Murder at the Mill

Redmond and Haze Mysteries #3

by Irina Shapiro

When a man’s naked corpse is found strapped to a waterwheel, newly appointed Inspector Haze is called upon to investigate the crime. With the help of American surgeon Captain Redmond, he delves into the life of Frank Darrow, a man who inspired such hatred, his mere death wasn’t enough to satisfy his killer.

Finding few clues and no obvious motive for the murder, Redmond and Haze must peel away the layers of Frank Darrow’s relationships to get to the shocking truth, while also coming to terms with unexpected developments in their own lives.

Genres: Mystery, Historical, Historical Mystery, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Crime, Fiction

282 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 17, 2020

About the author

To write a novel was a dream of mine since I was a child. Life, my practical nature, and self-doubt got in the way, so it was decades later that an opportunity to write finally presented itself. I honestly didn't think I had what it takes to write a full-length novel, but once I faced the blank screen and my fingers touched the keyboard, everything disappeared except my characters and their surroundings, and suddenly I knew that this was what I was born to do.

Since then, I've written many books and have enjoyed some positive reviews, but sometimes, when I stop to reflect, I'm still amazed that I'm living my dream.

Follow me on BookBub for discount deals and new release alerts.

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/irina...

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars ... This series keeps getting better and better, so I'm bumpin' the rating up! This was the best of the three I've read so far. There are a dozen books in the series (so far!), so I'm gonna be enjoying it for a while. If this genre is your thing, you really should give it a try. 😊

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the mystery, am loving Daniel and Sarah as well as seeing Captain Redmond's found family growing, but deducted a half star for the whole Cecelia situation.

On to the 4th in the series!

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Birch Hill, England. Thursday, December 20, 1866. Irina Shapiro’s Murder at the Mill (Redmond & Haze #3) begins with an incredibly shocking image of murder victim “strapped to a water wheel” of the deserted mill in Birch Hill. The author certainly grabs the reader’s attention right from the start! The investigation of this crime begins when the recently promoted Inspector Haze has the body removed to the morgue, and then he contacts Lord Redmond of Redmond Hall. Lord Redmond, an American Captain, a surgeon who used his skills in the American Civil War helping wounded Union soldiers until a truce was signed in 1865, immediately responds to Inspector Haze’s summons to perform an autopsy to discover the victim’s cause of death. As the investigation continues, Captain Redmond learns that one of his servants, Kitty, is ‘hurt’. I congratulate the author on touching on a taboo subject which is usually never mentioned even though it occurs much too often. The character, Kitty, represents this. The author handles this problem with care and concern through her characters. Well done! 4.5 stars.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good mystery from this author who is becoming a firm favourite of mine.

[Barbara Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barbara’s rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Series: Redmond and Haze Mysteries #3
Publication Date: 10/6/20
Period: Victorian – December 1866 – Birch Hill, England
Number of Pages: 282

I must say, the author definitely grabs your attention in the prologue with the very graphic description of the body and its discovery. However, the excitement factor definitely decreases after the prologue. Frankly, I’m just not sure where I’m going with this series. The books are nice, quick, light reads, but seem to be a bit formulaic (Murder happens -- Daniel is called -- Daniel calls Jason in -- Daniel runs around interviewing people -- Jason has a giant leap of logic and solves the case). I had looked forward to a true and equal partnership between Jason and Daniel, but it seems that Daniel does a LOT of leg work, interviewing, etc., but it is always Jason who makes the logic leap that solves the crime. At least this time Daniel solved the house-breaking ring mystery by himself. So, I have bought one more book in the series and will read that before deciding whether to continue or not.

In the very late hours of an extremely cold but bright night, Sadie Darrow finds the body of Frank, her husband, tied, naked, to the wheel of the old mill. She immediately sends her sons to report the murder to Inspector Haze and we are off and running on another mystery of many parts. Haze, of course, brings in Redmond to do a post mortem and determine the cause of death.

During the ongoing murder investigation, we have an additional case concerning a rash of house break-ins, an unexpected visit from a former fiancé’, a betrothal, and a long-awaited arrival. With so much going on, you’d think it would be a fast-paced, exciting read, but it actually drags in spots.

As always, the book is rife with Americanisms, and I guess that is something that isn’t going to change. So, I guess I have to decide if I am going to allow them to drive me nuts during the read, just ignore them, or quit reading the series. We’ll see. I also failed to see the point of Cecilia’s visit because it added absolutely nothing to the story. Frankly, had I been Katherine and Jason had allowed Cecilia to speak to me and treat me the way she did Katherine – well – I can only say his subsequent proposal would have fallen on deaf ears.

I absolutely adore a bit of romance to go along with my mysteries – and I get a bit of that with Daniel and Sarah. What I don’t get is the relationship between Jason and Katherine. They are ‘in love’, but I have no clue how that happened. They have almost no on-page time together and no mention of encounters in other places. I do love Jason’s ‘found’ family and it was nice to see it grow. Speaking of growing, it would be nice to see more character growth with the existing characters before we continue to add more new characters.

All-in-all, it was a nice, quick read with no surprises – other than Cecilia’s arrival.

[Shreyas Deshpande · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ratings:-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Bill Mock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series so much. The stories you'll me in and move along so nicely I'm able to finish the books much sooner than expected or want. There is a lot going on in this one and screams that you need to read the first 2 before diving in. I'm taking a short break before reading the caravan, but only because I don't like to read series straight through and honestly don't want to be done with it yet.

[☼Bookish in Virginia☼ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this series took a dark turn... and I love it, as the darkness of the story sort of balances the goody-goodness of the main characters. But that said, the story might contain an issue that some might find unpleasant and 'triggerish'.

And if you are reading this series this is definitely not a book you want to skip. There's just a lot going on with visitors from America and trouble and turmoil within the Captain's household.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

1866 Inspector Daniel Haze is called in when the naked body of Frank Darrow is found attached to a wheelwright. Haze is helped by captain Jason Redmond who seems to have his own problems to contend with.,
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its likeable characters. Another good addition to the series

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, there were many problems to deal with in this book, and it was a bit darker than the others. But still entertaining.

[Bridget Love to read Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revenge or Vengeance

A man strapped to a Mill house wheel with his manly parts pointing to the moon is a sight never forgotten? Who would want to kill him in such a gruesome way? Daniel with new promotion has his first case and needs the help of Captain Jason! New characters show up in this story and old ones find a resolution to old problems! Will Jason and Katherine reach any kind of courting success this courtship is slower than molasses in January there is hope! Jason has two no three visitors from his and Micah past! Who would want to kill Frank in such a gruesome manner? The more that comes out about Frank's character or lack thereof it seems to amplify the motives until someone at Jason supplies a motive that makes this case far more horrible! When there is a motive can the killer(s) be caught or will they flee in the nick of time!! Will Daniel and Jason experience hope after solving another gruesome murder? I hope so since it's a lot going on in the dead of winter in this tiny town!! Couldn't put it down! Pick up, read and hold onto the roller coaster!!!

[ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love this series so much it’s unreal, can’t wait to start the next book tomorrow ! i just feel like daniel wouldn't be able to solve shit without jason, which makes sense since they officially work together now, but also like how good of an inspector are you if all the big clues are discovered by jason asdfghjk

4 stars because captain redmond's inability to kick cecilia out drove me crazy + i usually have a hunch on who the killer is, but this time i knew what it was going to be about from the start + the mystery plot generally wasn't as interesting as in the previous 2 books

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/4 stars. I really enjoy this series. Well-crafted, the characters are interesting and the mystery is very good.

[Daniel C Andrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice light read as were the first two but this one started leaning toward a soap opera.

[Les Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read. This has to be one of my favourite modern authors.

[Tammy Moldovan · Rating 5 out of 5]

More adventures for Daniel and Jason

I loved this historical whodunit staring Captain Jason Redmond and Constable Daniel Haze. Like the first two books in the series, it had a layered storyline, an intriguing mystery, surprising plot twists, and suspense. I was pulled into the story from the first page and couldn’t put it down until they wrapped up the case. Jason and Daniel are portrayed as real, relatable and complex people who have flaws and scars, but are really just trying to do their best as messy humans. Captain Jason Redmond is an American physician who is currently living in England after inheriting the estate and title of his grandfather and his ward, 7 year old Micah, lives with him. Daniel Haze has recently been hired as a detective inspector in nearby Essex. This story takes place approximately 3 months after the last book. Jason and Daniel once again work together to solve a murder after a rather unlikable husband and father is found strapped naked to the wheel of an abandoned mill. The investigation leads them to unlikely places, many dead ends, and surprising revelations. The smaller side personal story arcs which just enrich the main plot continue with Jason‘s desire to date Katherine and with Daniel‘s marriage. The story was well written and included engaging dialogue, three dimensional characters, and a captivating storyline. I am excited to read more to this series.

[T.A. Burke · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75 stars rounded down because there's nothing fundamentally wrong, it's just that it is drenched in pathos and squik and feels and widdle babies and a female foil who is booo-ringly bayatchy/bigoted/entitled/intrusive -- all to distract from a slim plot.

Regardless, I've liked the prior two books so much that I immediately used Kindle Unlimited to borrow the next/4th book -- then suddenly realized there's going to be a million widdle babies by the time that story begins and I didn't want to subject myself to all that cuteness so I returned it unread. Maybe I'll check it out one day.

[Heatherinblack · Rating 5 out of 5]

well done

the pieces fell into place pretty quickly when the “event” happened. well done weaving the two plot lines and having them switch in importance. dickie stokes is an interesting new character. i sort of hope we see him again (though i am not sure how). (does it seem like daniel wouldn’t solve anything without jason?)

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nonostante il delitto presente in questo volume sia più sconvolgente degli altri, ho trovato questo volume sottotono rispetto agli altri due.
Mi sono risultati subito chiari sia il movente, sia il possibile assassino, quindi le indagini sono state un po' noiose per me. Peccato, perchè i primi due delitti erano ben congeniati.
Le relazioni tra personaggi invece vengono sconvolte dalla comparsa di alcuni personaggi secondari, ma il capitano Redmond compare ben poco, e ha ancora meno scene con Haze. Peccato anche qui, perchè sono formidabili come coppia di amici ed investigatori.
Continuerò comunque la serie.

[Linda Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come

[Carol Bisig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must Read Series!

I find this series entertaining, it would make a great series. I like the two male protagonists, Inspector Haze and Captain Redmond, both have become good friends, and both are men of integrity. I like the mysteries in each book, the author brings up uncomfortable realistic stories, but it unfortunately does happen in real life. I love the Christmas surprise for Micah, who is still too spoiled, he does need manners, he is sweet one minute and obnoxious the next. I highly recommend it. Thank you.
carolintallahassee

[Paraphrodite · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars.

August 2024 - re-listened.
____________
Sept 2022

Another enjoyable mystery. I wasn't too unhappy about the outcome of the murder case since the victim was a really despicable human being.

This one took place around Christmas, and I am very happy with Micah's gift. It's also good that Jason was given the chance to exorcise some of his ghosts in order to embrace a new future. I just wished he was more assertive.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

December 1866, England. It's been about six months since (Lord) Captain Jason Redmond first came to England to wrap up his grandfather's estate. Instead of heading back to America where he was born and raised, he's been settling into his new role as lord of the manor...and surgeon in support of the local police. As Christmas approaches, there are two unwelcome surprises among the festive events: another dead body and his former fiancee, Cecilia. Cecilia had immediately turned to his best friend for comfort when rumors that Redmond had been killed during the Civil War had reached her. By the time he'd been released from the Andersonville prison and made his way home, she was married and expecting her first child. And now, here she is on his doorstep.*

And the dead body? The father of his newest scullery maid is found dead...tied to the water wheel of his family's abandoned mill. Given the body's state (naked) and prominent placement, it's obvious that someone not only wanted Frank Darrow dead but they wanted him humiliated in death as well. Who hated the man that much? He wasn't a pleasant man by all accounts, but there's no evidence that he had done anything to warrant the kind of hatred that would kill in such a manner. Newly-appointed Inspector Daniel Haze soon links Darrow to a series of burglaries in the area, but even if the man had had a falling out with his fellow thieves they would hardly have gone to the trouble of stripping him naked and tying his dead body to the wheel. Haze and Redmond soon learn that there are hidden depths to the drowned man and a shocking motive for his death.

*Okay...so, I've just started this and I've got a prediction for the storyline. Cecilia will immediately set her cap for Jason again--thinking that he couldn't possibly have gotten over her. She's actually more interested in his title than him. Kate (the vicar's daughter whom Jason has feelings for) will misunderstand the situation and there will be trouble in that particular paradise. Either in this book, or the next, Cecilia will be booted out permanently and Jason and Kate will be brought closer together by the temporary set-back. I'm going to go ahead and publish this now so my followers can hold me accountable in case I'm wrong. 😊

So...I was bang on target with the whole Cecilia thing. Very predictable. And--can I just say--a very pointless sidetrack to the main story. Yes, it did bring Jason and Kate together. But, honestly, I don't think that should have happened yet. Those two have barely had any time to get to know each other--especially since Kate won't allow Jason to court her openly because of her father. And then to have the dear old vicar give his blessing (albeit somewhat begrudgingly) at the end. The man surely has to wonder how on earth Lord Redmond could possibly love his daughter when they've never (to his knowledge) had a chance to be together.

This isn't my favorite of the series so far. Primarily because of the motive of the murder--which I can't discuss without letting the whole cat out of the bag. But it's one of the plots that I just really don't do well with. We'll leave it at that. And then when you throw in Cecilia. Well, ick. But that's all personal. The plot itself is solid and every bit as good as the last one. The writing and the character development are also on par with previous installments. So, despite my wanting to rate this lower on purely personal grounds, I'll give it the same ★★★ that I gave to the second in the series.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another successful addition to the series. Jason is now the police surgeon and Daniel the new Inspector and their first case is the death of a local man, Frank Darrow, who was drowned and then hung, naked, from the waterwheel of the old mill that he once owned. This was obviously a crime of passion, but who had the strength to string the man up like that? Their investigation leads them to the coal company where Frank and his sons do chimney sweeps. The owner said that he fired Frank because he suspected him of stealing. The boys were never inside the houses but Frank was and small items went missing and then, days later, the homes were broken into and the silver stolen. Was Frank in cahoots with a robbery ring and was he killed for double crossing them? A butler from one of the marked houses struck the intruder and described the wound and Daniel traced it to Frank's friend and drinking buddy, Elijah, who is a barrel maker and can smuggle stolen goods inside the empty barrels. Daniel catches him for the thefts but cannot pin the murder on him. Meanwhile, Jason is dealing with his own troubles at home. While waiting for Mary, his ward, Micah's sister, to arrive from the US, he is surprised with another guest, his ex-fiancé, Cecelia. She left him when he was fighting in the civil war and married his best friend. Her sudden arrival is because both her husband and son died and she is on the hunt for a new husband and who better than her ex who is now a titled rich man? But she upsets the household and Jason and he soon turns her out. His young scullery maid, Kitty, is Frank's daughter and she is very upset over the death of her father to the point that it makes her sick. But Jason soon discovers that she is not sick with grief but her illness is self-inflicted when he finds the bottle that contained the poison that caused her miscarriage. She refuses to say who the father was but Jason has his suspicions. I had already suspected that Frank's sons had killed him and now we have their motive, he had been abusing Kitty, which is the reason why her mother got her the live-in job at Jason's house. But the damage was already done and she was pregnant. The boys managed to escape but Daniel isn't too upset because he still solved the case and has Elijah for the robberies. Mary did arrive safely, with her baby son, Liam, in tow, his father having been killed in the war. Daniel's wife, Sarah, is pregnant and Jason finally proposed to the vicar's daughter, Katherine, and she said yes.

[Manal · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Always a Pretty Nice Book, with a very nice backstory that I am very Familiar with Right now

However, there goes nothing

Cons
- Cecilia, I am not going to say more, that's pretty self explanatory I hate her way too much, I would have liked to be fooled by her and then discover that she is a snob. but from the first line announcing her return, I am pretty much waiting for her to be out
- I don't like the setting of Jason as it is... I am feeling like he is being set up to fall a bit
- Mary is not what I expected her to be, but I got nothing with that
- The Last Chapter and Prologue was pretty Rushed in my Opinion, the second we got the killer, we are out in the woods with months going by.... and even the explain of the murder came as a guess from Katherine ....
- The Development in Jason & Katherine even though it is very welcome by now, but it feels pretty rushed, one second he is trying to see her and the second he is going to propose, I even expected Her father to give us a harder time but the whole situation was very rushed

Pros
- The Development in Daniel's Character is so welcome this book, god it has been so long, I have been waiting for him to up his detective game a bit
- I like the whole establishment we have here, it's like Jason is building a makeshift Family around him in that mansion.

Personal Opinion
- I have a mixed feelings regarding that book, it felt too short and too rushed, I like the story and not expect it to end in such a manner, but many things in this book feels too rushed for me and there's the feeling of a character being set up for one reason or another
- During the First half of the book or more, it was mostly Daniel, even around the end where the part about Jason new life should take shape, everything felt rushed, the Whole Mary story that we have been waiting for for 3 book was rushed as well, even Katherine where it was expected that her father would put up quite a fight that didn't happen

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another series I recently discovered but have come to count among my favorites. Set in England shortly after the end of the US Civil War (mentioned because that's an important part of the background story), Daniel, one of the two MCs, is an English police sergeant who is working his way up through the ranks. Jason, the other MC, is an American surgeon, held captive at Andersonville near the end of the war.

I really like both MCs, who work well together. Jason's medical knowledge and surgical skills help provide Daniel with information important to the case/s he's working on. The two are friends as well, making it easier for many of the villagers to trust Jason, who is lord of the local estate but doesn't like all the trappings that come with it.

This book brings some of Jason's past front and center into the story, which was irritating at first, but ultimately resolved in a very satisfactory way. It also deals with several types of abuse, always hard to read about but necessary to this story, as some of it provides a motive for the murder.

The murder victim was not well-liked by the people around him, so there were quite a few suspects to think about. There was also a string of robberies in the area, and it was up to the police to decide if they were related to the murder or just a coincidence. I figured out part of the solution, but was surprised by the rest.

I have the next several books from this series in my audiobook collection, and am looking forward to reading at least one of them later this year.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This universe is cozy but this case deserves a serious trigger warning.

Overall, I'm enjoying my time with the characters but they can frustrate me. Daniel is so slow, never has relevant information and Jason just so happens to have all the information and is clearly the quicker of the two. It's not balanced at all, and we have yet seen Inspector Daniel truly solves a case. The writer is also trying to show those characters can be progressive, especially for the time, but it can backfire or seem so awkward, especially with Daniel.

Now, some spoilers
Cecilia served no purpose here. She just annoyed readers, showed Jason as a poor defender of his future wife, and on top of that, the main issues between them weren't resolved. She told us she felt he was running from her, and that lead nowhere. It should have, and she should have been a kinder and more mature person so they could resolve their issues and we could see why they weren't good for each other. Instead we got a little monster, and it reflected VERY poorly on Jason. As for his romance with Katherine, I can see why he likes her but can't see why he loves her. Hell, he has more in common and way more chemistry with someone like Daniel than her.

And regarding the case: I do think the theme of rape was handled well with Kitty clearly described as a victim. Jason's attitude with her was A+. At least there's that, because the whole thing was unpleasant.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm continuing to enjoy this series -- you definitely want to start at the beginning so you have all the background on the main characters. The mysteries are well put together and the investigation and forensics are on point for the time frame: 1866-67.

In this case a local man is found bound to the water will of an old mil: stark naked and fully erect. Clearly those who killed him wanted to humiliate him as much as anything since no one, now, will ever remember anything but the manner of his death. On investigation, Daniel and Jason begin to realize he's not exactly an upstanding member of the community -- there are definitely shady dealings.

In their personal lives, Jason is working through his feelings for the rector's daughter, and, as Christmas approaches, Daniel learns his wife is to have another baby -- a real blessing after the death of their toddler some years before. Daniel is also now an official inspector so has a bit more authority to investigate. Meanwhile, Jason awaits the arrival of Micah's sister Mary but is surprised by an unannounced visit of his former fiance, who'd thrown him over for his best friend when he joined the army. From my point of view, it's good that the whole 'love triangle' thing isn't dwelt on too heavily.

All these books are in Kindle Unlimited and I've already borrowed #4 to may account.

[Virginia Tican · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frank Darrow was a drunk... a ne'er do well who inherited a mill but was too stubborn or too lazy or both to 'update and upgrade' his main source of livelihood thus finally losing all his business to more efficient millers... he was also a thief and an opportunist... apparently he was even worse than the aforementioned... and the last bit was what got him dead and naked tied up to his own mill's wheel with his proud pecker on standing ovation pointing at the winter's moon. A humiliating end for a worthless life coated in the lingering memory of his last months of ignominious acts towards someone he was supposed to protect. Though Darrow was a bastard and a dastard, the newly appointed Inspector Daniel Haze's case was to bring his murderer/s to justice with Redmond's help. Also surprise visitors from America descended on Redmond Manor ~ one unexpected and unwelcomed and one long expected (though thought to be hopeless) with the anticipated joyous reunion... oh, and there would be Lord Redmond's marital Bliss or at least 'the village~whole long and eagerly awaited' engagement to aptly end and blend into the Season's Joy.

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the least enjoyable of the three books. I definitely didn't appreciate how separated the investigation of Daniel and Jason were. Jason was barely involved in the investigation! He just kinda stumbled onto the information that he did.

Deducted 1 star for two reasons: 1) there was some vaguely victim-blame-y exposition. Like with the previous one, this is kind of explainable because of the time period but still, I don't like that it is in a modern book. 2) the Cecelia subplot was annoying and gratuitous. I'd much rather they stretched out the slow burn of the romance for a couple more books than they have this contrived conflict. Very meh.

I will probably continue with the series, at least for the next book (BTW, the events in the epilogue of this book and in the preview of the fourth book DO NOT MATCH UP. It is annoying and kind of a huge oversight.) which in the preview again used the slur "gypsy" although again it's period-appropriate. So conflicted on that.