Death at Morning HouseReview posted November 3, 2024
HarperTeen, 2024. 9 hours, 23 minutes.
Review written October 28, 2024, from a library eaudiobook.
Starred Review
I believe that in reading this book, I've caught up on all the Maureen-Johnson-authored murder mysteries. And they're good! As you can tell from her guidebook for adults, Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village, she knows the conventions of the great mystery novels and how to use them to create something modern and new.
Death at Morning House is a stand-alone murder mystery, not part of the Stevie Bell Truly Devious series, but like those books, there's a place where mysterious deaths happened almost a hundred years ago - and there's a more recent death - and then someone goes missing in the novel's present day. We do get the story of the old deaths slowly revealed, and our teen protagonist Marlowe Wexler discovers clues to the modern-day deaths. And yes, finding those clues puts Marlowe in great danger - in this book, before she even knows who's responsible.
As the book opens, it's the start of summer, and Marlowe is taking the girl she's long had a crush on to her aunt and uncle's cabin - a place Marlowe is paid to watch over in their absence. Marlowe had gotten a special scented candle in a scent her crush likes - and while they are kissing, the candle explodes and the house sustains serious fire damage.
Marlowe does not respond well. She's afraid to talk to her crush. She becomes famous in her small town as a pyromaniac (even though the police confirm it was an accident), and she decides the only way to cope is to mope around in bed.
But then her history teacher tells Marlowe about an opportunity to spend the summer on an island in the St. Lawrence River, part of a team of teens offering tours of a historic home there. It sounds like a great way to get out of town, but the teacher doesn't tell Marlowe that the reason there's an opening is that one of the local teens who was planning to be there recently died at a party after prom. And part of the history of the house is the two children who died there from the original family that owned the house.
It all adds up to a great story with interesting characters and a strong sense of place. And of course, a big storm comes in not long after someone new goes missing, so there's no way to get off the island for help if anything bad should happen.
I have to say that I am completely on board with Maureen Johnson's recent trend of writing mysteries. She's good! The situations and characters are varied, but there's always an intriguing puzzle and characters you enjoy spending time with - and hope will stay alive.