Three on a Match

by S.E. Kingsbury

“Bad things happen in threes.”

This is a modernization of the phrase “three on a match,” a superstition dating from the Crimean War that was popularized during the First World War. It was purported that if three soldiers shared a match for their cigarettes, the length of time it would take for all three to be lit was long enough for an enemy sniper to pinpoint their shared location. The flame from the first man sealed the fates of the second and third who were illuminated by the light.

“Bad things happen in threes.”

All the inhabitants of Heathbury whisper this foreboding saying after the death of a glittering socialite at a spring fete is followed by the murder of another village resident. Newspaper heiress Theodora Raffington has taken it upon herself to report on the murders for the local paper, despite the warnings of her stoic lifelong friend, Constable Thomas Spode, and her fiancé, Lord Edmund Cheltenham. By nosing into the secret life of the victim, she inches closer to becoming the third casualty of a hidden marksman.

370 pages, Paperback

First published February 10, 2022

Reviews

[Kathryn S (Metaphors and Miscellanea)]

Out of general fairness as someone who reviews a lot, I'm not attaching a star rating to this one, since the author is an old friend of mine (like, we go all the way back to elementary school, and she is a lovely human being), but I'll be posting a review soon for this cozy historical mystery!

[Liam Byrnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing debut novel by my friend, Sarah!! This book is wonderful and reads like an Agatha Christie novel. I loved the format of short chapter from varying perspectives that work as puzzle pieces in the mystery. She kept me guessing until the very end! Sarah's vocabulary is impressive, her characters are endearing (with a notable exception...), and her plot is nuanced and exciting. I can't wait to keep reading whatever she comes up with next!

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been awhile since I’ve read a good mystery, and this one was so entertaining! I loved the development of the characters, and while I was able to guess the culprit, there was still a good twist at the end! (Also love the author who has been a long time friend 😉💕)

[Lex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is cozy. It's not exactly fitting for the "cozy mystery" genre, but it will be a cozy read for people seeking the familiarity of Agatha Christie. Admittedly, I vaguely know the author and got my copy from a friend who knew her better. It's certainly not groundbreaking, but it's not bad at all. Some of us just find a murder in 1930s England among the leisure class cozy, and you can definitely tell the author does as well.

[Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It definitely gave me Agatha Christie vibes :) I thought the development of the plot was really good. It was really complex, but still simple enough to follow. I was also able to guess the murderer, but it wasn’t obvious and there was still some speculation. (also I had the incredible opportunity to meet this author in person and she is the most lovely human <3)

[Storm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel! It is an easy read that keeps you engaged and has a few nail biting twists and turns.

One thing to note, there are quite a few characters so make sure to pay attention to names in the first few chapters.

[Taylor Sparbanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah Kingsbury’s debut novel was so fun to read! I hadn’t read a mystery in a while, and this just made me want to read more. The character development was interesting, and the plot unfolded as a total page-turner. I woke up every morning excited to read about what happened next. Can’t wait to read Sarah’s next novel!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced; strong characters; good mystery for summer read; it was like watching a black and white 1930's movie.