Praise for Agony Hill
"Sarah Stewart Taylor's
Agony Hill kicks off a historical mystery series set in a time with shocking parallels to the present, and features a vibrant cast of characters led by handsome but haunted Detective Franklin Warren... Taylor's strong sense of place and community sets
Agony Hill apart, and the mystery of Weber's fiery demise is resolved in a way that's both satisfying and thought-provoking."--
Book Page "An intimate, slow-burning police procedural with strong, believable characters... superb." --Oline Cogdilll,
South Florida Sun-Sentinel "This is a richly layered and beautifully told book, and, of course, after my long journey with Sarah Stewart Taylor's work, I've learned to expect nothing less."--
Deadly Pleasures Magazine "An excellent historical crime novel that introduces readers to a wonderful new character in Warren as well as a fascinating town on the cusp of change."-
Mystery and Suspense
"Atmosphere runs high with an underlying feeling that we are only privy to part of the story...this is about ordinary people finding their way through life's drama."-Historical Novels Review
"The author of the Maggie D'arcy mysteries (
A Stolen Child) launches a historical mystery series with a compassionate, vulnerable detective and a setting so vividly described it could be a character. Julia Spencer-Fleming fans will want to try this one." -
Library Journal (starred review)
"A classic mystery that pulls the reader in and doesn't let go until there's a resolution." -First Clue
"
Agony Hill itself is...by-the-numbers procedure of clues and tension and secondary crimes and little revelations, all punctuated by oddly random memorable moments of quiet revelation. It's confident that it doesn't need narrative tricks to keep the reader interested, and that confidence is not misplaced." -Open Letters
"The world in
Agony Hill is so real...If the reader is looking for a new cast of characters that feel like friends, this is a great place to look."--Aunt Agatha's
"[A] strongly character-driven story and Taylor's nuanced handling of the events, not felt so much in the crime itself as in the larger picture--the locals and what they are withholding."--Historical Novel Society
"A wonderful mystery set in 1960s rural Vermont, filled with sheep, an Old Home Day celebration, home canning...and murder. Or is it?...A terrific read!" -- Archer Mayor
"Sarah Stewart Taylor's stunning new mystery examines life and death in a small town in 1965 with a loving but unsentimental eye. Her rich evocation of the physical world - summer heat, cool green water, the taste of fresh bread - matches the deep inner lives of her characters, all of whom have secrets to conceal and questions they're desperate to answer. Stewart Taylor builds the several investigations as carefully and intricately as one of Vermont's timeless stone walls - I loved this book, and you will, too."-Julia Spencer-Fleming
Praise for The Maggie D'arcy Mysteries
"The bucolic setting, emphasis on family and leisurely pace make for a nice end run around traditional police procedurals." --
The New York Times Book Review "A lyrical prose style that is a joy to read." --Associated Press
"[An] impressive series." -
The Washington Post "Readers will relish spending more time with Taylor's storytelling and her smart characters."
--South Florida Sun-Sentinel
