Murder at Barclay Meadow

Eckel’s disappointing first novel stars Rosalie Hart, a jilted wife who retires to the farm on Maryland’s Eastern Shore left to her by an aunt, where she tries to carve out a new life for herself. In the Cardigan River that runs through her property, Rosalie discovers the body of Megan Johnston, a student athlete at nearby John Adams College. Rosalie doubts the too-easy conclusion of suicide promoted by scary sheriff Joe Wilgus. She later learns that Wilgus has a suspicious relationship with the college and that psychology professor Nicholas Angeles is reputed to sleep with his students. She also finds that Megan had an unhappy home life in Delaware and had been stalked in the past. Although readers may enjoy the investigative aspects involving social media and the colorful students from Rosalie’s memoir class (who share her opinion of the case), poor plotting and convenient coincidences raise questions about Rosalie’s compassion and intelligence. Agent: Ken Atchity, Story Merchant. (July)