Author: Michelle L. Cullen
Series: Harry & Emma Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (September 15, 2026)
Description: Widower and anthropologist Harry Lancaster and his Gen Z colleague Emma are back for more murder and mayhem when they stumble upon a dead farmer.
This delightful sequel to A Field Guide to Murder is perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Benjamin Stevenson.
When an odd request leads Harry Lancaster to agree to meet his former sweetheart Willow at a farm on the outskirts of town, Emma’s suspicions run high, and she insists on joining him. Instead of Willow greeting them when they arrive, they discover the farm's owner dead, with a corn rake embedded in his back.
After being interrogated by the police, Harry and Emma return to his home to find a bereft Willow, who admits she lost her life savings in a real estate scam involving the farm. Worried Willow will become the main murder suspect, Harry decides to help her, despite Emma’s concerns.
To bring the swindlers—and murderer—to justice, Harry recruits his potentially shady, financial-whiz brother and a neighborhood teenage hacker. Then Willow’s realtor is declared missing, and Harry’s brother is caught up in the fray.
As the team unearths clues, they increasingly dodge danger in their race to save Willow and Harry’s brother before anyone else turns up dead.
My Thoughts: Harry and Emma are back home and working on their final report when Harry gets a call from an old girlfriend. Willow has become the victim of a scam that has stolen all of the assets she and her husband had accrued for their retirement. She's hoping Harry can help her get them back.
However, the first thing that Harry and Emma discover when they go to meet Willow is the death of an old farmer who owned the property Willow thought she was buying. Harry and Emma find themselves not only trying to solve the murder but trying to recover Willow's lost retirement fund.
Harry makes a call to his brother Eddie for some help since Eddy was an accountant. He and Harry are not close. As a matter of fact, Harry has always thought that his brother might be dealing less than legally.
Eddie arrives promptly and the trio work together to try to unravel all the plots and plans in motion. Harry is surprised that his brother has been leading a secret life and that he is intimately involved in the scam. Now, saving his brother has been added to the things he and Emma need to accomplish.
This was an engaging and entertaining story filled with interesting characters. I like the father-daughter relationship that has grown between Harry and Emma since she was first hired as his carer after he broke his hip.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.
This sounds like a good story, but darn I don't need to add to my TBR pile at the moment.
ReplyDeleteIm way behind reading and need to catch up. No new book requests
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