Well-Offed In Vermont

Well-Offed in Vermont

by Amy Patricia Meade

Stella and Nick can't wait to move into their new house in rural Vermont. There's just one problem: a dead guy in their well. Forced to stay in a privative hunting cabin, the newcomers take it upon themselves to solve the mystery so they can finally unpack their moving van.

I found the first chapter of this story extremely engaging, especially since it ends with the beginning of the mystery. However, the second chapter then opens by giving background information on two characters that had yet to be introduced to the story. Since a lot of this information is revealed later, I would have much preferred to learn Alma's backstory slowly. I think it would have made her a more interesting character and possibly even a suspect. Instead, because I knew about what happened to her son, I felt about four steps ahead of Stella.

Although I found the story enjoyable, there were many aspects that felt as unrealistic as a children's sitcom. The main characters were displaced from their house because it was necessary for the story, but it didn't feel like proper police procedure. I liked the fact that most of the people in town seemed to agree with me. Also, Stella tells the sheriff they spoke with the real estate agent in order to discuss extending the warrantee on their new home. I have never heard of such a policy and it made me wonder how ignorant the sheriff was that he bought the story.

When they get to the hunting cabin, it has no electricity or insulation. While I could easily picture the location, I wondered how Raymond and his buddies would be using it in November without turning into icicles. Similarly, I have never seen an outhouse door that swings inward. Again, it made for a funny scene, but it felt unrealistic.

A lot of the dialogue felt unnatural as well. There were many instances, especially in the beginning, when the characters were speaking to give the reader background information (most of which felt unnecessary) instead of just speaking to each other. A prime example of this is in the first chapter when Stella says to her husband "I'm sure your folks in New Jersey will be very proud." There is no need at this time (or really anywhere in the story) to know where his parents live and I have never spoken that way to my own husband.

The story also had a difficult time staying in one point of view. While the majority of the story was told from Stella's perspective, there were occasional glimpses into other narrations. While I did enjoy seeing some of the scenes from other people's eyes, I would have preferred more consistency in this tactic.

However, despite its flaws, I did find this story enjoyable and will probably read more in this series. Overall, I would rate this story four quills and place it on my middle shelf.