Book Review: Abbot's Meadow by Peter Knight

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dan Curran, a rookie journalist at the Castlebridge Gazette, is glad to have been assigned his first investigative piece on Castlebridge Council’s last-minute decision to back out of the sale of a council-owned piece of land known as Abbot’s Meadow to local land developer – a sale that would have been beneficial to the council and the community. As Dan tries to find out the reason behind the committee's decision to not go forward with the sale, he meets with some unexpected obstacles – reports on council meetings that should have been available to the public but access to which has been restricted, a local landscaping company whose interest in the land isn’t above suspicion and certain important people aren’t too happy that Dan is looking into the issue. Aiding Den is his boss, experienced journalist Jack Marston, who sees potential in Dan and Jenny Swan, an accountant who works for the Council and who shares Dan’s suspicions about the committee’s decision. Dan and Jennye find themselves embroiled in a complex web of lies, deceit, manipulation and murder but they will leave no stone unturned in their quest for the truth.

Abbot's Meadow by Peter Knight is a well-crafted mystery that kept me absorbed until the very end. This is a slow-burn, but the plot is intriguing and the narrative flows well. Though several subplots( including a sweet romantic track) and new characters are introduced into the story as the mystery unfolds, the narrative never gets too convoluted or difficult to follow. I liked how the author wove all the threads of the narrative together into a cohesive narrative without digressing or distracting from the primary plot. Dan is a very likable protagonist and I enjoyed getting to know him. The novel is well structured and I enjoyed following Dan’s meticulous investigation into the history of Abbot’s Meadow and the people involved in the aborted land development deal. Jenny is an endearing character and I admired her resolve and thought they made a great team. The gradual unraveling of the mystery was well executed and the finale had an element of surprise (always a good thing) that I did not see coming.

Overall, I thought this was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Many thanks to Troubador Publishing for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.