Rating: 
Summary: Surviving the Depression in Grand Style on the Hudson
Review: After inhaling the contemporary Jane Jeffrey series, it is refreshing to enter the historical period of the Great Depression in the vicinity of the Roosevelt's of Hyde Park. The luxuries on a budget managed by the brother and sister Brewster duo smack of favorite Christie mysteries set in a similar time in Great Britain. Lily and Robert accept their challenge to fulfill their Uncle Horatio's will and seek paying guests to their inherited domain. Their cleverness in luring a popular author of the times, fictional Julian West and his man Bud Carpenter, draws a nice mix of eccentric paying customers. Of course, their best laid plans result in an unplanned murder and the who-done-it is on in the most suspenseful of fashions. An inveterate mystery reader may well figure things out ahead of the end, but it seems that Churchill excells in making the reader wait to unravel the answers. There are poignant moments in the interaction of characters, and Churchill lets the reader into the background connections of the characters just enough to develop them as well-rounded and believable. The desires, jealousies, deceits, and manipulations the characters employ draw the reader in until the end. Historical data, i. e. the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby, Hoover's misbegotten administration, Governor Franklin Roosevelt's presumed candidacy for President, the poverty of out-of-work, homeless, depression era people, puts everything into perspective. Churchill has done her homework. Even the menus prepared by Mrs. Prinney entice the reader with the details of Dutch cooking appropriate to the historical settlement of the Hudson River Valley. Churchill's descriptions are so good that one wishes to get a real taste of the Prinney cuisine. One can only guess what the next books in the series will bring for Lily and Robert Brewster as they fulfill the ten year trial demanded by their deceased uncle's attorney, Mr. Prinney. There already appears to be possible romance for Lily with either the new town sheriff or the new town newspaper editor. And Phoebe Twinkle, Grace and Favor's new lodger has her own prospects to consider, in addition to maintaining her millinary business in Voorburg-on-the-Hudson. Robert may be in for a settling down as well as he acclimates to this quieter lifestyle in coming books. Anticipating where Churchill will lead the reader in further Brewster sleuthing makes one anxious to read her next volume.
Rating:
Summary: Surviving the Depression in Grand Style on the Hudson
Review: After inhaling the contemporary Jane Jeffrey series, it is refreshing to enter the historical period of the Great Depression in the vicinity of the Roosevelt's of Hyde Park. The luxuries on a budget managed by the brother and sister Brewster duo smack of favorite Christie mysteries set in a similar time in Great Britain. Lily and Robert accept their challenge to fulfill their Uncle Horatio's will and seek paying guests to their inherited domain. Their cleverness in luring a popular author of the times, fictional Julian West and his man Bud Carpenter, draws a nice mix of eccentric paying customers. Of course, their best laid plans result in an unplanned murder and the who-done-it is on in the most suspenseful of fashions. An inveterate mystery reader may well figure things out ahead of the end, but it seems that Churchill excells in making the reader wait to unravel the answers. There are poignant moments in the interaction of characters, and Churchill lets the reader into the background connections of the characters just enough to develop them as well-rounded and believable. The desires, jealousies, deceits, and manipulations the characters employ draw the reader in until the end. Historical data, i. e. the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby, Hoover's misbegotten administration, Governor Franklin Roosevelt's presumed candidacy for President, the poverty of out-of-work, homeless, depression era people, puts everything into perspective. Churchill has done her homework. Even the menus prepared by Mrs. Prinney entice the reader with the details of Dutch cooking appropriate to the historical settlement of the Hudson River Valley. Churchill's descriptions are so good that one wishes to get a real taste of the Prinney cuisine. One can only guess what the next books in the series will bring for Lily and Robert Brewster as they fulfill the ten year trial demanded by their deceased uncle's attorney, Mr. Prinney. There already appears to be possible romance for Lily with either the new town sheriff or the new town newspaper editor. And Phoebe Twinkle, Grace and Favor's new lodger has her own prospects to consider, in addition to maintaining her millinary business in Voorburg-on-the-Hudson. Robert may be in for a settling down as well as he acclimates to this quieter lifestyle in coming books. Anticipating where Churchill will lead the reader in further Brewster sleuthing makes one anxious to read her next volume.
Rating:
Summary: Another Winner!
Review: Another great story about Lily & Robert Brewster, who are inhabiting the Grace & Favor Cottage in order to inherit their uncles fortune. When they invite paying guests to stay for a weekend to mingle with a famous writer, one is murdered, and they learn plenty about their guests and their pasts. I truly enjoy Jill Churchills Jane Jeffrey series, and this new series is turning out just as good!
Rating: 
Summary: Not up to the the Jane Jeffrey series
Review: As a big fan of Jane Jeffrey, I was very disappointed with this Grace and Favor book. The two uppity main characters in this book are not nearly as interesting as the contemporary housewife Jane Jeffrey. I could not identify with a couple of 20-ish young people of the 30's who inherit a large home from their uncle, but who have to have paying guests in order to support their expensive habits. Please give us more of Jane and less of Grace & Favor.
Rating:
Summary: Not up to the the Jane Jeffrey series
Review: As a big fan of Jane Jeffrey, I was very disappointed with this Grace and Favor book. The two uppity main characters in this book are not nearly as interesting as the contemporary housewife Jane Jeffrey. I could not identify with a couple of 20-ish young people of the 30's who inherit a large home from their uncle, but who have to have paying guests in order to support their expensive habits. Please give us more of Jane and less of Grace & Favor.
Rating: 
Summary: More, more!
Review: As a fan of Jill Churchill, I always look forward to her books. I Love that she has started a new series, and looked eagerly for the second Grace & Favor mystery. She is developing the characters wonderfully, and I am awaiting her next novel just as eagerly as her second!
Rating:
Summary: More, more!
Review: As a fan of Jill Churchill, I always look forward to her books. I Love that she has started a new series, and looked eagerly for the second Grace & Favor mystery. She is developing the characters wonderfully, and I am awaiting her next novel just as eagerly as her second!
Rating:
Summary: I'd give it a six if I could
Review: As a fan of Jill Churchill, I have read all of her Jane Jeffry titles. When I saw a new series, I doubted it could live up to my expectations based in the other series. I found the Grace and Favor series, if which this is the first, to be a totally fresh kind of mystery for me. The era of the Depression in a fascinating time of contrasts between the haves and have-nots. Lily and Robert are both. They seem to have inherited a line back to the good life, but making ends meet continues to be a challenge for them.
The idea of a house party with paying guests was certainly a new one to me. It was written with a lot of character development necessary to the future of the series, but with here-and-now action. A great read, as well as a great send-off for a new series.
Rating:
Summary: Churchill Has done it again!
Review: As she did in her first Grace and Favor novel, Anything Goes, Jill Churchill has written another wonderful addition to this mystery series with the publication of In the Still of the Night. Brother and sister, Lily and Robert Brewster, are now living in the mansion they inherited from their Uncle Horatio. Getting used to small town life on the Hudson has proved to be pleasant but these two young people must now begin earning an income. Athough they live as wealthy people in the year 1932, according to the terms of Horatio's will they won't inherit anything for almost ten years. Lily and Robert come up with an idea to provide some income by hosting a weekend of paying guests and a celebrity who will entertain all. The assortment of people who gather for their weekend, though, have links to one another from previous days and suddenly there's been a murder and it seems as though almost everyone has a motive. This book was very charming and evoked an era and style which is now forever gone. And Ms. Churchill also includes just enough historical information about the times to further set the mood. Unfortunately, I gulped down this book much too quickly and now I'm wondering how long I will have to wait for the next book from this author.
Rating:
Summary: An Interesting, charming Read
Review: Back for a second Grace and Favor adventure is the sleuth team of siblings Robert and Lily and their dog Agatha. They inherited their late great uncle Horatio's home with some stipulations, no cash for so many years. Although named the Grace and Favor Cottage, it is really a mansion, and Lily tired of trying to make ends meet, has an idea how to use the cottage to earn a living. She wants to turn it in to a Bed and Breakfast of sorts, invite a famous person, and surround him or her with fans. The first blessed or cursed soul, depending on which side you are looking at, is the famous fiction war writer, Julian West. With him comes his helper, a young man that has been with him and his cousin for years. Also on the list of paying guests are Addie Jonson, a teacher; professor, and critic Cecil Hoornart; siblings and old Brewster acquaintances, Raymond and Rachel Cameron; Mad Henry, invited by Robert, and one self-invited guest who gets permanently uninvited. Support characters back again are, the estate lawyer, Mr. Prinny, the cook Mrs. Prinny, the maid Mimi, the police chief Howard Walker, and news editor Jack Summer. Life goes on for these recurring characters and the reader has the pleasure of joining in. It's a fun mystery, full of wonderful characters. The storyline repeats some of the Brewster duos past, and there are some small spoilers, so if you haven't read the first Grace and Favor Mystery, Anything Goes, you may want to. It took me a little longer to solve this mystery than the last. The plot was pretty basic, but what makes the read so fascinating is the atmosphere, with the jargon and historical facts sprinkled through out, it really brought the thirties era to life. It's a series I plan to continue following.
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