The Lone Fox by Evelyn Roland: A Book Review

The Lone Fox

Author: Evelyn Roland

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery & Suspense

Publisher: IndieSummer Press

Release Date: July 22, 2023

Pages: 324

Source: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Nothing is ever amiss in the nineteenth-century city of Northampton. That is, until Miss Roberts is mysteriously found dead.

Against the advice of young Officer Bentley, the victim’s closest friend—Miss Lydia Alderidge—takes it upon herself to solve what the police refuse to accept as murder. However, as the unlikely pair of detectives fall deeper into the case, more and more baffling deaths create a perilous mystery, and the answers they need cross paths with a devious family.

But will the murderous fox be rooted out before anyone else suffers?

My Review: When Lydia Alderidge’s best friend mysteriously dies, the police believe that it was suicide. Lydia is the only one who suspects foul play. She sets out to find who murdered her friend. She gradually teams up with Officer Bentley to solve the murder. As they investigate, more mysterious deaths occur. Can they find the murderer before more deaths occur?

I absolutely love Lydia Alderidge! She was the classic female Sherlock Holmes type of amateur detective. She was very observant and highly intelligent. She was also a very loyal friend. She was also a very strong character and was independent. Throughout the novel, we learn more surprising details about her that I found fascinating. Thus, I found Lydia to be very entertaining. She made this book very enjoyable.

Officer Bentley was the other protagonist in this novel. Initially, I disliked him and found him annoying. He was straight-laced and always followed the book. Eventually, he won me over. He cared about the town and its people. I also liked the friendship and gradual romance with Lydia. I thought that they made a great team. Thus, Officer Bentley was a kind and caring hero in the novel.

Overall, this novel is about secrets, depression, and love. Besides Lydia and Officer Bentley, I did not care for the characters. Many of them were one-dimensional. The storyline was very drawn-out and repetitive. This was especially true in the middle of the novel in which I felt that the story was not going anywhere. It was more like a drama that did not seem to involve Lydia than a murder mystery. Therefore, I felt like the book did not know what it wanted to be. However, I found the ending to be spectacular and it had a twist I never saw coming! While The Lone Fox has its flaws, it was a solid debut! It was a light and entertaining cozy mystery! I hope that there will be more mysteries featuring Lydia Alderidge and Officer Bentley!

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer by Samuel Noah Kramer and Diane Wolkstein: A Book Review

Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer Author: Samuel Noah Kramer and Diane Wolkstein Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Religion, Mythology Publisher: Harper Perennial Release Date: 1983 Pages: 256 Source: Personal Collection Synopsis: With the long-awaited publication of this book, we have for the first time in any modern literary form one of the most vital and important of ancient myths—that of Inanna, the world’s first goddess of recorded history and the beloved deity of the ancient Sumerians. The stories and hymns of Inanna (known to the Semites as Ishtar) are inscribed on clay tablets which date back to 2,000 B.C. Over the past forty years, these cuneiform tablets have gradually been restored and deciphered by a small group of international scholars. In this groundbreaking book, Samuel Noah Kramer, the preeminent living expert on Sumer, and Diane Wolkstein, a gifted storyteller and folklorist, have retranslated, order...

Guest Post: The Ladies-in-Waiting: Lady Isabel Baynton by Alexandra Walsh

Today's guest writer is Alexandra Walsh. She is the author of The Catherine Howard Conspiracy , which is a historical thriller surrounding the infamous Tudor queen. In this guest post, Mrs. Walsh discusses the life of Catherine's lady-in-waiting, Isabel Baynton. This post will be sure to fascinate fans of Tudor era. If you enjoy her post, please pick up a copy of The Catherine Howard Conspiracy ! Thank you, Mrs. Walsh! The Ladies-in-Waiting – Lady Isabel Baynton by Alexandra Walsh One of the most enjoyable things about writing an historical novel is discovering the tiny details that make the period real on the page. While I was researching The Catherine Howard Conspiracy , I spent a great deal of time hunting out the life stories of the women who surrounded the young queen in order to create a group of realistic friends and confidants. There are some well-known names linked with Catherine and her downfall: Lady Jane Boleyn,...

Daughter of Rome by Tessa Afshar: A Book Review

Daughter of Rome Author: Tessa Afshar Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian, Biblical Fiction, Romance Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers Release Date: 2020 Pages: 416 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis : A woman with a devastating secret. A man bent on proving his worth. A chance encounter that catapults them into the heart of history. When the daughter of a prominent Roman general meets a disinherited Jewish immigrant, neither one can dream of God’s plan to transform them into the most influential couple of the early church. Nor can they anticipate the mountains that will threaten to bury them. Their courtship unwittingly shadowed by murder and betrayal, Priscilla and Aquila slowly work to build a community of believers, while their lives grow increasingly complicated thanks to a shaggy dog, a mysterious runaway, and a ruthless foe desperate for love. But when they’re banished from their home by a capricious emperor, th...

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