PLOT: 3.5/5
CHARACTERS: 4/5
WRITING STYLE: 3/5
CLIMAX: 3/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3.5/5

These days I have become a huge fan of the Netgalley platform as that is where I choose a majority of my “to read” titles from. “A Quiet Life In The Country” is another one of my Netgalley picks and I am more than happy to review it for you guys here.

The story revolves around a lady and maid duo who together have been through a lot of adventures and misadventures.

Lady Hardcastle is a widow who enjoys a very special and different kind of bond with her maid Florence Armstrong.

The past couple of years had been quite busy and hectic for both of them and thus to move away from the hustle and bustle of London, the two have decided to move to the countryside.

But a quiet life is not what fate has in store for the Lady and her maid. Just when they are about to settle into their new routine and surroundings, a murder happens and somehow the Lady is aware that the police does not have the right man.

Before long, and with the help of her maid, the Lady decides to take the matters into her own hands and begins her own series of inquisitions.

But nothing is as easy as it seems, for, in the process of solving the murder, she unravels something ever more sinister and gruesome.

So what will Lady Hardcastle do? Will she be able to uncover everything that is wrong in this countryside? Or will fate take a turn against her?

Well, this is for you to know when you read this book.

The story is set in 1908, a period which was both culturally and visually rich for England.

Personally, the best part about this book, in my humble opinion was this very vintage setting which creates a certain kind of mystery and aura for the reader.

I also admired the characters of Lady Hardcastle and Miss Armstrong, and the casual camaraderie which they shared between them. That was something very unusual for those days.

The plot is good but the story sometimes struggles at a slow pace. I personally would have liked a little more action and misadventure.

The pace of the book becomes steady in the later part, even slightly picking up in the end. The author’s narrations and descriptions easily bring to life the times of the early 20th century England. 

The book does well to start with building the characters and the setting before the murder is introduced. The mystery quotient is maintained throughout though I will refrain myself from calling it a mystery/thriller in the strict sense.

The climax too is satisfying and the book leaves the reader with a feeling of content on having read a decent read.

All in all, “A Quiet Life In The Country” is a nice read and I will, therefore, rate it three and a half out of five stars. I will especially recommend it to those who have a thing for period settings.

Watch the YouTube review below: