Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie

Talk about your cliff-hangers! How could she do this? Obviously, I have to go get the next one in spite of my good intentions. --- OK, I went to Amazon, but before I bought the next book, I read the review of Crombie's most recent book, so I can let this go for a while. Thank goodness I am reading them years after they were written. I don't even want to imagine having to wait a year for the next installment as early followers of this series.

As for the main story, I didn't know she had it in her. I went through the next to last chapter thinking "Oh, HE did it" then "No, SHE did it" four or five times. In the first book, the identity of the murderer was a complete surprise to me. In the second one, I had a pretty good idea of who it was. In this one, I was down to trying to figure out who was the least likely murderer.

It is almost a Miss Marple setting - and conclusion for that matter - English country manor house, lots of tea and good manners - and sins of the past that refuse to be buried. Most enjoyable. And then the ending.

And to think that I was recently complaining about Stabenow and leading endings!