Book Review: Katherine Hall Page’s The Body in the Bog

Posted September 21, 2011 by Kathy Davie in Book Reviews

I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Source: the library
Book Review: Katherine Hall Page’s The Body in the Bog

The Body in the Bog


by

Katherine Hall Page


It is part of the Faith Fairchild #7 series and is a amateur sleuth, mystery in Paperback edition that was published by Avon Publications on January 8, 2002 and has 384 pages.

Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon


Other books in this series include [books_series]

Other books by this author which I have reviewed include The Body in the Bouillon, The Body in the Vestibule, The Body in the Cast, The Body in the Basement, The Body in the Bookcase, The Body in the Big Apple, The Body in the Moonlight, The Body in the Bonfire, The Body in the Lighthouse, The Body in the Attic, The Body in the Snowdrift, The Body in the Ivy, The Body in the Sleigh, The Body in the Gazebo, The Body in the Boudoir, The Body in the Piazza, The Body in the Birches

Seventh in the Faith Fairchild amateur sleuth mystery series revolving around a caterer married to a man of the cloth in Aleford, Massachusetts.

My Take

It’s another lovely murder mystery with Faith providing the tasty comfort food against a homey background of motherhood and Reverend Tom with his sermons and bedside comfort. Seems Faith is a little too worried about that “comfort”.

A look behind-the-scenes at Aleford’s reenactment of the encounter between the British lobsterbacks and the patriots’ for the annual Patriots’ Day event provides an interesting look at how reverence for the event overtakes everyday resentments and yet side still plays a part.

Hmmm, Faith seems to be concerned about Pix’s success at mystery solving as she wants that particular spotlight for herself.

With all the nasty incidents, there’s all sorts of finger-pointing going on, and we get all sorts of red herrings between the teacher’s secret life and the nasty phone calls she’s getting along with the brick through her window. Then there are the poison pen letters that members of POW! are receiving — and that ex-boyfriend of Miss Lora’s come under a great deal of scrutiny.

The Story

The town of Aleford is up in arms when they discover one of their own is planning a McMansion development paving over what the town has always thought was conservation land with the access road running between the Fairchilds’ house and the church!

Naturally, Millicent puts together a committee to combat this excrescence and the fight is on. Only the fight we see is not the fight that’s fought.

It’s all too confusing when murder visits both sides of the debate.

The Characters

Faith Fairchild is her usual self. Too nosy for words and a healthy respect for the reality of childraising. Not as secure as she could be with her worries about Tom fooling around and a deep appreciation for quality clothing…Faith seems to be absorbing the New England thrift when she states that their daughter, Amy, will probably be wearing her Donna Karan mini when fashion cycles ’round to it again. Ben is their son.

Pix and Sam Miller are neighbors and friends with Faith and Tom. They have three kids: Mark, Samantha, and Daniel. Nikki is still fighting her family’s expectations of a wedding…with anyone.

Millicent Revere McKinley and her ancestors (including Paul Revere) have been in Aleford since time began, and she isn’t shy about taking over. She’s a pain in Faith’s backside. I think POW! is the committee against the development. Lora Deane is Ben’s nursery school teacher. Charley MacIsaac is the town police chief while John Dunne is a detective lieutenant with the state police force.

Joey Madsen is a housing developer from Aleford. Deane Construction Company.

The Title

I must confess to being a bit disappointed that cranberries didn’t make the menu anywhere…it is in a bog after all! But then again, with The Body in the Bog, maybe the cranberries wouldn’t be quite so appetizing.