A Thief in Stickleback Hollow: A British Victorian Cozy Mystery: 1 (Mysteries of Stickleback Hollow) Paperback – Import, 17 December 2020

I was encouraged by the other glowing reviews to read this book as it is the first in a series. However, though I can find no mention in the write up, I feel it is a YA book. It is set in Victorian times but the heroine, Sarah, regularly spends time alone with a man. A male escort is chosen for her when she returns from India to England by ship - no lady's maid is with her. She also spends an evening in a small lodge with a man and travels to a larger town and stays in a hotel escorted again only by a man. There are some errors or oddities, as well. Her guardian ages about 15 years in two chapters. He is described as 6ft 5 inches tall and in his early 50's which she first meets him and two days later when she goes riding with him he is 65. The hero, a hunter called Hunter (which gets quite confusing when that is mentioned in the same sentence) is a head taller than her guardian so he must be extremely tall! It is light on character development but this may improve in later books. The plot line is also fairly predictable and light. I did finish the book but did not connect with any of the characters as they did not seem true to the period. I won't be reading the next book in the series which may concentrate more on the villain mentioned in the last few chapters.

I think this was well written but the main character was so far away of what was expected of a young woman of that time period. Spending the nite in a man's cabin would have ruined her reputation. She is just too independent for the time period.

Would not recommend if you are looking for a well-written and intelligent mystery. For a very light and easy read, it will do.