4-STAR REVIEW: DEATH IN THE WOODS by Maria Mankin & Maren C. Tirabassi

Rev & Rye Mysteries: Book 2
Publication Date: July 11 2023

Misty fall weather should make for an idyllic walk in the New England woods and a needed respite from Reverend Wanda Duff’s duties. She’ll just take a stroll with her dog, breathe in the cool air, and remember that she loves her job and doesn’t really long for a life of solitude, even when the quiet red-and-gold patch of forest tempts her with it.

But she should’ve known she couldn’t really catch a break.

She only saw his hand—cold, palm up. In the twilight, everything else was indistinct. And even as Wanda said a prayer for the dead man and called for help, she couldn’t shake the feeling of another presence, one that would compel her to follow a path out of these woods to find a killer.

But ever since Wanda and her friend Rye solved a murder together, no one has wanted the reverend to take on anything more dangerous than choir practice. She has no choice, really, but to carry the news of her discovery directly to no-nonsense Assistant Principal Rye, who understands because her own life was upended by last summer’s investigation. Rye’s own life is upended, period.

Unfortunately, solving the murder of drama teacher Jonathan Thorne isn’t an undertaking Wanda and Rye can accomplish without involving their ever-widening circle of family and friends, which means that in addition to investigating, they have to resolve a few personal problems of their own. The truth is, nothing happens in a quaint New England town without everyone noticing. Without everyone speculating. Without everyone talking.

Without everyone knowing a killer is among them.

Wry humor, twisty sleuthing, and what Jane Willan (author of the Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn Mysteries) calls “punchy writing” and “fall-in-love-with-me characters” in “the enjoyable setting of a newsy small town” come together to make Death in the Woods a perfect one-sitting read.

I really liked the title of this second book in the Rev & Rye Mysteries, Death in the Woods by Maria Mankin and Maren C. Tirabassiit has a nice ring to it. I find I can connect more with a book if it has a clever hook, such as a rhyme or something akin to that.

I don’t think one could tell that this book was written by two different people. I didn’t notice a change in writing style. I thought the story flowed together seamlessly.

My two complaints about the book are:

First, I thought there were times the authors got lost in an idea and that the point of the characters’ conversation wasn’t clear, so the idea of what they were trying to convey wasn’t clear. I also thought their inner monologue was confusing, and I wasn’t sure what the point of the sentence was.

Secondly, I struggled with the character Wanda saying, “My body, my choice,” to Ryan. It just didn’t sit well with me. Ryan was trying to convey his concern in that scene. I know he wasn’t exactly Mr. Sensitive, and I get why Wanda was so touchy, especially because they had a history together. However, I don’t think that phrase was needed in that context.
I thought Wanda overreacted with that statement. I understand the authors chose that phrase because they felt it fit within the context of the book, and my opinion (and all that implies) is my opinion, but I felt it needed to be addressed in my review.

I’m curious about the book before this one, as it was mentioned quite a bit throughout the book. I think I would have been able to follow along better if I had read book one when previous details would pop up, but I think overall, reading book one is not necessary,

I still enjoyed the book, and I liked the plot. I liked the unexpected romance twist too. Wanda and Rye’s community of family and friends become important toward the end of the book and helps them become better people because of it. I like when the characters have a strong sense of family and friends they can fall back on. However, if any kind of LGBTQIA is not the readers’ preference, I wouldn’t read this book.

I didn’t suspect a thing, of course, till the end. I also liked that the authors tidied up all the loose ends at the end of the book but still left a few strands for future books.

Death in the Woods was a solid cozy mystery with a great community of family and friends, a surprise romance, and a nice tidy ending. Bring on the next book!

Maren C. Tirabassi’s forty years’ experience in mainline ministry shape Wanda Duff’s professional life (but not her personality). Tirabassi is a former Poet Laureate of the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and has published poetry and short stories in fifteen anthologies, as well as twenty nonfiction titles.

Maria Mankin, Maren’s daughter, has written five nonfiction books and a thriller, Circ (Pigeon Park Press). Rye’s dilemmas are influenced by Mankin’s ten years in education as a teacher and administrator. She holds a degree in Writing, Literature and Publishing from Emerson College.

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