Traveling weaver, Will Rees is home for the first time since
the death of his wife. He is helping his son, David, get
the farm back together after his brother-in-law nearly
destroyed it. Staying in one place is hard enough but
having to kick his only sister and her family off the form
was an unpleasant task. Couple that with dealing with an
antagonistic young man and his feelings for his housekeeper
and life has been close to unbearable.
Rees isn't sure what to do about Lydia and the feelings he
feels around her. Lydia is a young Shaker woman who
followed him to his farm after he solved a mystery in her
community. It's been eight years since his wife died but he
can't move past the guilt he feels. Rees loves the
itinerate life but it has placed a strain on his
relationships. Now, he is told that his childhood best
friend, Nate Bowditch, has been killed. Even with David
urging him not to get involved and Lydia wanting to help,
Will has no choice but to solve the riddle of the Nate's
death. In doing so, Will runs the risk of exposing some
secrets which can tear the village apart.
As the investigation continues, Will has to protect one of
his prime suspects from the gang of slave takers who are
bound and determined to return south with someone. When the
cook from the inn disappears, will is positive they slave
takers kidnapped her. Life in this country is hard, even
though it's been almost twenty years since the Continental
Army defeated the British.
Fascinating as the story is, DEATH OF A DYER is a dark,
complicated story. Too many secrets in the village will be
exposed as Will learns the truth of what happened to Nate.
Relationships will be torn apart and re-formed. The town
will never be the same.
Ms. Kuhns has clearly researched her history and her writing
brings the period to life. After the British were defeated,
life in North America was hard. Will is a flawed human
being who has trouble dealing with people in a meaningful
way. His lifestyle has allowed him to escape the deep
interaction that most families deal with. His time on the
farm has given him another look at what family life can be
and time to mend the relationships his traveling has
sundered.
The story was fascinating and the history was inspiring.
DEATH OF A DYER is darker than I normally enjoy and I wanted
to
hit Will over the head a time or two. His refusal to deal
with his guilt about David and his growing feeling for Lydia
were distractions I didn't want to read about.
Will Rees feels at home. It's been a long time since he last
felt this way-not since before his wife died years ago and
he took to the road as a traveling weaver. Now, in 1796,
Rees is back on his Maine farm, living with his teenaged
son, David, and his housekeeper, Lydia-whose presence
contributes more towards his happiness than he's ready to
admit. But his domestic bliss is shattered the morning a
visitor brings news of an old friend's murder. Nate Bowditch
and Rees hadn't spoken in many long years, but as children
they were closer than brothers, and Rees feels his loss
acutely. Asked to look into the circumstances surrounding
Nate's death, Rees simply can't refuse.
At the Bowditch
farmstead, Rees quickly discovers that everyone-from Nate's
frosty wife to his missing son to the shy serving girl-is
hiding something. But are any of them actually capable of
murder? Or does the answer lie elsewhere, behind stones no
one even knew needed unturning? Death of a Dyer once again
proves Eleanor Kuhns's remarkable ability to spin a
captivating story of a fascinating era and capture the light
and darker sides of human nature on the page.
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