Murder at Penwood Manor by Antony Barone Kolenc

Murder at Penwood Manor
by Antony Barone Kolenc

ISBN-13: 9780829455540
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Loyola Press
Released: October 24, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Xan and Christina embark on an Easter journey to Harwood Abbey, where they reunite with their old friends, Lucy and Joshua. When a brutal murder occurs at nearby Penwood Manor, all evidence points to Laurence, a Crusader recently returned from the Holy Land. Unconvinced of the man’s guilt, Xan and his friends must act swiftly to solve the crime.

Who could have committed such a horrible killing? Is Laurence tormented by demons, or is he haunted by some other secret? And will Xan be forever changed by the choice Lucy and Christina present to him?


My Review:
Murder at Penwood Manor is a middle grade mystery set in 1187 in England. This was the fifth book in a series. It can be read as a stand-alone, but some of the relationships between the characters and organizations weren't entirely clear. For example, why was Christina or Father Philip traveling with Xan and his uncle? It might be easier to follow if read in order. Also, be warned that this book ended with a cliff-hanger: will Xan marry the girl he proposed to or the one that he's long cared for? Yes, a 14-year-old boy is not only running a merchant business but going to get married by the end of this book. And there's another cliff-hanger, but I won't spoil that one.

Xan asked some good questions after the murder was discovered. But then he got sidetracked into looking into who had motives rather than first narrowing it down to people who could have done it. I guessed whodunit about halfway through and the gathered clues kept pointing in that direction, but there were other possibilities to keep readers guessing. It seemed like the adults who didn't believe Laurence killed the man were a little dense not to suspect, though. Everyone seemed a little dense, actually. Christina thought it should be obvious how she felt toward Xan even though she told him that she wasn't going to marry. Mixed signals, honey.

Interesting historical details were woven into the story, but some things were only lightly explained. I suspect more details about the abbey and how those worked were given in previous novels, but some of that needed to be repeated here to better understand the events of the story. The theme of the story was envy and the stupid things people (including Xan) do due to envy. Xan frequently prayed to God to guide him in his decision-making. The was no sex or bad language.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.