By the Gate

River View #2

by Jeanette Taylor Ford

When farmer Elwyn Price discovers a long-buried skeleton in the field he hires from Lucy Baxter, it sends DI Cooke and DS Grant on a seventy year old murder investigation. The two detectives follow leads in various parts of the country, gradually unravelling a dark mystery. But how will their discoveries affect Lucy Baxter’s family and other residents of the village of Sutton-on-Wye?

230 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 8, 2018

About the author

From a bookworm to a bookworm who writes!

Jeanette Taylor Ford grew up in Cromer, Norfolk, moved to Hereford in 1968. Now lives not far from Nottingham. She has six children, seven grandchildren and a great-granddaughter. A compulsive teller of tales, she mostly writes in the genre of the paranormal but sometimes digresses into other subjects, stories for children, short stories and the occasional poem.

Visit Jeanette on her facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/Jeanette-Tay...

or her blog:https://jeanetteford51.wordpress.com/

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cosy

A delightful story set in a fictional village in Herefordshire where everyone knows and looks out for each other. All the characters are very polite and caring and not a swear word between them! Lots of tea, cake and biscuits. All rather twee but enjoyable. A mysterious and cosy crime with an interesting storyline. An easy read with no violence apart from a crime that was committed over seventy years ago that has literally become unearthed and needs to be investigated. One of those lovely characters must know something....I was intrigued and it kept the pages turning.
However, I would loved to have read the book after a good edit as the substantial amount of typos was very distracting. So unfortunately, that brought the rating down to 3.5* which I have rounded up to 4*

[Robert Southworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully crafted tale...

A peaceful community is rocked by the discovery of a body. The victim is unknown but its clear to the authorities that it was many years previous that a terrible crime had taken place. Detective Inspector Cooke and Sergeant Grant must piece together evidence of a crime that took place decades previously...It's a wonderful story told at a gentle but intelligent pace. The characters are delightful and well crafted. The dialogue and plot are believable and deliver a cranking experience for the reader. I found the entire novel enchanting.

Robert Southworth author of The Ripper Legacies and Spartacus Chronicles

[Marcia Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read Aunt Bea’s Legacy, the first book in the River View Mysteries, I was looking forward to reading By the Gate, and I wasn’t disappointed. I soon felt like I was back among old friends as I remembered the characters and was keen to discover the next instalment in this series. This time, the story involves a fascinating seventy-year-old murder investigation, and I was fascinated by the unfolding tale that rocked the sleepy little village of Sutton-on-Wye. This book is well-written, and the characters are interesting and well-rounded. It held my attention from beginning to end. It is a thoroughly enjoyable mystery, which I recommend.

[Lucas W Mayberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a skeleton is found the villagers of Sutton on Wye are shocked it belongs to one of their own who disappeared over 70 years ago. As DI Cooke and DS Grant investigate they realise that Rosemary Baxter was the victim of a serial killer and their investigations take them all over the country. But could the killer be closer to home? Long held secrets are unearthed but not before the tragic death of a couple of residents. And could the discovery of a second body be the key to everything. This is a rather intriguing and well crafted mystery that kept me invested throughout. There were a few emotional moments too. I look forward to reading more in the River View Mystery series

[Carrie O’Leary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read cosy mystery. As with the first book in the series the writing is very informal. The story flows well though and it’s lovely being in the company of a community that cares about each other so much. I have a few niggles that makes me give this 3½ stars; firstly the book needs a really good edit. There are a number of typos, including some repetitive ones—morn instead of mourn, reverent instead of reverend—and extra words in sentences, all of which took me out of the story at times. That said, I am looking forward to the next in the series

[Sue Hayward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and did feel sorry for the farmer, Elwyn Price, all he wanted to do was plough his field, who found the unexpected discovery. I got engrossed in Sam Williamson’s life and grief of losing his wife and his rediscovered ‘lost love’ and of course Lucy and Ken make an appearance. Looking forward to reading Book 4

[SUE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow ,not what I was expecting , but a great second book in this series , looking forward to #3 , love all the characters , although I wouldn't want to live in that village lol .