Agony Hill

Agony Hill by Sarah Stewart Taylor is the first book in a new historical mystery series featuring Detective Franklin Warren. Set in 1965 in Bethany, Vermont and the surrounding rural area, Warren has just joined the Vermont State Police and has responsibility for the southern part of the state. He’s not quite finished unpacking when he’s called to a remote farm on Agony Hill.

Hugh Weber, a former New Yorker and believer in self-sufficiency and autonomy through a back-to-the-land culture, seems to have set his barn on fire, with him locked inside. However, Warren doesn’t think the case is that simple. Additionally, the people of Bethany seem to have secrets including Hugh’s wife Sylvie and Warren’s neighbor, widow and amateur detective Alice Bellows.

The main and secondary characters have depth. Warren, formerly from Boston, must adjust to life in a rural community where he doesn’t know anyone. He’s a sincere and empathetic as well as being a talented investigator. It also turns out that he’s good at mentoring. Alice is somewhat enigmatic. She comes across as a kind and thoughtful person with hidden depths and abilities who loves to garden. Trooper Goodrich is eager to be Warren’s assistant investigator. Bethany Chief of Police Longwell is a somewhat old-school policeman with an ego.

The author does a great job of world-building. The setting and geography of Vermont came alive. This was also a time of change and conflict. Interstates were being built, new and more scientific investigative techniques were starting to be used, the Cold War was ongoing, and the Vietnam war and protests surrounding it were occurring regularly across the country. All of these came to life in the story.

This is more of a historical police procedural that is heavy on characterization and world-building, but has a well-developed and intricate plot as well as some occasional action. While somewhat slower paced than many police procedurals set in modern times, the pace felt appropriate to the setting and time of the novel. The author does a great job of bringing to life the small rural town and the people of Bethany, including those who have left and return only annually for a community celebration. Gossip, secrets, treatment of others, politics, progress, grief, protests, loneliness, family, death, theft, judgment of others, mentoring, money, anger, jealousy, and much more are threads that are woven into the story line. My only quibbles were that it took too long to get to the details of why Warren moved from Boston to Vermont and he wasn’t introduced to the other troopers at the local barracks.

Overall, this is 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. The great and vivid storytelling and fantastic characterization have made this novel a winner for me. If you enjoy old-fashioned detective work prior to cell phones, the internet, and DNA testing, then this is a series to consider. I can’t wait to find out what is next for Warren, Alice, and the other residents of Bethany.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Sarah Stewart Taylor provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for August 06, 2024.