Book Review: The Body in the Wardrobe

Kerry Hammond is here to tell us about the latest book in the Faith Fairchild mystery series by Katherine Hall Page.

Katherine Hall Page, author of the long-running Faith Fairchild mystery series, has released her 23^rd book in the series. The Body in the Wardrobe was published in hardcover by William Morrow on April 26, 2016. I really enjoy this series, and look forward to each installment to be released. I look at this series as one of my guaranteed reads, knowing that I am always guaranteed to be entertained. I therefore always jump at the chance to review the latest book.

In The Body in the Wardrobe, Faith teams up with Sophie Maxwell, an attorney who appeared in the last book, The Body in the Birches. Sophie, who is now a newlywed, has moved to Savannah to be with her husband, Will, in his hometown. Will is a private investigator and working on a case that keeps him away from home for long stretches at a time, leaving Sophie to cope with her new surroundings, which include a new job, new family, and very few friends. At the same time, Faith has her own troubles. Her daughter, Amy, has started at a new school and is being bullied by some of the girls. Her minister husband Tom is considering a change within the church, one that would affect Faith and her family.

Sophie and Faith are in contact via telephone, helping each other cope with the changes going on in each of their lives. When Sophie comes across a dead body, she immediately turns to her friend for help, since Faith is well known to be an amateur sleuth. When the police show up and find no body, Faith is one of the only people who believe what Sophie actually saw, and she does her best to guide her via their long-distance contact.

I am always impressed when an author manages to keep a long-running series fresh, but Hall Page does just that. She progresses her characters in a way that is meaningful to the reader and at the same time adds in new recurring characters to keep the stories fresh. I have to say that I enjoy reading about the changes in the lives of my favorite characters as much as I enjoy the solving of the mystery. And speaking of the mysteries, I usually follow one or two clues to the end, but Ms. Fairchild always beats me to the conclusion. I wouldn’t have it any other way, though, since I like to be surprised at the end.

An added bonus in the books is the inclusion of Faith’s recipes. This book even contained a recipe for a Claret punch, which I plan to make. 

This book was provided to Mystery Playground by the publisher. The review is fair and independent.

You can read Kerry's review of Katherine Hall Page's last book, The Body in the Birches.

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