The next day, the trio is met with disturbing news. Tony Mancini, the young man convicted of Evan’s father’s death has been released from juvenile prison and now stands accused of killing Alison Turnbull, the teenage daughter of the local factory owner who employs most of Swansea. Evan insists on confronting Mancini face to face and when the young man declares his innocence in the young woman’s murder, Evan finds himself believing him. As much as Evan wants to see Mancini spend more time in jail for the elder Evans’s murder, his sense of justice prevails. Against everyone’s advice, and at possible detriment to his new promotion, Evan begins to investigate Alison’s death. Though he suspects if he can prove Mancini’s innocence he will not be too popular with the locals, just how unpopular he may become never occurs to him.

Evan Only Knows takes Evan and Bronwen out of their usual North Wales setting and puts them back in their childhood homes (after their visit to Swansea, the pair travels to visit with Bronwen’s family) with their families, giving a glimpse of what has influenced the two to arrive where they are today.

As always, the Welch countryside is a bucolic setting, this time with the addition of the seashore, and the landscape is dotted with local characters. Evan’s mother and Bronwen’s parents are stark contrasts to their children, though the meetings allow more insight into Evan and Bronwen. Professionally, Evan remains as upright and honest as always, while personally, he has a bout of vanity when he thinks he has been asked to rejoin a local rugby team.

While the murderer and motive are easy to identify, the interest in the story lies in the way Evan reacts to what he learns during the investigation, both about the case and himself, and how the locals react to what Evan learns. Evan Only Knows is a reliable mystery with strong characterizations that will keep readers who favor traditional village cozies happy.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry