying experience for Jack, at least, as the realities of national politics start to bite.

It's an entertaining read, as were the previous volumes, although Churchill didn't quite do a good enough job of misleading me so I couldn't guess the identity of the mysterious body in the icehouse. The series continues with Love for Sale.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is #3 in a Grace and Favor Mystery.

I loved this book because it talked about the march on Washington during the depression. It made mention of Herbert Hoover and also some of the Generals of that time and what they did to the protesters.

The mystery of the two dead bodies was minor in my book compared to what was going on during that era. Ms. Churchill gives a good depiction of the style of the times as well as how many of the people went without things because of not being able to find jobs or provide for their families.

I am giving this one 5 out of 5 stars because I loved it!

[Miriam Roush · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third of the Grace and Favor mysteries and a very enjoyable read. I didn’t remember much about the “Bonus Army” but what I read in “Someone to Watch Over Me” led me to do some research. There are some definite parallels between what happened then to what happened in more recent history to protestors who came to Washington, DC seeking to be heard. I definitely appreciate fiction writing with elements of history that give the reader an accurate look back to another time. This book does just that in addition to offering likable characters and several mysteries that are solved in a satisfying way. I will definitely read the next books in this series.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always a sucker for books set in the Great Depression, and this light-hearted (mostly) mystery series is no exception. This third in a series deals with some much more serious problems, namely, the Bonus Marchers and Hoover's response to them. Although that plot point is only tangentially related to one of the murders in the book, the description of the encampment on Anacostia Flats is excellent. Although this is definitely a "cozy" mystery, there's a lot more to it than most of its ilk. Highly recommended.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really beginning to fall in love with these Grace and Favor mysteries. The characters are interesting and the mysteries are just part of the story; these weren't too hard to figure out. I really enjoy the historical background and the tales of people surviving any way they can during the depression. There is a lot about that period in history that I don't know. The information about the Bonus Expeditionary Force was very enlightening as well.

[Gigi Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read by Ms. Churchill, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a fiction novel, but she had some historical facts in it about some things that happened during the time President Hoover was President in 1932. I found that interesting and had to pull up the incident on WiKipedia and read more about what it was all about.

There were two mysteries and it was fun to follow Lily and Robert to the conclusion and seeing how they figured out who the guilty parties were.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

bk 3 of series, set in 1932. A mummified body is found in an abandoned ice house, and a fresh body is found in the woods. Meanwhile, the local newspaper editor goes to Washington, D.C. to observe the Bonus Army of veterans who want their promised retirement money. Local mysteries and national news. Interesting reminder of something we tend to forget. Recommended.
Perhaps especially resonant right now with the current veterans' problems.

[Joanna]

I read this several years ago and was fascinated by the title, a Gershwin tune, and the time period. I had forgotten much of the detail but although this is a "cozy" mystery it deals with some terrifically serious subjects. The Depression of the 1930's to start with,and the two murders in the book as well as the Bonus March on Washington. What a miserable event! Anyway, for the 2nd time I really like this story and the characters at Grace and Favor Cottage.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A continuation of the series set during the 1930s USA depression. The two siblings Lily and Robert continue to live at their soon-to-be inherited estate near the Hudson River. As they do more for themselves on the estate, they discover a body in the old ice house. The mystery begins accompanied by stories of the local drifters down on their luck. This is an interesting historical read with a little romance and mystery attached.

[Mailis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does not have that feeling of exciting urgency some of the mysteries manage to convey with their plot lines, but nevertheless is an interesting read from an age quite different from ours. For a while it takes on dimensions of historical fiction with the American war veterans campaign and subsequent events.

[Kyrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this series as much as I'd enjoyed the Jane Jeffry's ones, but I just can't get into this era of history or really care about former flappers. I relate more to the regular folks who are trying to stretch their gardens. Anyhow, it's not a bad tale about two corpses in the river, it's just not that exciting either.

[Sage · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in the series. I listen to these, getting them from TALKING BOOKS of Nevada. Combing the reader's talent with the author's made for an excellent read. I love the sibling sleuths. The plot was straightforward this time whereas I was unable to follow the storyline at all in the second book.