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Santa Fe Revival Mystery #1
Santa Fe Mourning
Perfect for fans of Victoria Thompson and Rhys Bowen, brilliant new heroine Maddie Vaughn-Alwin makes her daring debut in the first Santa Fe Revival mystery, discovering that speakeasies concealed more than just liquor.
When aspiring painter Madeline Vaughn-Alwin’s childhood sweetheart dies in the Great War, she leaves her wealthy New York family behind to travel across the country. Headed for California, Maddie instead stops in Santa Fe, New Mexico, believing she’s found her new spiritual home. She decides to hire a family, the Anayas, to help her out around her new adobe cottage home, but then the father is found murdered outside a speakeasy.
The police are negligent, believing it’s just another inebriated Indian finding trouble for himself, so Maddie decides to take on the case herself. But as she dives in, she realizes the Anayas’ marriage was not what it seemed and the family was beset with confrontations. And just as she’s about to stumble upon the truth, the autopsy reveals that the alibis for her roundtable of suspects don’t hold up.
New in a town of eclectic personalities, it’s up to Maddie to figure out who she can and can’t trust before it’s too late in Santa Fe Mourning, a richly detailed debut by Amanda Allen.
When aspiring painter Madeline Vaughn-Alwin’s childhood sweetheart dies in the Great War, she leaves her wealthy New York family behind to travel across the country. Headed for California, Maddie instead stops in Santa Fe, New Mexico, believing she’s found her new spiritual home. She decides to hire a family, the Anayas, to help her out around her new adobe cottage home, but then the father is found murdered outside a speakeasy.
The police are negligent, believing it’s just another inebriated Indian finding trouble for himself, so Maddie decides to take on the case herself. But as she dives in, she realizes the Anayas’ marriage was not what it seemed and the family was beset with confrontations. And just as she’s about to stumble upon the truth, the autopsy reveals that the alibis for her roundtable of suspects don’t hold up.
New in a town of eclectic personalities, it’s up to Maddie to figure out who she can and can’t trust before it’s too late in Santa Fe Mourning, a richly detailed debut by Amanda Allen.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published March 13, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
March 20, 2018
3.5 stars for this entertaining start to a new series.
Pluses go to the unusual setting--Santa Fe, NM is the early 1920s. The growing art community makes for an interesting background. Our heroine, Maddie Alwin, is a young widow and aspiring painter, who is fairly new to Santa Fe, but slowly putting down roots. I liked her. The rest of the characters are rather sketchily presented in this first book, but I expect them to be fleshed out as the series continues.
The mystery was a good one, even though I knew who the baddie was before the big reveal, the 'why' was a bit murky until the end.
The writing was a bit clunky in places, which was a touch surprising, as the author has a number of books to her credit. (She writes historical romances as Amanda McCabe and Elizabethan mysteries as Amanda Carmack) However, the occasional repetitions of information already given (a pet peeve of mine) weren't annoying enough to spoil my enjoyment of the book.
I was looking for an easy, entertaining way to spend a few hours and that's what I got. I'll be on the lookout for the next one.
Not that it really matters, but my aging eyes really appreciated the generous font size in the hardback edition. Another factor that made it an easy read!
Pluses go to the unusual setting--Santa Fe, NM is the early 1920s. The growing art community makes for an interesting background. Our heroine, Maddie Alwin, is a young widow and aspiring painter, who is fairly new to Santa Fe, but slowly putting down roots. I liked her. The rest of the characters are rather sketchily presented in this first book, but I expect them to be fleshed out as the series continues.
The mystery was a good one, even though I knew who the baddie was before the big reveal, the 'why' was a bit murky until the end.
The writing was a bit clunky in places, which was a touch surprising, as the author has a number of books to her credit. (She writes historical romances as Amanda McCabe and Elizabethan mysteries as Amanda Carmack) However, the occasional repetitions of information already given (a pet peeve of mine) weren't annoying enough to spoil my enjoyment of the book.
I was looking for an easy, entertaining way to spend a few hours and that's what I got. I'll be on the lookout for the next one.
Not that it really matters, but my aging eyes really appreciated the generous font size in the hardback edition. Another factor that made it an easy read!
February 26, 2018
The main reason why I liked this historical mystery that I won through Goodreads giveaways is because it took place in Santa Fe in the 1920's. I like reading books that take place in New Mexico because it's a very lovely setting and it's interesting from a cultural standpoint. I don't think I've read about New Mexico in the 1920's before.
For the first time in some time I'm posting a Goodreads giveaway book review ahead of publication. As usual, this is an honest review.
Madeline Vaughn-Alwin known as Maddie to her friends, is the protagonist and amateur detective. She is an artist escaping from her wealthy New York family's expectations. At the outset, I found her sympathetic. I would have found her more interesting if there had been any space devoted to her artistic process. I love reading about painters. So there isn't much about art, and I'm afraid Maddie isn't a very good detective. She may have escaped her family, but she hasn't escaped the cliches that cause mystery afficionados to lambast amateur detectives.
Of course she stumbles over the body of the victim who happens to be the husband of her housekeeper. Then she can't solve the case without engaging in behavior that discerning readers will call TSTL (Too Stupid To Live). I wish that was my only criticism, but the author tries to make her seem less TSTL by bringing in some background which makes matters worse because it's not believable. The specific details are spoilers.
I was interested in learning about the Pueblo family that lives with Maddie. I did some research and found that Amanda Allen was portraying them authentically as far as I could determine. So she did her homework on the Pueblos and on historical Santa Fe. There is a bibliography included with the author's note. If you're interested in those aspects, you may enjoy this book. Unfortunately, it's not really for people who like well-constructed mysteries.
For the first time in some time I'm posting a Goodreads giveaway book review ahead of publication. As usual, this is an honest review.
Madeline Vaughn-Alwin known as Maddie to her friends, is the protagonist and amateur detective. She is an artist escaping from her wealthy New York family's expectations. At the outset, I found her sympathetic. I would have found her more interesting if there had been any space devoted to her artistic process. I love reading about painters. So there isn't much about art, and I'm afraid Maddie isn't a very good detective. She may have escaped her family, but she hasn't escaped the cliches that cause mystery afficionados to lambast amateur detectives.
Of course she stumbles over the body of the victim who happens to be the husband of her housekeeper. Then she can't solve the case without engaging in behavior that discerning readers will call TSTL (Too Stupid To Live). I wish that was my only criticism, but the author tries to make her seem less TSTL by bringing in some background which makes matters worse because it's not believable. The specific details are spoilers.
I was interested in learning about the Pueblo family that lives with Maddie. I did some research and found that Amanda Allen was portraying them authentically as far as I could determine. So she did her homework on the Pueblos and on historical Santa Fe. There is a bibliography included with the author's note. If you're interested in those aspects, you may enjoy this book. Unfortunately, it's not really for people who like well-constructed mysteries.
September 5, 2020
Very much enjoyed the location of the story. It is set in Santa Fe 1922. The main character is a widow who has moved to Santa Fe to get away from her family. She is a painter who becomes in a murder case since the victim is know to her as the husband of her housekeeper. The victim and his family are Native Americans and subject to the assumptions in place in 1922. The book was a quick easy read.
April 10, 2018
I liked the setting, an artist's community in Santa Fe during the prohibition era. It was poorly written though, no character development and the author is repetitive with some details and information about the characters, and yet is sparing with descriptions of Santa Fe. I'm glad I picked this up at the library and didn't pay for it. It did make me want to read more about Santa Fe of that era.
April 27, 2022
I love reading books set in places I've visited. Having recently been in Santa Fe myself, I was delighted to find this book available at Left Coast Crime.
Madeline Alwin came to Santa Fe, like so many other artists before her, for the light. Her husband died during WWI, and she's part of the up-and-coming artistic set in town now. Her household includes a Puebloan woman, Juanita, and her children; Juanita's husband, Tomas, isn't around much. Madeline also has friends in town, like novelist Gunther and La Fonda maitre d' Anton, so she doesn't feel lonely. And she's very much attracted to David Cole, the new doctor in town.
But things go awry when Tomas' body is found in an alleyway behind La Fonda, and Madeline receives a threatening note warning her not to investigate. Next thing we know, Tomas and Juanita's son, Eddie, is in jail after being charged with his father's murder.
Needless to say, she pays the note very little heed ... and goes on trying to prove Eddie's innocence.
The book is peopled with historical figures and situations, and shows the prejudice against the Puebloan people to great effect. The characters are complex and well-drawn, and we see the more liberal/reform leanings of Madeline and her circle clearly.
This is an excellent start to a series, and I plan to read more of it. Nicely done!
Madeline Alwin came to Santa Fe, like so many other artists before her, for the light. Her husband died during WWI, and she's part of the up-and-coming artistic set in town now. Her household includes a Puebloan woman, Juanita, and her children; Juanita's husband, Tomas, isn't around much. Madeline also has friends in town, like novelist Gunther and La Fonda maitre d' Anton, so she doesn't feel lonely. And she's very much attracted to David Cole, the new doctor in town.
But things go awry when Tomas' body is found in an alleyway behind La Fonda, and Madeline receives a threatening note warning her not to investigate. Next thing we know, Tomas and Juanita's son, Eddie, is in jail after being charged with his father's murder.
Needless to say, she pays the note very little heed ... and goes on trying to prove Eddie's innocence.
The book is peopled with historical figures and situations, and shows the prejudice against the Puebloan people to great effect. The characters are complex and well-drawn, and we see the more liberal/reform leanings of Madeline and her circle clearly.
This is an excellent start to a series, and I plan to read more of it. Nicely done!
January 6, 2019
Solid first cozy set in one of my favorite cities in the world. I'll look for #2.
January 9, 2024
Fun mystery set in 1920's Santa Fe.
August 17, 2021
Superb historical mystery!
Vividly painted character of a young in the 1920’s finding her creative self. One feels like we’ve truly visited the Santa Fe places brought to life by the author.
Vividly painted character of a young in the 1920’s finding her creative self. One feels like we’ve truly visited the Santa Fe places brought to life by the author.
May 29, 2019
1920's Santa Fe, NM and charming characters make this a fun cozy mystery. The author draws on the history and culture of the southwest to portray it as another character. I thought the writing was a bit clumsy but the author was obviously enjoying her creation!
I mistakenly read the second book first and so enjoyed it I went back for the first in this delightful new series. I look forward to more adventures with "Senora Maddie".
I mistakenly read the second book first and so enjoyed it I went back for the first in this delightful new series. I look forward to more adventures with "Senora Maddie".
July 11, 2018
Formula fiction. Stock characters. Label is "mystery" but model seems to be closer to historical romance. Set in Santa Fe in the 1920's. Some good use of the place, but major inaccuracies in describing Pueblo people and the state art museum (got the opening date wrong--twice). All that being said, this writer probably makes a decent living doing this and has readers who enjoy it. All for the good.
August 21, 2018
Listened to this on Audible and absolutely loved it. As a frequent visitor to SF, I loved knowing exactly where the different scenes took place, that’s how vivid the descriptions were.
March 14, 2018
SANTA FE MOURNING, the first book in the Santa Fe Revival Mystery series, is a strong debut full of 1920’s swag and intrigue set against an enchanting New Mexico backdrop.
Maddie leaves her aristocratic New York home and family after the death of her husband during the war. Initially headed to California, she is captivated with Santa Fe, New Mexico, and sets up her new home in the heart of the small town filled with artists and black sheep. Just like larger cities of the era, bootlegging is big business, and the Santa Fe social scene certainly enjoys their libations. When Maddie stubbles across her gardener’s body, she immediately feels there is more to what seems to be a beating gone too far. The local police are quick to write Tomas’s death off as an “Indian issue”, but when Tomas’s son Eddie is arrested for the crime, Maddie is compelled to uncover the truth…for Tomas, his wife Juanita, who is Maddie’s housekeeper, and Eddie’s sake. This leads her down a path to the unseemly secrets of her adopted home town.
I really enjoyed SANTA FE MOURNING. I am captivated, just as Maddie is, with the beauty of Santa Fe. I have visited the city several times over the years, and author Amanda Allen’s love of the area shines through. It makes a wonderful backdrop for the series. The tensions between the Native Americans, Caucasians, and the Hispanics provide plenty of fodder. Additionally, in the early 1920’s, New Mexico has only been a state for a decade or so and lingering Wild West mentalities are still strong.
Maddie makes a delightful protagonist. She is likable, big hearted, and her artistic nature makes her an observant sleuth. Her dedication to Tomas’s family really makes the investigation matter to readers. She does occasionally make some rash decisions, making her teeter on the edge of TSTL, but overall, she is earnest. Doctor Cole is my favorite character, an honest, steady man with his own secrets. I hope we learn them all as the series goes on. Maddie’s neighbor Gunther makes a wonderful contrast to Doctor Cole, and his droll humor makes him leap off the page.
SANTA FE MORNING is a nice addition to the historical mystery genre, and I look forward to reading Maddie’s further adventures for years to come (I hope). I recommend SANTA FE MOURNING to any fan of historical mysteries and fiction and those interested in the Roaring Twenties and the lingering effects of World War I.
I received an ARC of this title from the author and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.
Maddie leaves her aristocratic New York home and family after the death of her husband during the war. Initially headed to California, she is captivated with Santa Fe, New Mexico, and sets up her new home in the heart of the small town filled with artists and black sheep. Just like larger cities of the era, bootlegging is big business, and the Santa Fe social scene certainly enjoys their libations. When Maddie stubbles across her gardener’s body, she immediately feels there is more to what seems to be a beating gone too far. The local police are quick to write Tomas’s death off as an “Indian issue”, but when Tomas’s son Eddie is arrested for the crime, Maddie is compelled to uncover the truth…for Tomas, his wife Juanita, who is Maddie’s housekeeper, and Eddie’s sake. This leads her down a path to the unseemly secrets of her adopted home town.
I really enjoyed SANTA FE MOURNING. I am captivated, just as Maddie is, with the beauty of Santa Fe. I have visited the city several times over the years, and author Amanda Allen’s love of the area shines through. It makes a wonderful backdrop for the series. The tensions between the Native Americans, Caucasians, and the Hispanics provide plenty of fodder. Additionally, in the early 1920’s, New Mexico has only been a state for a decade or so and lingering Wild West mentalities are still strong.
Maddie makes a delightful protagonist. She is likable, big hearted, and her artistic nature makes her an observant sleuth. Her dedication to Tomas’s family really makes the investigation matter to readers. She does occasionally make some rash decisions, making her teeter on the edge of TSTL, but overall, she is earnest. Doctor Cole is my favorite character, an honest, steady man with his own secrets. I hope we learn them all as the series goes on. Maddie’s neighbor Gunther makes a wonderful contrast to Doctor Cole, and his droll humor makes him leap off the page.
SANTA FE MORNING is a nice addition to the historical mystery genre, and I look forward to reading Maddie’s further adventures for years to come (I hope). I recommend SANTA FE MOURNING to any fan of historical mysteries and fiction and those interested in the Roaring Twenties and the lingering effects of World War I.
I received an ARC of this title from the author and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.
November 5, 2018
SANTA FE MOURNING introduces the reader to Madeline Vaughn-Alwin. After her husband was killed in The Great War, Maddie left her wealthy family in New York City and moved to the budding artist society in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she focuses on healing, painting, and beginning a new life. Maddie hires the Anaya family to help her out around her house. Tragedy strikes Maddie’s new home when Tomas Anaya, is found murdered in the alley behind a local speakeasy. The police show little interest in the murder of a local Native American and possible smuggler of illegal alcohol and drugs, and they arrest Tomas’s son and basically close their case. Maddie’s quest to prove Eddie’s innocence takes her into Santa Fe’s criminal underground of smuggling, speakeasies, brothels, and secret tunnels.
The two things that really appealed to me about SANTA FE MOURNING was the location and the time period – Santa Fe, New Mexico, during the Roaring 20s. Allen included a lot of period details, including the slang, people, and locations. The smuggling of illicit alcohol and drugs was a very interesting element. This is the first time I’ve read a novel about bootlegging and smuggling in the southwest, and I found it to be intriguing. I was also fascinated that Maddie’s character was an artist, but I felt that there wasn’t enough included about the up-and-coming artist movement that was taking place in Santa Fe during the 1920s. I also wasn’t that big of a fan of Maddie. Yes, she had a reason to get involved in finding the killer – the victim was Maddie’s housekeeper’s husband, and the police arrested the housekeeper’s son for the murder. Basically Maddie was just a bumbling amateur detective who did too many unbelievable and stupid things to be taken seriously. Maddie’s character was pretty well developed, but the others were mostly 2-Dimensional stock characters. There was a lot of telling, and not enough showing. The mystery, while interesting, wasn’t very well-constructed, and I had the killer pegged from his first appearance.
The two things that really appealed to me about SANTA FE MOURNING was the location and the time period – Santa Fe, New Mexico, during the Roaring 20s. Allen included a lot of period details, including the slang, people, and locations. The smuggling of illicit alcohol and drugs was a very interesting element. This is the first time I’ve read a novel about bootlegging and smuggling in the southwest, and I found it to be intriguing. I was also fascinated that Maddie’s character was an artist, but I felt that there wasn’t enough included about the up-and-coming artist movement that was taking place in Santa Fe during the 1920s. I also wasn’t that big of a fan of Maddie. Yes, she had a reason to get involved in finding the killer – the victim was Maddie’s housekeeper’s husband, and the police arrested the housekeeper’s son for the murder. Basically Maddie was just a bumbling amateur detective who did too many unbelievable and stupid things to be taken seriously. Maddie’s character was pretty well developed, but the others were mostly 2-Dimensional stock characters. There was a lot of telling, and not enough showing. The mystery, while interesting, wasn’t very well-constructed, and I had the killer pegged from his first appearance.
September 19, 2018
The major reason why I chose to read Santa Fe Mourning is its setting of Santa Fe, New Mexico in the 1920s, and in this respect, the book certainly does not disappoint. The landscape comes to life and so does the time period. In the 1920s, Santa Fe was a place where people with lung ailments went for cures-- and where ne'er-do-wells and rich families' "black sheep" went so they wouldn't be an embarrassment. We also get to learn about some of the real-life people who called the place home. All in all, I was given some happy researching to do about the area's history-- and I'm also planning a return trip.
The mystery surrounding the man's death is solid, although I did find whodunit rather easy to deduce. For me, the major downfall of the book is in its characters. Maddie is a strong main character, and her wealthy background does give her an advantage when trying to tease out some of the clues, but the rest of the cast is rather two-dimensional. I was most disappointed in Maddie's love interest-- a handsome British doctor who comes to work at an area hospital. The man has very little to say for himself. The two meet for dinner, but we're told more of what they spoke about than actually hearing their conversation. The doctor helps Maddie out in her investigation, but we don't hear it from him; once again we're told what he discovered. When a character is supposed to be so wonderful, I want to find out for myself, not be told secondhand, and I would imagine many readers feel the same way.
So... I have a dilemma. Do I read the next book in the series because I love the setting and the time period so much? Or do I give it a miss because the characters are disappointing? I'm afraid the jury is still out.
The mystery surrounding the man's death is solid, although I did find whodunit rather easy to deduce. For me, the major downfall of the book is in its characters. Maddie is a strong main character, and her wealthy background does give her an advantage when trying to tease out some of the clues, but the rest of the cast is rather two-dimensional. I was most disappointed in Maddie's love interest-- a handsome British doctor who comes to work at an area hospital. The man has very little to say for himself. The two meet for dinner, but we're told more of what they spoke about than actually hearing their conversation. The doctor helps Maddie out in her investigation, but we don't hear it from him; once again we're told what he discovered. When a character is supposed to be so wonderful, I want to find out for myself, not be told secondhand, and I would imagine many readers feel the same way.
So... I have a dilemma. Do I read the next book in the series because I love the setting and the time period so much? Or do I give it a miss because the characters are disappointing? I'm afraid the jury is still out.
September 12, 2023
A new period piece mystery series for those who like their cozy mysteries set in different times…
Santa Fe Mourning: A Santa Fe Revival Mystery by Amanda Allen is the first in a new “Santa Fe Revival” series set in Santa Fe, New Mexico in the early 1920s…when the roaring 20s and Prohibition are equally represented…
Madeline Alwin is a widow living in scenic Santa Fe. After losing her husband in the Great War, she finds the area pleasant and soothing and far less demanding than her society circles in New York (as he comes from one of the many moneys families of the time, as did her late husband).
Having lived in New Mexico for some time, she finds herself drawn into a mystery when one of her hired Pueblo employees is implicated in a murder.
Madeline has a few things going for her…she has some knowledge of death and toxicology…she likes various types of tea (such as Darjeeling and Earl Gray)…she reads GK Chesterton…and she’s an avid painter (which makes New Mexico landscapes and set pieces a major focus of her work). It’s unlikely that most of this won’t be relevant to solving a murder, but it at least helps me feel that she’s decently well rounded and interesting enough as a lead.
Recommended for those who are fans of series like the Miss Fischer Mysteries…
Santa Fe Mourning: A Santa Fe Revival Mystery by Amanda Allen is the first in a new “Santa Fe Revival” series set in Santa Fe, New Mexico in the early 1920s…when the roaring 20s and Prohibition are equally represented…
Madeline Alwin is a widow living in scenic Santa Fe. After losing her husband in the Great War, she finds the area pleasant and soothing and far less demanding than her society circles in New York (as he comes from one of the many moneys families of the time, as did her late husband).
Having lived in New Mexico for some time, she finds herself drawn into a mystery when one of her hired Pueblo employees is implicated in a murder.
Madeline has a few things going for her…she has some knowledge of death and toxicology…she likes various types of tea (such as Darjeeling and Earl Gray)…she reads GK Chesterton…and she’s an avid painter (which makes New Mexico landscapes and set pieces a major focus of her work). It’s unlikely that most of this won’t be relevant to solving a murder, but it at least helps me feel that she’s decently well rounded and interesting enough as a lead.
Recommended for those who are fans of series like the Miss Fischer Mysteries…
July 20, 2020
DNF at 37%. The only reason this got even 3 stars from me is that I enjoyed the descriptions of New Mexico landscapes. How much of that enjoyment is me having lived in NM & missing it after being gone for eight years vs the actual linguistic merit is somewhat debatable because other facets of the writing are poor. If I wasn’t so acutely missing NM right now this would have squarely been a 2-star review. It’s not pure drivel or full of horrendously constructed sentences but it’s not great. Characters are one dimensional or cliched and dialogue/language patterns are off for native New Mexicans. I just can’t bring myself to care about Maddie; she seems more like a 17 year-old with no life experience than the worldly twenty-whatever artist who has survived widowhood and family estrangement to live in a faraway exotic-to-her place on her own. I put this down at 33% and then kept finding numerous reasons not to get back to it in lieu of other more interesting-looking books. I’d planned nonetheless to finish it if for no other reason than my nostalgia for New Mexico but after picking it back up ahead of a second renewal period...I think I’m just done.
August 24, 2018
Maddie is a little bit Daisy Dalrymple and a little bit of Georgie without the klutziness, the American versions! She is independent, tolerant, curious, bright, kind and entertaining. She wants no part of her mother's Fifth Ave. lifestyle. She was devastated by her husband's death in the first World War and is forging a new life in Santa Fe with her art and her friends. Like a typical heroine, she gets herself in a tight spot when trying to prove her housekeeper'son is innocent of murder. There is also the possibility of a new romance. I will be very interested in book #2, which we get a hint of at the end. Amanda Allen used some real historical figures and places in the story. At the time of the books setting, Santa Fe's reputation as a haven for artists was starting to grow. It was a small town at the time. Sunmount Sanatorium was considered one of the best places in the country to recover from TB.
January 23, 2018
I won this book as part of a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
Madeline Vaughn-Alwin is a widow and an aspiring painter. Losing her husband to the war, she relocates to Santa Fe to escape her wealthy family and start fresh. To help out around her cottage, she hires the Anayas. When the father is found murdered, the police brush it off but Madeline knows there is more to the story. She takes on the case herself but soon finds things are not always as they seem.....
I'm not usually a fan of historical mysteries but I have to say this one was pretty good. Well written with interesting characters, this book kept me engaged and wanting to find out whodunit....since I hadn't figured it out on my own. The author described the surroundings so well that you felt as if you were really there. Definitely recommend.
Madeline Vaughn-Alwin is a widow and an aspiring painter. Losing her husband to the war, she relocates to Santa Fe to escape her wealthy family and start fresh. To help out around her cottage, she hires the Anayas. When the father is found murdered, the police brush it off but Madeline knows there is more to the story. She takes on the case herself but soon finds things are not always as they seem.....
I'm not usually a fan of historical mysteries but I have to say this one was pretty good. Well written with interesting characters, this book kept me engaged and wanting to find out whodunit....since I hadn't figured it out on my own. The author described the surroundings so well that you felt as if you were really there. Definitely recommend.
December 14, 2019
Santa Fe, New Mexico in the 1920s was still very close to its frontier roots. Navajo and Hopi Indians sold their pottery and jewelry from blankets in the plaza and easterners painted desert scenes to sell in the newly constructed museum. But when Maddie Vaughan-Alwin's gardener is found beaten to death outside a speakeasy and the police show little interest, she begins to investigate his death herself. And when the gardener's fourteen-ear-old son is arrested for the crime, she is determined to find the real culprit. With the help of a local doctor, Maddie soon learns that her gardener died from internal bleeding, brought on by the beating but exacerbated by the rat poison found in his blood stream. What follows is a tale filled with art, forensics, Prohibition, tunnels and gangsters. Great fun. The leisurely pace of life in Santa Fe adds to the enjoyment of this mystery.
July 2, 2018
Fellow Goodreaders:
Tell me the first thing that pops into your mind when I say Santa Fe:
-the Opera
-the Merry Roundhouse
-the Coyote Cafe
All good answers. Now take a trip to Santa Fe in 1922 before all those things.Amanda Allen takes you there in the pages of her new cozy historical novel. Her main character, Maddie, leaves New York City behind for the mountain air and art scene of Santa Fe. A fan of the Father Brown stories, she turns amateur detective to track a killer.
Comments:
A worthwhile mystery that blends mystery and history in an enjoyable way. I hope to read more of Maddie's adventures.
Tell me the first thing that pops into your mind when I say Santa Fe:
-the Opera
-the Merry Roundhouse
-the Coyote Cafe
All good answers. Now take a trip to Santa Fe in 1922 before all those things.Amanda Allen takes you there in the pages of her new cozy historical novel. Her main character, Maddie, leaves New York City behind for the mountain air and art scene of Santa Fe. A fan of the Father Brown stories, she turns amateur detective to track a killer.
Comments:
A worthwhile mystery that blends mystery and history in an enjoyable way. I hope to read more of Maddie's adventures.
September 17, 2020
I felt transported in time to New Mexico during prohibition listening to this story about Madeline (Maddie) Vaugh who's childhood sweetheart died in World War I. Maddie leaves her wealthy New York family to go west. Maddie stops in Santa Fe, New Mexico, believing she’s found her new spiritual home. She decides to hire a family, the Anayas, to help her out around her new adobe cottage home, but then the father is found murdered outside a speakeasy. There is a lot of history about that part of the country in the 20's to the beginning of the 30's. I like learning by reading and listening to audiobooks with history in the story.
April 27, 2020
This was a good solid mystery, set in a city I like, and it didn't suffer from being too long. (I pretty much think all books and all movies are too long these days. Editors are your friends!) Comparisons to Phryne Fisher are inevitable, because of the time period and the details about fashion, but this first book, at least, isn't nearly so effervescent as Miss Fisher. I'm kind of hovering between 3 stars and 4, because this did have a bit of a "white savior" feel to it, but I'm still intrigued to read more about this new sleuth, and looking forward to the second book in the series.
March 31, 2018
While this is a cozy mystery it does not follow all of the formula. That is until the end. Up the final few chapters we have a well developed little mystery with good characters, nice historical detail, locale detail and just enough suspense to make the story enjoyable. And then our artist amateur goes someplace and is almost killed. Hopefully the second book will not repeat this type of ending.
June 14, 2018
4.5 stars. Wonderful first book! Great characters, a wonderful location, and a fast moving plot. Granted I did figure out who it was halfway, but it didn’t slow down my reading. I will agree that there is a bit of repetition of certain facts that while it didn’t annoy me, I could see it annoying others. It’s not a lot and not a reason to avoid the book! Otherwise wonderful start to an exciting new series! I can’t wait for book two!
February 3, 2019
Madeleine has returned from New York against her parents wishes, to Santa Fe where she plans to continue her art work. The time setting is right after WWI. She is a widow, when she gets home she finds her housekeeper upset about her teenage son and her husband never being around. Before Madeleine can find out what is going on, the housekeeper’s husband is killed and the son is in jail. Madeleine is sure the son didn’t do it so puts herself in danger to find out who did the killing and why.
February 9, 2019
Good first book in this series. Fast easy read.
I enjoyed the period nuances and getting to know Santa Fe a bit.
I wish the main characters were more fleshed out though.
Also the editing is lackluster as there are spelling errors and sometimes sentences repeat.
Also a few missing items that would have helped with continuity.
Since this is far from Ms Allen’s first book I am surprised at the omissions.
Am hoping Book 2 is better presented.
I enjoyed the period nuances and getting to know Santa Fe a bit.
I wish the main characters were more fleshed out though.
Also the editing is lackluster as there are spelling errors and sometimes sentences repeat.
Also a few missing items that would have helped with continuity.
Since this is far from Ms Allen’s first book I am surprised at the omissions.
Am hoping Book 2 is better presented.
May 5, 2019
I picked up this book because I had just returned from a visit to Santa Fe. I enjoyed matching the places Ms. Allen described in the book to what I had just seen. I think she really captured the beauty of the city and the surrounding area. I also like how she wove in and used the history and traditions of the Native Americans from the pueblos around Santa Fe. Some of the other characters and events were just stereotypical Roaring 20's which made the overall book less enjoyable for me.
April 30, 2021
Found this in my LFL and was interested because my family is from Santa Fe. Maddie lived there around the time my great grandparents were born. It’s a pretty silly, light read, and she uses a lot recognizable Santa Fe landmarks which is nice if you have a little knowledge of the town. I think Maddie means well but it’s a little too, rich, white lady come to the rescue, although the cops are worthless so maybe that was for the best. Also, they eat a lot of seafood considering it’s a landlocked state.
November 7, 2020
I read this because of the location. The story - a cozy without the slapstick that some have - was okay. I did like the diverse cast of arty characters though the Native Americans (on the pueblo) were rather poorly represented. The new cop was a jerk, if there's more in the series I'm sure Our Hero and the Inspector will continue to clash.
A comfortable read for the pandemic and election.
A comfortable read for the pandemic and election.
August 22, 2021
Pretty decent read for the first in a cozy type mystery. Hook for this series is the delightful descriptions of the history, people, and places of Santa Fe, New Mexico. We visited there briefly and found it to be a thoroughly charming town so to read about it in the 1920's is enjoyable. Good mystery, solid characters, if a bit predictable, light read.
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