Welcome To Bellechester

If you happen to enjoy a cozy mystery filled with interesting, ‘fun to get to know’ characters, you’ll probably enjoy Welcome to Bellechester from the pen of Margaret A. Blenkush. Now, I wouldn’t call this a ‘book two’, but there’s also The Doctor of Bellechester, which I enjoyed a year or so ago. Like the first book, Welcome to Bellechester is a warm, relaxing sort of novel, the sort of story you can enjoy on a cold, winter’s night with a glass of wine – red, of course.

In terms of plot, it’s not difficult to follow. The story begins with Will Donnelly, a rugby-playing detective who’s just been promoted and moved from London to the idyllic village of Bellechester. But he’s got a big job on his hands; not only has he got to fit in to ‘village’ life, but he’s also got to find a way of stopping a string of jewel thefts. The other central character is a young American doctor named Mary Elizabeth who happens to be very good at catching rugby balls! What follows is a fun story filled with lots of ‘village’ characters, a little romance, and a crime-based mystery. In terms of what needs work, not a lot. The pacing is a little slow here and there but, hey, it’s a cozy mystery – slow is part of the charm! And it’s not gritty in any way. So, if you enjoy hostile settings and dark, evil characters, this book is not for you. But if you like slow burners, written by an author who’s in no particularly hurry to get to the end, you’ll enjoy this novel.

Recently I read and reviewed the first book in the Dr. M.E. Senty series by Margaret A. Blenkush, “The Doctor of Bellechester,” and I absolutely loved it. I was so excited to be asked to review the second book in this series and I can honestly say that the author has done an even better job with her second foray into the lives of these characters than she did with the first. With her new book, “Welcome to Bellechester” the author has given us a deeper story, and along with the characters we loved from the first story, we are introduced to so many new and incredible characters. There is so much more to love.

“Welcome to Bellechester” is the story of many characters, but two are at the forefront of the book. On the one hand, we have the return of Dr. M. E. Senty, or Emme to her friends and family, who moves to the village of Bellechester to begin her work as the partner of Dr. Harold
Merton in his medical practice. On the other hand, the reader is introduced to Detective Inspector William Donnelly, who has recently given up his job with London’s Police Service to become the chief inspector of the County of Shropshire, which includes the village of Bellechester.

When they arrive in the village there are situations that both must immediately deal with. For Dr. Senty it is attempting to become a part of the village and trying to get the people who live there to accept not only a new doctor, but one that is female. For Detective Inspector Donnelly it is trying to solve the recent jewel heists that have been plaguing Bellechester and the surrounding communities. In addition to finding a place to live, struggling to fit in and make friends, and dealing with the attitudes of those already ensconced in the village and unsure of the newcomers, these two characters find themselves being pushed together by the wonderful Lady Brantwell. She tries to aid in catching the thieves and begin a romance between these two newcomers at the same time while hosting a gala welcome party for them.

The fun really starts as the reader is left to wonder if Will and his officers can solve the crime and get everyone’s jewels back, and whether or not Emme will ever be accepted due to the belief that medicine should be a male-dominated field. Will love actually bloom between the very responsible police detective and the very focused doctor, especially when their initial meetings are filled with sparks of a kind that are far from romantic?

“Welcome to Bellechester” is a wonderfully written and charming story who will captivate the reader as they turn the pages. The writing is excellent and so descriptive that you will feel as if you are actually in this beautiful English village meeting people who will become new friends as you walk along the lovely roads and take in the scenery. As I found in the first story, Dr. Senty is a fabulous female protagonist that will enchant the readers. She is strong, she is smart, and she is willing to fight for what she wants against all the norms of society.

Will is an excellent addition to the series and a perfect partner for Emme as he is also a character who is very smart and unwilling to let anything get in the way of solving this crime and fitting into his new home and position. As readers, we are also introduced to many new characters who are perfect additions to the village and perfect in their roles. From Lord and Lady Brantwell to the wonderful Father Evenson, Dr. Merton’s closest friend, to Viscount LeBrosse, the mysterious gentleman who befriends Emme at the ball. Every single one of them lends so much to the story and they are all extremely well-developed by the author.

“Welcome to Bellechester” is a captivating and fun story that I would recommend to everyone out there. Whether you want to read a lovely romance, an interesting mystery, or you just want to disappear for an afternoon to the English countryside, this is the book for you. I think Ms. Blenkush is a wonderful author and I have become a huge fan. I cannot wait to see what Emme, Will, and all the others get up to in the next book. Definitely 5 Stars!!

Welcome to Bellechester continues the medical story introduced in the novel The Doctor of Bellechester, which centered on a small village doctor who journeys to London in search of a mentor for his practice and instead encounters new possibilities in American woman Mary Elizabeth.

The atmosphere of cozy mystery, suspense, and budding career and personal choices is furthered in this second book, which opens with different circumstances of intrigue and revised potentials, beginning with another confession gained by Detective Inspector William Francis Donnelly

Dr. Harold Merton is not a major figure here, but plays a more minor role, appearing mid-book long after the story has heated up and embraced readers with its special brand of Bellechester community interactions and concerns.

As Dr. Basil Applegate and other characters profiled in the first book come to light, readers will find this second story of small village interactions and influences expands the psyches and situations of the first book while building an excellent stand-alone novel steeped in British atmosphere, detective work, and medical issues alike.

The pivot points of this novel opens the doors and definition of “cozy small town” to invite newcomers and prior fans into a read that excels in building relationships, connections and conundrums stemming from mystery and medical treatments.

As in her prior novel, Margaret A. Blenkush is adept at crafting a set of realistic circumstances powered by quiet believable dramas that play out on many different levels. This translates to a realistic feel that uses daily life encounters to build suspense, eschewing the lure of nonstop action in favor of a slower pace that builds equally satisfying tension and attraction.

Mary Elizabeth begins to feel that there should be something more in her life than her passion for becoming a rural doctor, involving readers in the opportunities, ideals, and issues facing women in the late 1950s.

The result is another fine cozy story that embraces and expands the atmosphere of Bellechester and its residents with an ‘everyman’, ‘everywoman’, and ‘everytown’ appeal that explores the challenges of adopting a foreign locale as one’s home.

Libraries and readers seeking a story that focuses on how a young woman moves into new possibilities that expand her future and perspectives will find Welcome to Bellechester delightful, pairing a deceptively peaceful countenance with moments of revelation and discovery.