When Simone misses a bell choir practice, no one is terribly worried given her short attention span. Meddlesome Mrs. Molfrey, the Hollingsworth’s neighbor, who fancies herself the next Miss Marple, reports Simone’s absence to Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby. Barnaby is not particularly concerned about a missing, bored housewife, until her husband is found dead is his home.

While the death appears to be a suicide, DCI Barnaby examines it as a murder, and investigates the missing wife to see if and how the two incidents are connected. In doing this, Barnaby learns that Fawcett Green may not be the quiet hamlet it purports to be and that the people may not be leading the simple, quiet lives they seem to be leading.

Faithful Unto Death is a thoughtful, intricately plotted mystery, filled with a cast of wacky characters. The residents of Fawcett Green are delightful, especially Mrs. Molfrey, who is certain Barnaby will never solve either mystery without her help. While the mystery is very complex and full of false clues, it is hard to believe there is something to investigate until after Alan is found dead. Even then, Barnaby always assumes Simone is the victim and never considers her as a participant in a crime.

Barnaby is an interesting character and uses his ability to step back and view the entire situation as an outsider rather than a participant. Sometimes, however, Barnaby’s introspective thinking slows the plot down. Appearances from the delightful townspeople, however, keep things moving along and help Fateful Unto Death from becoming too bogged down. Even though Simone is missing for most of the novel, she is never a very likable, nor sympathetic character. Full of whimsical characters and a complex mystery to unravel, this book will appeal to fans of the traditional English village cozy.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry