Lindsay Harding Mystery Series (Reverend Lindsay Harding Mystery Book 1)

Fun cozy type mystery that keeps you guessing. I didn't figure it out. Interesting people, places and customs. Another author that I had never read before. I will be looking for her books in the future.

I loved this book. The writing style is fresh and well-paced, and the descriptive language is creative, never trite or cliché. Quigley paints a vivid picture of small-town North Carolina and of her spunky heroine. It's an engaging read but not anxiety-provoking, and kept me guessing, which is just what I like in a mystery novel. I can't wait for the next Lindsay Harding book!

Hospital chaplain Melissa Harding lives in Mount Moriah, NC. I don't understand why people would become spiritual leaders like a chaplain or a pastor if they don't have solid beliefs in God? Poor Melissa doesn't seem to know what she believes in. She's a good person who seems to want to help others. Now, her father, Jonah Harding is a pastor who truly believes in Jesus Christ and tries to live accordingly. Meanwhile Melissa looks for a husband and solves mysteries. One of her high school aquaintances married a black man named Vernon, who is a Confederate re-enactor. Some re-enactors not only try to relive the past in varying depths, but will even take on a personae. Vernon is doing a lot of research on a Simon Wilcos, a free black who was a Confederate soldier. But during a battle re-enactment, Vernon is shot and killed. Who shot Vernon? His wife's father is poisoned and it causes a heart attack. Who poisoned her father? What's going on with this family. Melissa takes it from there.

I liked the characters, the story was plausible, dialogue is fairly natural, especially for the South. It was a little tame for my tastes but I can't really say anything bad about it. It's a good cozy mystery.

This novel is good for laughs. The plot is intricate enough to make you want to turn the pages, but I thought the "who-done-it" was fairly clear about halfway through. Quigley balances fairly serious plot points with touches of dark humor.

The main characters are relatable and familiar, especially if you hail from the south.

Being a Civil War history buff, I was attracted to this by the synopsis of the reenactment of the battle which opens the story, but after awhile, too many side events crowded into the story. Still it's worth reading.