Trevega House (A Davies & West Mystery)

Thrilled to have volunteered to read and review this ARC recommended by Hidden Gem. Will North created a village full of characters some more well developed than others, but when writing a series you want to leave some mystery to dig into at a later date. The fact this book is part of a series I have never read had no impact on my enjoyment of this little jewel. There much heart and s strong spirit in this coastal Cornish community and those who are tight knit warm my own heart by having each other's back. Within these pages you find love, heart break, friendship, suspense, danger, humor...a whole range of human emotions, but also multiple mysteries as the crime rate unexpectly soars. Loving mysteries, whether watching or reading, I vicariously immerse myself with the detective team. Generally with a pretty good resolution rate. However, there were so many twists and turns, I struggled and was as surprised and disappointed in myself as Morgan Davies. So enjoyed the way the village has embraced Lee and her adoptive parents. As a twelve year old, Lee is such a unique and interesting character, I could see the her special talents being very usuful in future Davies and West mysteries. If you like mysteries, this book will not disappoint.

Excellent book as all of the ones by Will North are. This might sound strange but I loved the feel of the cover--like close napped velvet.
Can barely wait for the next in the series. Will's books are always so thoughtful and capture the feelings of mature adults.

The wording in the book was great. However, I did predict the ending. I'm not sure if you go on to talk about Lee's abilities. I was interested in the girl. I would read the book again. It seems like one you could pick up again.

Trevega House by Will North is the third book in the Davies & West Mysteries set in Cornwall, England, and it is as solid a mystery as they come. Book three has catapulted this series into serious contention as an award worthy one. There is much with which to be satisfied and captivated in Trevega House. North has great talent in creating characters in whom the reader becomes invested. Morgan Davies and Calum West head the list of these characters, but most authors can do main characters well. Will North shows his character genius in bringing to life even the most minor of characters, with a special knack for the circle of characters directly surrounding Davies and West. And, in this book, we are even given the pleasure of revisiting some characters from another book of Will North's, not in the Davies & West series. Of course, descriptions of the Cornish countryside are another area of author expertise, borne out by the fact that North has spent enough time in Cornwall (and Devon) to actually have written walking guides to the areas. The descriptions are never heavy-handed, just particularly enough to ensure the charm and beauty of Cornwall shines through. And, then there is that other skill in storytelling that the author possesses to make a complete success of this book. The plot is smart, even-paced, engrossing, and unpredictable, and the story is written with a voice that echoes the old and embraces the new. So, all the bases are covered to result in, as I mentioned at the beginning, a solid success of a read.

Nicola Rhys-Jones and Andrew Stratton (from the novel Water, Stone, Heart) and their twelve-year-old nearly adopted daughter Lee are living in Trevega House, just south of the historic artists' colony of St. Ives in Cornwall. It has been three years since the massive flooding of Boscastle and the death of Lee's parents. Andrew, an architect, is still learning the art of stone wall building, and Nicola, an artist, is bringing the estate's garden back to glory. Their safe haven has been provided by Nicola's ex-father-in-law, Sir Michael Rhys-Jones, who owns the house and surrounding lands and loves Nicola like a daughter. But, the safe haven is under threat. Lee, who is already stunningly prescient and getting more so, warns that "Someone wants to do us harm. Someone evil"

The discovery in a pasture on the Trevega estate of a bullock with its throat savagely cut and left to bleed out is found by Lee he escalation of danger to a burning building on the property next and a near miss of someone dying in that fire, there seems to be more to investigate and less to dismiss. More threatening incidents follow, and at last a murder occurs in the area. The connections are too close to ignore, and the tearself. Close inspection reveals that the bullock was killed by someone who meant maximum harm. With Sir Michael being a close friend of DCI Arthur Penwarren, the DCI calls in Davies and West to visit the scene of the killing. As expected, Detective Inspector Morgan Davies is not happy to be sent on such a case and views it as quite beneath her skills and concern. However, with them at Bodmin faces a challenge of rooting out a person who may have gone from murdering an animal to murdering a human being. Watching Davies and West and the rest of the team work is a suspenseful thrill, the interrogating and forensics leading to and away from suspects.

I received a copy of Trevega House from the publishers for an honest review. I can assure readers that this book is the real deal, what mystery/crime readers crave in their search for excellence. The Davies and West series is now a sought after series for those who like a little murder along their Cornish walking path.

Will North's books are the best and this is no exception! Great character development, amazing research and detail and keep you guessing til the end!

I'd actually give it four and a half stars, and the only reason I'm not awarding five is that I figured out who the murderer was before the end. This, the fourth book in North's Davies & West series, is a tense one. A young girl, Lee, has been orphaned, and she is adopted by Nicola and Andrew. Nicola is the daughter-in-law of Sir Michael and Andrew an American architect. Someone is trying to frighten or harm them: killing a bullock on their land, poisoning a well, burning a mill house they are restoring. Then the 'pranks' turn more deadly: Lee's beloved dog is caught in a steel trap, and a large rock is dropped on Lee herself. How do these events tie in to the murder of a nearby woman? In a case with many twists and turns, North still finds a way to advance the relationships among members of the crime team.

Strange things are happening at Trevega House. A bullock is brutally slain. A young girl is assaulted when a large rock is thrown at her, and her dog's leg is caught in an illegal game trap. A widowed woman is found murdered in her home. Detective Inspector Morgan Davies and Detective Sergeant Callum West, along with their team, try to figure out who exactly is the culprit and how all of the events are linked together. What they discover is a tale of spousal abuse, incest, and cheating, among other things, that even the detectives cannot imagine enduring. But can they figure it all out before someone else is killed? (Note: I reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.)

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book -
I found that this book got off to a very slow start but delivered tremendously. It gave way to lots of twists and turns that gave it its own unique mystery in such a mystery book. I definitely recommend this book. This is apart of a series of books. I haven't read any of the previous ones from this group but this book can be read outside of the series.

The characters blended well together and IMO would be a good entry for YA fans.

Such a great story! I love well-written mysteries and this one doesn't disappoint. The characters are fantastic and the storyline sucks you in and won't let you go. This is part of a series and I enjoyed it so much that I'm getting the first book as soon as I finish writing this review! I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader copy of this book and highly recommend it to you.