Review: The Body on the Doorstep (Hardcastle and Chaytor Mysteries #1) by A.J. MacKenzie

I downloaded the third book in this series (The Body in the Boat) from NetGalley without realising it was part of a series. I thought it would be fairer to the author if I read this one first, and I'm so glad I did because I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Body on the Doorstep is a historical murder mystery set in 1796. Marcus Hardcastle, the Rector of St Mary in the Marsh, is writing a letter to The Morning Post when he is interrupted by a thunderous knocking on his door. When he opens it, he finds the body of a young man slumped at his feet and a bullet whistling past his head. The victim only lives long enough to whisper his last words: a message for a man named Peter.

St Mary in the Marsh is close to the coast of Kent and the man's death is written off as an argument between smugglers, but the Rev Hardcastle isn't so sure. With the help of a local widow, Amelia Chaytor, he decides to investigate the man's death. But the more he uncovers, the more it becomes clear that someone really doesn't want him to find out the truth. And that smugglers are not the only villains in St Mary in the Marsh.

When I started reading I somehow got it into my head that the Rev Hardcastle was an elderly man but he's actually only 39. Once tipped to become Bishop of Canterbury, he was wild and arrogant as a youth and upset too many important people. His posting to St Mary in the Marsh is actually a form of banishment. His parishioners think of him as a harmless old duffer with a fondness for alcohol, and as his investigation becomes more dangerous he decides it's safer to let people continue thinking that way.

I don't want to say too much more because I don't want to give away the plot, but I loved the mix of murder mystery and adventure, and the cast of eccentric characters - the smugglers, the little old ladies who notice more than they should, a landscape painter by the name of Turner...

The Body on the Doorstep is fast-paced with some real edge-of-the-seat moments, and packed with historical detail. The plot is clever, with some neat twists towards the end, and I didn't guess the identity of the murderer. I absolutely adored it and have already downloaded the second book in the series, The Body in the Ice. Recommended!


Related Posts:

The Body in the Ice (Hardcastle and Chaytor Mysteries #2) by A.J. MacKenzie
The Body in the Boat (Hardcastle and Chaytor Mysteries #2) by A.J. MacKenzie