Agony Hill

*** Publication Date 6 August 2024 ***
By Sarah Stewart Taylor
4 stars
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What a great mystery. Told from several points of view, this novel takes us into the minds of the prominent characters to solve the question of what happened to Hugh Weber. I really enjoyed this step back in time to a turbulent period in the history of the US. It is the summer of 1965. 

Sylvie is a French-Canadian woman who married Hugh Weber when she was just a teenager, but he was in his 30s. She was so young, and had a son before the first year of the marriage was over. Originally Hugh promised Sylvie an idyllic life, living off the land of Vermont. After four children, with a fifth on the way, things were not as they started.

Mrs. Bellows was raised in Bethany, Vermont, but also traveled the world with her husband, who worked for the government. After his death, she returned to Bethany to spend her remaining years in the house built by her family. She is a bit of a sleuth herself, trying to solve the mysteries that arise in Bethany. Being one of the original families, she is well connected to the town.

During the summer of 1965, Franklin Warren arrives as a newly installed investigator for the state police. He no sooner sets foot in his new house, that he is called to investigate a suspicious death. Warren has his own demons to conquer, and this new position is going to be a challenge for him. 

Going back in time to 1965 when there was so much dissent due to not only the Cold War but also Vietnam. At this period in history, the ‘hippie’ and ‘back to our roots’ movement was prevalent in bigger cities, but was just reaching the smaller communities in the US. It is a fascinating time and Taylor has captured the dynamics so well. I loved the descriptive qualities of her writing. 

Recommend this step back for summer reading.