Review Detail

Fans of Maureen Johnson should not miss this book! My journey with Maureen started with the Truly Devious series. I fell in love with the writing and the characters quirkiness. When one loves a series so much, it can somewhat be difficult not to expect the same reaction with a new book by the same author. Death at Morning House did not disappoint with the twists and turns of a mystery novel. I loved the stories and how each one had it's own problem to solve. In the back on my mind while reading, I was expecting the stories to truly intertwine, which never happened. The only connection is the house itself. I say this not to spoil anything but to get that prenotion out of a readers head so they can enjoy the story as it is told. If I knew this going in, I think I would have had a better time with each story individually.

The characters were decent, but I'll admit I liked the past better than the future. Marlowe was enjoyable enough but there was a spark to her that I was missing. Clara was the true winner of this story. She starts off almost unlikeable but the more her story progresses, the more I connected with her. Although her fate is sealed, the journey was worth it. The way the whole past unraveled was something I did not see coming and I enjoyed that so much! While I can appreciate the present story - I didn't find it nearly as interesting.

Overall, Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson is a must read for anyone who is a fan of hers. Even if you haven't read anything by her and you enjoy murder mysteries - then you should still pick this up. The two timelines help split up the book to enjoy both mysteries. While I personally enjoyed the past more than the present, both held my interest. It's always fun trying to figure out the end, and while I was able to figure out the present, the past was surprising!