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Maggie Detweiler and Hope Babbin #2
The Affliction: The Second Mystery Featuring Detectives Maggie and Hope – A Clever Boarding School Crime Series
The New York Times bestselling author of More Than You Know, Leeway Cottage, and Death at Breakfast delivers the second installment in her clever romp of a mystery series combining social comedy and dark-hearted murder—a novel set at a girls’ boarding school in a picturesque Hudson River town with more than its share of secrets.
Since retiring as head of a famous New York City private school, Maggie Detweiler is busier than ever. Chairing a team to evaluate the faltering Rye Manor School for girls, she will determine whether, in spite of its fabled past, the school has a future at all. With so much on the line for so many, tensions on campus are at an excruciating pitch, and Maggie expects to be as welcome as a case of Ebola virus.
At a reception for the faculty and trustees to "welcome" Maggie’s team, no one seems more keen for all to go well than Florence Meagher, a star teacher who is loved and respected in spite of her affliction—that she can never stop talking.
Florence is one of those dedicated teachers for whom the school is her life, and yet the next morning, when Maggie arrives to observe her teaching, Florence is missing. Florence’s husband, Ray, an auxiliary policeman in the village, seems more annoyed than alarmed at her disappearance. But Florence’s sister is distraught. There have been tensions in the marriage, and at their last visit, Florence had warned, "If anything happens to me, don’t assume it’s an accident."
Two days later, Florence’s body is found in the campus swimming pool.
Maggie is asked to stay on to coach the very young and inexperienced head of Rye Manor through the crisis. Maggie obviously knows schools, but she also knows something about investigating murder, having solved a mysterious death in Maine the previous year when the police went after the wrong suspect. She is soon joined by her madcap socialite friend Hope, who is jonesing for an excuse to ditch her book club anyway, before she has to actually read Silas Marner.
What on earth is going on in this idyllic town? Is this a run-of-the-mill marital murder? Or does it have something to do with the school board treasurer’s real estate schemes? And what is up with the vicious cyber-bullying that’s unsettled everyone, or with the disturbed teenaged boy whom Florence had made a pet of? And is it possible that someone killed Florence just so she’d finally shut up?
Since retiring as head of a famous New York City private school, Maggie Detweiler is busier than ever. Chairing a team to evaluate the faltering Rye Manor School for girls, she will determine whether, in spite of its fabled past, the school has a future at all. With so much on the line for so many, tensions on campus are at an excruciating pitch, and Maggie expects to be as welcome as a case of Ebola virus.
At a reception for the faculty and trustees to "welcome" Maggie’s team, no one seems more keen for all to go well than Florence Meagher, a star teacher who is loved and respected in spite of her affliction—that she can never stop talking.
Florence is one of those dedicated teachers for whom the school is her life, and yet the next morning, when Maggie arrives to observe her teaching, Florence is missing. Florence’s husband, Ray, an auxiliary policeman in the village, seems more annoyed than alarmed at her disappearance. But Florence’s sister is distraught. There have been tensions in the marriage, and at their last visit, Florence had warned, "If anything happens to me, don’t assume it’s an accident."
Two days later, Florence’s body is found in the campus swimming pool.
Maggie is asked to stay on to coach the very young and inexperienced head of Rye Manor through the crisis. Maggie obviously knows schools, but she also knows something about investigating murder, having solved a mysterious death in Maine the previous year when the police went after the wrong suspect. She is soon joined by her madcap socialite friend Hope, who is jonesing for an excuse to ditch her book club anyway, before she has to actually read Silas Marner.
What on earth is going on in this idyllic town? Is this a run-of-the-mill marital murder? Or does it have something to do with the school board treasurer’s real estate schemes? And what is up with the vicious cyber-bullying that’s unsettled everyone, or with the disturbed teenaged boy whom Florence had made a pet of? And is it possible that someone killed Florence just so she’d finally shut up?
384 pages, Paperback
First published March 13, 2018
91 people are currently reading
1306 people want to read
About the author
Beth Gutcheon
31 books249 followersBeth Gutcheon grew up in western Pennsylvania. She was educated at Harvard where she took an honors BA in English literature. She has spent most of her adult life in New York City, except for sojourns in San Francisco and on the coast of Maine. In 1978, she wrote the narration for a feature-length documentary on the Kirov ballet school, The Children of Theatre Street, which was nominated for an Academy Award, and she has made her living fulltime as a storyteller (novelist and sometime screenwriter) since then. Her novels have been translated into fourteen languages, if you count the pirate Chinese edition of Still Missing, plus large print and audio format. Still Missing was made into a feature film called Without a Trace, and also published in a Reader’s Digest Condensed version which particularly pleased her mother. Several of her novels have been national bestsellers, including the most recent, Leeway Cottage. All of the novels are available in new uniform paperback editions from HarperPerennial.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
March 21, 2018
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book in exchange for a review.
This is what passes for a murder mystery in the 1% crowd where even the police are happy to have their jobs done for them by wealthy women who have nothing better to do. Although we're meant to assume who the murderer is and what the motive was, we're never actually given any closure on that point.
Mindless, uninspiring read.
This is what passes for a murder mystery in the 1% crowd where even the police are happy to have their jobs done for them by wealthy women who have nothing better to do. Although we're meant to assume who the murderer is and what the motive was, we're never actually given any closure on that point.
Mindless, uninspiring read.
December 31, 2017
There were a lot of minor characters who I had a hard time keeping straight. There were parts of the story and characters that would have been great to have more information/background on, while there were others whose importance I never understood. It was an okay read, but I didn’t find the page turning suspense I was hoping for, and the ending left a little something to be desired.
I received an advanced copy through a Goodreads giveaway.
I received an advanced copy through a Goodreads giveaway.
May 12, 2018
There are two afflictions here. The first being the affliction a character in the book suffers from, the second being an author who may have attained the record for most loose ends not tied up at the end of a book. Not a bad book, but don't expect to have your questions answered.
August 3, 2017
3.5 stars, rounded up. This was a solid follow up to the first book in this series, DEATH AT BREAKFAST. Maggie and Hope are back and we get to know them even better, and I think I even liked this one a little bit more. It's cozy without feeling cozy (I tend to prefer darker and grittier stuff and read very little cozy but I enjoy these). The cover doesn't feel like the right fit at all (even though girls and pools play a role in the plot), this is the kind of mystery you can read with your mom.
This book takes us into the turf where Maggie is most comfortable, a private girls' school in suburban Connecticut. Very little is from the teenage girls' point of view, so if that's a pain point don't worry. You spend almost all your time with Maggie and Hope, who are almost impossibly charming to follow. There are a lot of characters to follow here, but for the most part I was able to keep everyone straight. I enjoyed how the different characters' lives opened up, if you enjoy books where we discover everyone's secrets, this is a good one.
The biggest flaw by far is the ending, which in many ways is perfect, but which leaves so many threads left unaddressed. Normally I don't mind that so much, but we got to know so many of these characters and then it's over without finding out what happened to them. I read on Kindle, where it's a lot easier to be abruptly shocked by a sudden ending since you may not realize you're at 99% until suddenly you click to turn the page and there's nothing there.
This book takes us into the turf where Maggie is most comfortable, a private girls' school in suburban Connecticut. Very little is from the teenage girls' point of view, so if that's a pain point don't worry. You spend almost all your time with Maggie and Hope, who are almost impossibly charming to follow. There are a lot of characters to follow here, but for the most part I was able to keep everyone straight. I enjoyed how the different characters' lives opened up, if you enjoy books where we discover everyone's secrets, this is a good one.
The biggest flaw by far is the ending, which in many ways is perfect, but which leaves so many threads left unaddressed. Normally I don't mind that so much, but we got to know so many of these characters and then it's over without finding out what happened to them. I read on Kindle, where it's a lot easier to be abruptly shocked by a sudden ending since you may not realize you're at 99% until suddenly you click to turn the page and there's nothing there.
April 29, 2020
This was a fun read for me – similar to an Agatha Christie cozy mystery – but with a modern-day sensibility. The setting is cozy – an upper-crust private school for girls – and the two amateur detectives – a retired school head and her carefree socialite friend- were pretty typical too. The fun for me was watching them be so funny and smart and sarcastic together, even though their being allowed to stick their noses into crime-solving a murder was not very realistic. As someone who loves book covers, I have to add that the cover – and book title – make this seem like a thriller and it definitely is not. Neither fit the mood of the story.
February 20, 2018
Rounded up to 2.5 Stars
It had its okay moments, but there were way too many distractions from the plot. I liked Maggie and Hope and the Agatha Christie vibe they gave, but the minor characters were more annoying than anything. I had the whodunit figured out within the first few chapters and originally DNFd the book at 48% out of boredom. I picked it up again because I REALLY wanted the book to get better, and I REALLY liked Maggie and Hope. Yet the story never really picked up steam. Gutcheon is a good writer, but she tried to do too much with this novel: too many characters, which isn't a bad thing if they are actually necessary to the overall plot but in this case they just were too much of a distraction, and a plot that had too many holes to be believable and was much too predictable. Unfortunately, the ending left me turning pages back and forth shaking my head going "seriously-this is it??".
Thank you Edelweiss for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
It had its okay moments, but there were way too many distractions from the plot. I liked Maggie and Hope and the Agatha Christie vibe they gave, but the minor characters were more annoying than anything. I had the whodunit figured out within the first few chapters and originally DNFd the book at 48% out of boredom. I picked it up again because I REALLY wanted the book to get better, and I REALLY liked Maggie and Hope. Yet the story never really picked up steam. Gutcheon is a good writer, but she tried to do too much with this novel: too many characters, which isn't a bad thing if they are actually necessary to the overall plot but in this case they just were too much of a distraction, and a plot that had too many holes to be believable and was much too predictable. Unfortunately, the ending left me turning pages back and forth shaking my head going "seriously-this is it??".
Thank you Edelweiss for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
September 27, 2018
I like the writing on this one, but I'm kind of torn as far as how many stars I really want to give it. I'm going with four because of how much I enjoyed reading it as a cozy mystery, but I'm not sure how I feel about the ending.
Random note before I get into the spoilers: a friend pointed out that the cover definitely does not say "cozy mystery." I agree! It looks more like a Gone Girl-esque thriller. I mean, a girl or woman in a swimming pool is an image relevant to the plot, so I guess it kind of fits? Still, not quite a match for the book's tone, I think.
***spoilers ahead***
We never find out for SURE who the murderer is or how they did it. It feels like it's probably Hugo, and he's certainly a slimy human being regardless, so I found the last chapter, where his rich wife ditches him and cuts him off, very satisfying. But I feel like there still needed to be one more chapter in which the killer is clearly identified and caught. To me, the promise of a mystery novel is that we will find out whodunnit. So part of me finds the unusual ending admirably creative, but part of me feels like it's cheating. Like, could the author just not think of a way to have the killer caught?
Also, I feel like there are some loose ends. I'm not clear on why Jesse tried to shoot Ellie, specifically, when it seems like he just kind of hates everyone.
But I am glad that Avis and Angus are going to the costume ball together. That's cute.
Random note before I get into the spoilers: a friend pointed out that the cover definitely does not say "cozy mystery." I agree! It looks more like a Gone Girl-esque thriller. I mean, a girl or woman in a swimming pool is an image relevant to the plot, so I guess it kind of fits? Still, not quite a match for the book's tone, I think.
***spoilers ahead***
We never find out for SURE who the murderer is or how they did it. It feels like it's probably Hugo, and he's certainly a slimy human being regardless, so I found the last chapter, where his rich wife ditches him and cuts him off, very satisfying. But I feel like there still needed to be one more chapter in which the killer is clearly identified and caught. To me, the promise of a mystery novel is that we will find out whodunnit. So part of me finds the unusual ending admirably creative, but part of me feels like it's cheating. Like, could the author just not think of a way to have the killer caught?
Also, I feel like there are some loose ends. I'm not clear on why Jesse tried to shoot Ellie, specifically, when it seems like he just kind of hates everyone.
But I am glad that Avis and Angus are going to the costume ball together. That's cute.
July 1, 2018
This was a solid three star read for me until the last five chapters, which pushed it up to a four for me and I am already looking forward to another mystery with Maggie and Hope.
This time the setting is a private school for girls that have Maggie in to evaluate their future viability. As this is the worst time for the murder of a faculty member, it happens and Maggie is drawn into the investigation with Hope glad to join in (she's looking to flee the responsibilities of her book club & Silas Marner). Many mysteries unfurl over the course of this book because just about everyone has a secret to keep, some worse than others. Maggie and Hope (who are still fancast in my head as Rosemary Boxer & Laura Thyme) have even better friend chem and humour than they did in the first book and that quite stood out to me. Additionally, I have to give credit to the author, the whole Goldsmith family thread had elements that reminded me of the Lanza family and I wondered if this was a coincidence or not. It added to the foreboding and creepiness factor for sure.
Recommended for fans of cozy fans. This is one that even though part of a series may be read first or as a standalone.
This time the setting is a private school for girls that have Maggie in to evaluate their future viability. As this is the worst time for the murder of a faculty member, it happens and Maggie is drawn into the investigation with Hope glad to join in (she's looking to flee the responsibilities of her book club & Silas Marner). Many mysteries unfurl over the course of this book because just about everyone has a secret to keep, some worse than others. Maggie and Hope (who are still fancast in my head as Rosemary Boxer & Laura Thyme) have even better friend chem and humour than they did in the first book and that quite stood out to me. Additionally, I have to give credit to the author, the whole Goldsmith family thread had elements that reminded me of the Lanza family and I wondered if this was a coincidence or not. It added to the foreboding and creepiness factor for sure.
Recommended for fans of cozy fans. This is one that even though part of a series may be read first or as a standalone.
March 23, 2018
In this book Maggie Detweiler and her friend Hope try to solve the murder
of Florence Meagher a teacher at a girls school. Maggie was sent to the
school to evaluate it and its future, when Florence is gone missing and
found dead in the pool. There are a lot of characters and a lot of secrets.
The story contains dark intrigue and social comedy and an unsatisfactory
ending. It was an ok book, but not one that I really enjoyed or would
remember.
of Florence Meagher a teacher at a girls school. Maggie was sent to the
school to evaluate it and its future, when Florence is gone missing and
found dead in the pool. There are a lot of characters and a lot of secrets.
The story contains dark intrigue and social comedy and an unsatisfactory
ending. It was an ok book, but not one that I really enjoyed or would
remember.
February 18, 2020
This read like an Agatha Christie with real people instead of cardboard cutouts. Perhaps I say that because the chief characters have almost unlimited money to which they hang pretty loose and their children also seem to have quite a lot. If traveling by train you have a private room (of course!) and take your own food (how? in a picnic hamper the way the immigrants used to?) They stay at their clubs in New York and are members and/or are on the boards of all the museums, theatres and even the private library so they have access to all sorts of private facilities. Never mind, they're interesting people and I like and admire Maggie Detweiler. If filmed I see Carol Channing as Hope (although that voice is a bit much).
No matter what kind of school it is there are inter personal disputes that can inflate into life threatening battles and Maggie even says as much from her background as head of several schools. This modern age with the anonymous posting sites and the ability to post what should be very private photos has enabled every sort of bullying and just made it more complicated to control. The school portrayal is particularly good and the actions of the girls quite believable.
No matter what kind of school it is there are inter personal disputes that can inflate into life threatening battles and Maggie even says as much from her background as head of several schools. This modern age with the anonymous posting sites and the ability to post what should be very private photos has enabled every sort of bullying and just made it more complicated to control. The school portrayal is particularly good and the actions of the girls quite believable.
March 23, 2018
|3 stars|
A terrific murder mystery with some interesting and well written characters.
I haven't read the first book in the series hence, it took me a while to figure out the characters and the author's storytelling. 2 self-declared detectives trying to solve a murder mystery beautifully wrapped up with a lot of boarding school drama and mysteries. Maggie and Hope, two kickass women, are back together after a tiff and ready to kick asses.
I particularly loved how specific the author was with her characters, writing all about their habits and behavior.
There are a lot of minor characters, making it a tad bit difficult to remember all of them.
I am expecting a sequel to this book as there are a few threads left untied.
A terrific murder mystery with some interesting and well written characters.
I haven't read the first book in the series hence, it took me a while to figure out the characters and the author's storytelling. 2 self-declared detectives trying to solve a murder mystery beautifully wrapped up with a lot of boarding school drama and mysteries. Maggie and Hope, two kickass women, are back together after a tiff and ready to kick asses.
I particularly loved how specific the author was with her characters, writing all about their habits and behavior.
There are a lot of minor characters, making it a tad bit difficult to remember all of them.
I am expecting a sequel to this book as there are a few threads left untied.
October 1, 2020
I do not recommend this. It had an interesting premise. A consultant was brought in to evaluate a private boarding school. While she is there a murder happens. It turns out the consultant and her friend solved a previous murder so they decide to "help out". The school and the police allow them to be a huge part of the investigation which is not realistic. Then there were so many characters that it was hard to keep them straight as we had so little information. At the end it is clear who the murderer is but not the why and it just ends. I won't be picking up another one of her books.
ptb
May 15, 2018Pulled the bookmark (PTB)
Did not finish (DNF)
This is a May F2F book group selection.
As a reflection of the time or lack there of this will be put aside 'til a later time.
Did not finish (DNF)
This is a May F2F book group selection.
As a reflection of the time or lack there of this will be put aside 'til a later time.
June 24, 2023
I just love Ms Gutcheon. Her books are always so well written, well paced and a good story.
March 6, 2018
Lovely neat little murder mystery set at a boarding school in New York State. I'm not sure everyone fully appreciates how firmly Gutcheon has set her finger on independent schools- the students, the teachers, the administrators, and the trustees. She's also got a nice twist on a certain class of New Yorker. Never does she condescend but she sure does twist the knife a bit. Very cool. This second novel featuring Maggie and her side kick Hope find the two of them trying to solve the murder of a teacher who was, because of her constant chattering, called "the affliction" by some of her colleagues. Did her husband do it? What about the neighbor boy with mental health issues? One of the girls? What's the deal with one of the trustees? Each character, large or small, is someone I recognized- from the riding instructor to the poor kid whose hair fell out. I liked that the local police were also a part of this (not always the case in the genre). There's a well done connection to the art world. This one kept me guessing, if only because I wasn't sure not only who but why Floro died. AND, how she ended up in the pool. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. I've been a Gutcheon fan for years because of her keen observations and wonderful writing. Try this one for a good read that is more than just a mystery.
September 5, 2018
About halfway through I wanted to give up on The Affliction, but I'd already spent several days getting to that point, and I have a fairly ambitious "books read" goal for this year, so I decided to press on. Boiled down to its essential elements, the plot of this novel is very simple. The number of characters bogs down the story, as does the amount of unnecessary detail that does nothing to move the story along and sometimes hurts it, because the characters she is describing in such detail are almost all annoying, pretentious, and privileged. The plot is extremely WASP-centric and bland, and the ending is just . . . strange. I'm generously giving it two stars because any book I read to the end deserves that, I guess.
September 30, 2021
I did not enjoy this book. It had too many characters to keep straight. There are also no peaks in this story. There were several times where I expected the story to start to move faster after one of the main characters found out something interesting but ultimately was disappointed. After the drawn out length of the story I also felt that the ending was rushed and that things that should have been addressed were simply ignored. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
November 28, 2019
Couldn't get into the 1st one, so the sequel goes back to the library.
November 29, 2023
Literally THE worst book I've ever read in my life.
December 3, 2018
Murder at an all-girls school? A social comedy at a picturesque private school campus in New York City? A continuation of a series of murder mysteries by a New York Times bestselling author? THE AFFLICTION is all of the above and so much more. With a keen eye and a penchant for suspense, Beth Gutcheon brings us the second in a series of dark-hearted murder stories that surely will continue her place on the list of books you have to read right now.
THE AFFLICTION begins with the retirement of the headmaster of the Rye Manor School for Girls, a school with a fabled past that is now perhaps beyond its prime. Unfortunately, this Hudson River landmark is trying desperately to stay alive. In the changing climate of a fast-paced world, Rye Manor may not fit in the same way it used to as top educators of young women from good backgrounds.
Maggie Detweiler has retired, but is made the erstwhile top dog on a committee dedicated to discovering whether or not the school has a future and how to ensure it, if that’s even possible. Florence Meagher, a lifelong dedicated teacher at Rye Manor, has one fault, an affliction --- she talks too much about everything to everyone. Well loved at the school, Florence recently told her sister that her marriage is on tenterhooks and that, if anything happens to her, “don’t assume it’s an accident.” Maggie shows up one day to observe Florence’s classes and is told that she is missing. Her husband is annoyed rather than alarmed, and her sister is completely distraught. Maggie is worried about the impact her disappearance will have on the school proceedings.
And then Florence is found dead in a swimming pool. On campus. Maggie agrees to stay on campus to help the new headmaster wade through this horrible crisis, but Maggie, unbeknownst to the school, is also an amateur detective. She solved a crime in Maine the previous year, and her friend, Hope, joins her investigation. The two ladies use their very unorthodox but clever wiles to figure out what is going on. Will the school be saved? Who killed Florence? Will her death be vindicated? Will Hope ever read SILAS MARNER? All questions will be answered for the stealthy reader who can keep up with the twists and turns that make THE AFFLICTION a whole lot of fun.
Gutcheon has admitted that her love for Charles Dickens drove her to create this series. Combining comedy with tragedy and intrigue was Dickens’ hallmark, and Gutcheon does a great job of reviving this time-tested combination in an exciting and hilarious way. No subject is too dire for her sharp and witty commentator-protagonists, and this is a fun and well-crafted story.
Even though it’s still snowing, it’s spring break, and for those of you waiting for flights to sunnier climes, do yourself a favor and pick up this book. Before you know it, you’ll be engrossed, and the craziness of Gutcheon’s world will surpass the craziness of the world we’re all engulfed in these days. THE AFFLICTION is a must read.
Reviewed by Jana Siciliano
THE AFFLICTION begins with the retirement of the headmaster of the Rye Manor School for Girls, a school with a fabled past that is now perhaps beyond its prime. Unfortunately, this Hudson River landmark is trying desperately to stay alive. In the changing climate of a fast-paced world, Rye Manor may not fit in the same way it used to as top educators of young women from good backgrounds.
Maggie Detweiler has retired, but is made the erstwhile top dog on a committee dedicated to discovering whether or not the school has a future and how to ensure it, if that’s even possible. Florence Meagher, a lifelong dedicated teacher at Rye Manor, has one fault, an affliction --- she talks too much about everything to everyone. Well loved at the school, Florence recently told her sister that her marriage is on tenterhooks and that, if anything happens to her, “don’t assume it’s an accident.” Maggie shows up one day to observe Florence’s classes and is told that she is missing. Her husband is annoyed rather than alarmed, and her sister is completely distraught. Maggie is worried about the impact her disappearance will have on the school proceedings.
And then Florence is found dead in a swimming pool. On campus. Maggie agrees to stay on campus to help the new headmaster wade through this horrible crisis, but Maggie, unbeknownst to the school, is also an amateur detective. She solved a crime in Maine the previous year, and her friend, Hope, joins her investigation. The two ladies use their very unorthodox but clever wiles to figure out what is going on. Will the school be saved? Who killed Florence? Will her death be vindicated? Will Hope ever read SILAS MARNER? All questions will be answered for the stealthy reader who can keep up with the twists and turns that make THE AFFLICTION a whole lot of fun.
Gutcheon has admitted that her love for Charles Dickens drove her to create this series. Combining comedy with tragedy and intrigue was Dickens’ hallmark, and Gutcheon does a great job of reviving this time-tested combination in an exciting and hilarious way. No subject is too dire for her sharp and witty commentator-protagonists, and this is a fun and well-crafted story.
Even though it’s still snowing, it’s spring break, and for those of you waiting for flights to sunnier climes, do yourself a favor and pick up this book. Before you know it, you’ll be engrossed, and the craziness of Gutcheon’s world will surpass the craziness of the world we’re all engulfed in these days. THE AFFLICTION is a must read.
Reviewed by Jana Siciliano
August 19, 2018
A long time ago, I read one of Beth Gutcheon's "literary" novels, found it incredibly perceptive and well written, and then was so disappointed by the ending, which ended with virtually no resolution, that I vowed never to read another book by this author. Now comes her attempt at mystery writing, so I picked her up again, because I figured that in a mystery you have to have a resolution and since I liked her as a writer and psychologist, I figured it was worth a try. So I read "Death at breakfast" – the precursor to this book, and was introduced to the amateur Detective team of Maggie Detweiler, former head of a prestigious private school in New York, and her friend Hope Babbin, divorced socialite with a touch of auntie Mame in her personality. Again, I love the writing, the characterization, but found the mystery easy to figure out, and thus the dénouement rather disappointing. Nevertheless, the journey was delightful and ever since reading this book I have been obsessed with finding an inn in the Northeast that offers beautiful walks and cooking classes, since both of those were heavily featured in "DAB." Now come to "The affliction." Again, the description of the people (who are of course suspects) is impeccable, the locale is beautiful, the social foibles of the upper class is rendered spot on. But there is absolutely no suspense! Doesn't Ms. Gutcheon realize that a mystery is supposed to be mysterious? There are supposed to be red herrings, and people who appear to be one thing but are really another, and the ending is supposed to appear to go one way and then unexpectedly go another for that final pleasurable burst of surprise. And then the detectives are supposed to wrap it all up and explain what was really going on and leave you with a contented feeling that all has been made well. There is absolutely no effort to do any of this. We go through various suspects, and then the last third of the book focuses on the final suspect, and the suspect turns out to be, in fact the suspect (as a fan of Agatha Christie, I was sure that Gutcheon would amaze us with a twist at the end) and the whole thing is not so much wrapped up (we have no idea how the rest of the suspects end up) as finished with a dramatic scene that I don't want to disclose, even though I am hiding the review "because of spoilers". We are not told even really why, though we can infer that.
I will continue to read these mysteries because they are so much fun while they're going on, but I really wish that Gutcheon would leave me more satisfied with the endings, Which is why I am only giving this three stars.
I will continue to read these mysteries because they are so much fun while they're going on, but I really wish that Gutcheon would leave me more satisfied with the endings, Which is why I am only giving this three stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2018
Since retiring as head of a famous New York City private school, Maggie Detweiler is busier than ever. Chairing a team to evaluate the faltering Rye Manor School for girls, she will determine whether, in spite of its fabled past, the school has a future at all. With so much on the line for so many, tensions on campus are at an excruciating pitch, and Maggie expects to be as welcome as a case of Ebola virus.
At a reception for the faculty and trustees to "welcome" Maggie’s team, no one seems more keen for all to go well than Florence Meagher, a star teacher who is loved and respected in spite of her affliction—that she can never stop talking.
Florence is one of those dedicated teachers for whom the school is her life, and yet the next morning, when Maggie arrives to observe her teaching, Florence is missing. Florence’s husband, Ray, an auxiliary policeman in the village, seems more annoyed than alarmed at her disappearance. But Florence’s sister is distraught. There have been tensions in the marriage, and at their last visit, Florence had warned, "If anything happens to me, don’t assume it’s an accident."
Two days later, Florence’s body is found in the campus swimming pool.
Maggie is asked to stay on to coach the very young and inexperienced head of Rye Manor through the crisis. Maggie obviously knows schools, but she also knows something about investigating murder, having solved a mysterious death in Maine the previous year when the police went after the wrong suspect. She is soon joined by her madcap socialite friend Hope, who is jonesing for an excuse to ditch her book club anyway, before she has to actually read Silas Marner.
My Thoughts: When I see a book authored by Beth Gutcheon, I am all in. I wasn’t sure about the boarding school aspect, but the great characters and the wonderful writing kept me turning the pages. Soon I was lost in the story and the discoveries along the way.
The sheer number of possible suspects kept me guessing, but by the time I had settled on the who and the why of the most likely suspect’s actions, I was lost in the fascination of the various routes that Maggie and Hope took to try to find some proof. The police were quite diligent, too, which is always a good thing in small town crime. But a suspect connected to important people cannot be hauled in on circumstantial evidence. By the end, all seemed hopeless. But then, seemingly out of nowhere, an astonishing series of actions taken by an unexpected individual turned everything into a certain kind of justice. 5 stars
At a reception for the faculty and trustees to "welcome" Maggie’s team, no one seems more keen for all to go well than Florence Meagher, a star teacher who is loved and respected in spite of her affliction—that she can never stop talking.
Florence is one of those dedicated teachers for whom the school is her life, and yet the next morning, when Maggie arrives to observe her teaching, Florence is missing. Florence’s husband, Ray, an auxiliary policeman in the village, seems more annoyed than alarmed at her disappearance. But Florence’s sister is distraught. There have been tensions in the marriage, and at their last visit, Florence had warned, "If anything happens to me, don’t assume it’s an accident."
Two days later, Florence’s body is found in the campus swimming pool.
Maggie is asked to stay on to coach the very young and inexperienced head of Rye Manor through the crisis. Maggie obviously knows schools, but she also knows something about investigating murder, having solved a mysterious death in Maine the previous year when the police went after the wrong suspect. She is soon joined by her madcap socialite friend Hope, who is jonesing for an excuse to ditch her book club anyway, before she has to actually read Silas Marner.
My Thoughts: When I see a book authored by Beth Gutcheon, I am all in. I wasn’t sure about the boarding school aspect, but the great characters and the wonderful writing kept me turning the pages. Soon I was lost in the story and the discoveries along the way.
The sheer number of possible suspects kept me guessing, but by the time I had settled on the who and the why of the most likely suspect’s actions, I was lost in the fascination of the various routes that Maggie and Hope took to try to find some proof. The police were quite diligent, too, which is always a good thing in small town crime. But a suspect connected to important people cannot be hauled in on circumstantial evidence. By the end, all seemed hopeless. But then, seemingly out of nowhere, an astonishing series of actions taken by an unexpected individual turned everything into a certain kind of justice. 5 stars
April 12, 2018
3.5 Stars
I don’t consider myself a mystery reader, but every time I pick one up I end up enjoying it. Such was the case with The Affliction, which hovers in the cozy mystery category, although I’m not sure it really fits that mold. Maggie finds herself, in the course of helping a failing private school, drawn in to a murder investigation with a victim to was both beloved and irritating, depending on who you asked. Eventually, Maggie’s best friend Hope starts helping, as well, and together they made a funny and intelligent duo. Maggie definitely plays straight to Hope’s more outgoing nature, but with their society connections and a lot of determination, they are able to make everything work. Maggie as the retired head of a prestigious private school in New York seems to know everything about the who’s who of east coast money. Hope, a retired lawyer, travels in the same social circles. They use their contacts and resources as much as they use their intelligence and investigative skills.
The setting is a prestigious but failing girls boarding school in a small New York village. Although it is a well trod path, there is always something fascinating about stories that uncover the truth about wealthy families and what really goes on in their lives. There is something particularly insular about the setting because it’s a school that serves girls and is predominately run by women. There were so many subtle nods to the particular stresses that this world puts on girls, which was subtly woven into the story. Everyone they talked to had a life they showed to the world and their true life, which wasn’t always pretty. Each character was interesting and posed a plausible reason to have committed the crime. Each carries their unhappiness with them and as the investigation brought it to the surface, I tried to guess whether it was enough to commit murder. The ending was not what I expected at all, but I loved its theatrical impact. This is actually the second book on the Maggie Detweiler and Hope Babbin series (they can be read as a stand-alone) but I enjoyed the story and Maggie and Hope so much that I think I am going to circle back and read the first book. The Affliction has something for everyone and I recommend giving it a try, even if you don’t consider yourself a mystery reader.
I don’t consider myself a mystery reader, but every time I pick one up I end up enjoying it. Such was the case with The Affliction, which hovers in the cozy mystery category, although I’m not sure it really fits that mold. Maggie finds herself, in the course of helping a failing private school, drawn in to a murder investigation with a victim to was both beloved and irritating, depending on who you asked. Eventually, Maggie’s best friend Hope starts helping, as well, and together they made a funny and intelligent duo. Maggie definitely plays straight to Hope’s more outgoing nature, but with their society connections and a lot of determination, they are able to make everything work. Maggie as the retired head of a prestigious private school in New York seems to know everything about the who’s who of east coast money. Hope, a retired lawyer, travels in the same social circles. They use their contacts and resources as much as they use their intelligence and investigative skills.
The setting is a prestigious but failing girls boarding school in a small New York village. Although it is a well trod path, there is always something fascinating about stories that uncover the truth about wealthy families and what really goes on in their lives. There is something particularly insular about the setting because it’s a school that serves girls and is predominately run by women. There were so many subtle nods to the particular stresses that this world puts on girls, which was subtly woven into the story. Everyone they talked to had a life they showed to the world and their true life, which wasn’t always pretty. Each character was interesting and posed a plausible reason to have committed the crime. Each carries their unhappiness with them and as the investigation brought it to the surface, I tried to guess whether it was enough to commit murder. The ending was not what I expected at all, but I loved its theatrical impact. This is actually the second book on the Maggie Detweiler and Hope Babbin series (they can be read as a stand-alone) but I enjoyed the story and Maggie and Hope so much that I think I am going to circle back and read the first book. The Affliction has something for everyone and I recommend giving it a try, even if you don’t consider yourself a mystery reader.
October 3, 2018
I should probably preface my review with the observation that I have read everything by Beth Gutcheon from "The New Girls" (which is one of my favorite books ever) to the present day. This includes "More Than You Know", an absolutely gutting love story that I also highly recommend.
This is the second book in what I guess is going to be a mystery series starring two ladies of retirement age who go around solving crimes where the police have got the wrong end of the stick. Maggie Detweiler is a retired head of a tony private school; Hope Babbin is a former parent at the school who lives on the proceeds of her divorce from a finance guy. Their personalities and skill sets complement each other. They seem to spend time in settings -- institutions -- they're intimately familiar with and in milieus where they belong.
In "The Affliction", Maggie is working on the re-accreditation of a private girls' school that's staggering toward oblivion, not helped by dissension among its trustees and the more-than-vague hints that it's worth more dead and sold off for parts than alive. When a much-loved teacher disappears and turns up dead in a swimming pool, Maggie and Hope believe there's more to the story than a nasty and long-suffering spouse and they set out to prove it.
And they do, sort of. Shout-out to Gutcheon for the nerve to go with an ambiguous ending and for the Miss Pratt's reference by a student at the school. Reading some of the other Goodreads reviews of this one, I can see how people might be underwhelmed but as a fan of her other work I welcome anything new by Beth Gutcheon and I'll probably keep right on reading her.
This is the second book in what I guess is going to be a mystery series starring two ladies of retirement age who go around solving crimes where the police have got the wrong end of the stick. Maggie Detweiler is a retired head of a tony private school; Hope Babbin is a former parent at the school who lives on the proceeds of her divorce from a finance guy. Their personalities and skill sets complement each other. They seem to spend time in settings -- institutions -- they're intimately familiar with and in milieus where they belong.
In "The Affliction", Maggie is working on the re-accreditation of a private girls' school that's staggering toward oblivion, not helped by dissension among its trustees and the more-than-vague hints that it's worth more dead and sold off for parts than alive. When a much-loved teacher disappears and turns up dead in a swimming pool, Maggie and Hope believe there's more to the story than a nasty and long-suffering spouse and they set out to prove it.
And they do, sort of. Shout-out to Gutcheon for the nerve to go with an ambiguous ending and for the Miss Pratt's reference by a student at the school. Reading some of the other Goodreads reviews of this one, I can see how people might be underwhelmed but as a fan of her other work I welcome anything new by Beth Gutcheon and I'll probably keep right on reading her.
November 27, 2017
I received an advance readers copy at an event for librarians.
Mystery set at a girls boarding school on the Hudson. Nothing deep, but would be an entertaining beach read. I feel like there are holes in the story that I a supposed to know - such as how a minor character, Avis's, daughter died. Is this book part of a series?
There are a lot of characters that sound somewhat alike at first, so it took me a while to get into it, but once I figured them out, it moved quickly. The two main characters, Hope and Maggie, are not detectives at all. Some of the things they did to solve the mystery were probably illegal, but it's fiction, so I can deal with that.
A minor point - at the beginning of the book one of the characters said that Jesse Goldsmith had OCD, but his behaviors were not very OCD-ish. Maybe the character was supposed to be showing his ignorance, but why couldn't he have just said that the boy was crazy or something? It is hard enough for the general public to understand what OCD is, so I don't like seeing it misrepresented.
The mystery is complicated and unfolds throughout the book. I am not sure I understand everything that happened, and I found the ending to be a bit unsatisfying. I did enjoy the portrayal of strong friendships between women, and the fact that the positive characters were almost entirely woman. Also, female firefighters, detectives, etc. were sprinkled throughout the book without comment, just as a matter of fact.
Mystery set at a girls boarding school on the Hudson. Nothing deep, but would be an entertaining beach read. I feel like there are holes in the story that I a supposed to know - such as how a minor character, Avis's, daughter died. Is this book part of a series?
There are a lot of characters that sound somewhat alike at first, so it took me a while to get into it, but once I figured them out, it moved quickly. The two main characters, Hope and Maggie, are not detectives at all. Some of the things they did to solve the mystery were probably illegal, but it's fiction, so I can deal with that.
A minor point - at the beginning of the book one of the characters said that Jesse Goldsmith had OCD, but his behaviors were not very OCD-ish. Maybe the character was supposed to be showing his ignorance, but why couldn't he have just said that the boy was crazy or something? It is hard enough for the general public to understand what OCD is, so I don't like seeing it misrepresented.
The mystery is complicated and unfolds throughout the book. I am not sure I understand everything that happened, and I found the ending to be a bit unsatisfying. I did enjoy the portrayal of strong friendships between women, and the fact that the positive characters were almost entirely woman. Also, female firefighters, detectives, etc. were sprinkled throughout the book without comment, just as a matter of fact.
July 8, 2025
A bit slow moving in parts but a very satisfying ending
This is the second in this series. I hope there will be more but it’s been quite a while since this one was written so I’m doubtful.
This is a murder mystery with two amateur sleuths, older women and best friends. Maggie, a former head of school at an elite private school in NYC, now retired, is head of an accreditation committee visiting a private girls school in upstate NY’s Hudson Valley. While they are there one of the school’s teachers is found dead in the school’s pool and Maggie is asked to stay on to help the young and new head teacher navigate the situation. Maggie’s good friend Hope comes to visit to help investigate the murder and to get out of having to read Silas Marner for her book club. Lots of suspects, lots of secrets, some good red herrings, plus some marital issues thrown in. And the same sass and snark we got in book one.
The book drags in several spots and spend too many words on things that are irrelevant. It also, as happened in book one, throws lines out which are never then tugged back in. And we never really get a satisfying conclusion to the actual crime. I find myself very much wanting an epilogue that wraps things up. This one feels even more unfinished than book one did. However there is a very satisfying conclusion to another aspect of the story that had me chuckling and a great final line.
This is the second in this series. I hope there will be more but it’s been quite a while since this one was written so I’m doubtful.
This is a murder mystery with two amateur sleuths, older women and best friends. Maggie, a former head of school at an elite private school in NYC, now retired, is head of an accreditation committee visiting a private girls school in upstate NY’s Hudson Valley. While they are there one of the school’s teachers is found dead in the school’s pool and Maggie is asked to stay on to help the young and new head teacher navigate the situation. Maggie’s good friend Hope comes to visit to help investigate the murder and to get out of having to read Silas Marner for her book club. Lots of suspects, lots of secrets, some good red herrings, plus some marital issues thrown in. And the same sass and snark we got in book one.
The book drags in several spots and spend too many words on things that are irrelevant. It also, as happened in book one, throws lines out which are never then tugged back in. And we never really get a satisfying conclusion to the actual crime. I find myself very much wanting an epilogue that wraps things up. This one feels even more unfinished than book one did. However there is a very satisfying conclusion to another aspect of the story that had me chuckling and a great final line.
November 8, 2020
I read book 1 last year and enjoyed it enough to get the sequel, though it's taken me a while to pick it up. But I had 4 hours to wait for car work and picked this up on a whim as I was heading out for my appointment. I really enjoyed seeing Maggie and Hope again after Maggie is on a team to evaluate a girls' school that is having issues and gets pulled into the mystery surrounding the death of one of the teachers who went missing during the assessment.
I enjoyed the various side characters, though I felt a number of the students blended together a bit. I liked many of the female adult side characters, though a couple were rather bland and maybe a bit underutilized. Many of the male characters were less admirable, but played their parts well. I don't feel this book was quite as satisfying as the first as it felt a bit fuzzy in the ending. I didn't love the way it ended simply because there was a death involved in the mystery and I don't feel that was resolved to my satisfaction, but I did enjoy how things ended.
So far, there's no 3rd book in this series, but if one happens to be published, I would absolutely be up for another story around Maggie and Hope.
I enjoyed the various side characters, though I felt a number of the students blended together a bit. I liked many of the female adult side characters, though a couple were rather bland and maybe a bit underutilized. Many of the male characters were less admirable, but played their parts well. I don't feel this book was quite as satisfying as the first as it felt a bit fuzzy in the ending. I didn't love the way it ended simply because there was a death involved in the mystery and I don't feel that was resolved to my satisfaction, but I did enjoy how things ended.
So far, there's no 3rd book in this series, but if one happens to be published, I would absolutely be up for another story around Maggie and Hope.
January 14, 2024
If this were a Fair Isle sweater, you'd say that not only had the knitter used too many colors, but that none of the yarn along the steek had felted so the whole thing was coming apart. What started as a easy going but promising story had so many extraneous threads that it not only lost its steam but resulted in a satisfying ending for only one of the storylines, which was only a sub-Reddit of the primary and basically irrelevant to the story. How annoying, to put it mildly. Of less concern to readers who hadn't grown up in Westchester County but for those who have, especially those from or one town over from "Old Dobbs" (IYKYK), is the mirth, annoyance, or great distraction of the Great Giant Mish-Mash of Things that Make No Sense and Never Work Like That. Spoiler alert: Westchester villages have their own PDs and while they might get assistance from the County PD, it certainly wouldn't be the City of White Plains PD, which has its own problems and no jurisdiction, stepping in. Sloppy and annoying. Name-dropping Optimists, Joy perfume, and Colnaghi was funny, tho.
January 2, 2018
Thank you to Goodreads for this win and my honest review.
I don't know if I should have read the first in this series to find out how Maggie got involved in sleuthing but I thought it was a bit far-fetched that she got so involved in it after just being on the school's committee to see if it should be funded or closed. Then she gets her friend involved too who turns out to have a better head on her shoulders to me.
A lot of involvement with students and their parents and murders too which was a nice diversion from who I call "Nosy Maggie." The murderer was not announced and not sure if it's because there is a sequel or what.
The title was a little silly since they called the woman who was initially murdered "The Affliction" because of her non-stop talking.
Would I recommend this book? Not sure but I did enter for the first of this series on here since if I do win, I want to see if it's better reading.
I don't know if I should have read the first in this series to find out how Maggie got involved in sleuthing but I thought it was a bit far-fetched that she got so involved in it after just being on the school's committee to see if it should be funded or closed. Then she gets her friend involved too who turns out to have a better head on her shoulders to me.
A lot of involvement with students and their parents and murders too which was a nice diversion from who I call "Nosy Maggie." The murderer was not announced and not sure if it's because there is a sequel or what.
The title was a little silly since they called the woman who was initially murdered "The Affliction" because of her non-stop talking.
Would I recommend this book? Not sure but I did enter for the first of this series on here since if I do win, I want to see if it's better reading.
November 2, 2017
This murder mystery definitely kept me turning the pages long past my bedtime. Intriguing with enough plot twists to maintain the element of suspense.
I had not realized this as the second in a series about two middle-aged women turned self-styled detectives. (Have since requested Death at Breakfast from the local library to remedy the situation.) Nonetheless, my understanding was not at all lessened. The central characters were described throughly. Especially fond of Hope, what a terrific character!
One thing I did find odd, although this may be corrected after some additional editing as the copy I read is an ARC, was the narration. The story is told from third person point of view. However, it seems to randomly focus on one or two characters thoughts and experiences then, at times, switch focus and abruptly interrupt this with a short passage about another character. A bit jarring but it did not detract from my overall positive rating.
I had not realized this as the second in a series about two middle-aged women turned self-styled detectives. (Have since requested Death at Breakfast from the local library to remedy the situation.) Nonetheless, my understanding was not at all lessened. The central characters were described throughly. Especially fond of Hope, what a terrific character!
One thing I did find odd, although this may be corrected after some additional editing as the copy I read is an ARC, was the narration. The story is told from third person point of view. However, it seems to randomly focus on one or two characters thoughts and experiences then, at times, switch focus and abruptly interrupt this with a short passage about another character. A bit jarring but it did not detract from my overall positive rating.
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