Drew Farthering is in Winchester, England, to meet with his solicitor, Quinton Montford. Upon his arrival at the hotel, he finds Mr. Montford dead. The cause appears unknown, but a note is secured to the body by an ornate Victorian hatpin, stuck straight through the heart.

When Chief Inspector Birdsong arrives on the scene, he consults with Drew, calling him "Inspector Farthering." Drew helped the police solve a couple murder cases at his estate just a few months ago, and he loves reading a good murder mystery. He frequents the local bookstore, trying to coerce the shopkeeper to let him have the latest mystery before it goes on sale. Drew is on top of this murder mystery, when another murder occurs with the same findings, a doctor on the golf course, no apparent reason for his death but stuck through the heart with a hatpin and another note. The notes are mysterious and sound like quotes from Shakespeare. Drew, along with his best friend Nick and his would-be fiancée Madeline, set out to solve these mysterious murders. Can they find the hatpin murderer before another killing occurs? And what, if anything, is the connection between these homicides?

This is my second visit to Farthering Place with these delightful yet quirky characters. Julianna Deering is a master at painting the scenes on her pages; bringing the reader into the story and making you feel you are right there with them. The story is set in the 1920s in the countryside just outside of London. Not only is Drew pursuing a killer, but he is also pursuing Madeline, who came to England from America upon her uncle's death. Madeline isn't making herself an easy catch for Drew. DEATH BY THE BOOK is the second installment of the Drew Farthering Mystery series. It's a quick read and a real treat.