Out of a Dark Reflection - Lexie Conyngham

Out of a Dark Reflection by Lexie Conyngham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I meant to spend a few days reading Out of a Dark Reflection, but as soon as I started reading I couldn't resist keeping going. Fortunately, I've been quite busy with work lately and could do with a bit of time doing very little, so it didn't matter too much that I spent the whole day reading.
I love the Murray books, particularly those, like this one, that also feature his good, but rather eccentric friend Blair.
Murray is spending the season at home in Letho, with his (horrid) wife due to give birth soon. He's not the only one who seems to have given the season a miss. When an old woman is killed in her home, the whole village soon starts to tear itself apart looking for witches and it doesn't seem that anyone is unaffected in one way or another by the hysteria.
I have to admit that I didn't manage to get to the bottom of this one. I had a few ideas that seemed to be in the right direction, but I certainly didn't unravel everything. That isn't really why I read these books. I do enjoy the mystery element and that's what I came for initially. What I really love is Murray himself, the other characters that make up his world (both servants, friends and passing acquaintances) and the historical setting. I don't know if Murray's house is based on a particular real-life house, or rather an amalgamation of them, but I can certainly think of houses that I know that are similar.
There is a short novella that follows this book, I've already downloaded it and will be reading it soon. I'm sure that it won't be long until I return to Murray and the next in the series.

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Knowledge of Sins Past - Lexie Conyngham

Murray of Letho book two

Scotland at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Scoggie Castle is cold and grim, but a refuge to the disinherited Charles Murray. Then a series of mysterious deaths shakes family and servants alike, and splits the local village in two. Murray is thrown once more into the midst of murder, but who has the answer in this dark rural landscape - the pig-lovers or the pig-haters? 

My Review

I'm fast becoming a big fan of the Murray of Letho series. This is the third book that I've read, having started with the most recent installment; Thicker than Water. I enjoyed that so much that I decided to go back to the beginning of the series and read them all. 

In many ways, Knowledge of Sins Past is quite different to most murder mystery novels. The first half of the book is concerned with the setting of the scene, there is plenty going on and a number of mysteries start to emerge. In all honesty, I'd almost forgotten that this was a murder mystery, by the time that I reached that element of the story. Although it's much slower moving than some other books in the genre, the depth of the characters and the story lines, mean that it doesn't really matter. The historical setting is so finely painted, that you feel as if you are actually there.

Murray himself is very likeable. A young man, trying to find his place in life, having upset his father. He now exists in that twilight zone somewhere between the servants and the family, not really fitting into either. Having read the latest book, I do have some idea of where his life is going, but I'm looking forward to reading about it in future books.

I really enjoyed this book and I'll be reading the third in the series soon. I'd really recommend the Murray of Letho books.