Book Review - Cedardale Court by Nathan Lee Christensen

 Canner has spent ten years treading water after the death of his wife. He has wrapped daughter Chloe in cotton wool and tried to protect her from every possible danger. Now in an attempt to move their lives on they arrive to live with his Uncle Henry in Cedardale Court. In an apparently tranquil setting in the Oregon countryside he is hoping for a fresh start. What he gets instead is a living nightmare. It starts when a retreating flood in the road reveals a human hand, and finishes with a dramatic finale, taking in dangerous old passions and a kidnapping along the way.

This is a quirky dark murder mystery with a couple of great twists at the end. Far from being a rural utopia Cedardale Court turns out to harbour more than it's fair share of fiends. While the tale that unravels is faintly disturbing there are glimmers of humour to be found, mostly at the expense of Canner and the absurd situation he has found himself in. Out of the frying pan into the fire sprang to mind! I appreciated the way the author wove together several strands of the plot and found the style fluid with some great turns of phrase. 

While Canner comes across as almost bumbling, the way he cares for Chloe is endearing, and I found her a sassy young girl who is old beyond her years and a real match of wits for her father. Even some of the characters who probably shouldn't have been likable were, because of the way their stories were presented. The author has created strong characters who pack a real punch (in some cases literally)

This book has a few grim moments but will probably appeal to readers who appreciate a bit of black humour served up with their murder mysteries.

Format: Kindle, review copy 

My Rating: 3*