"Murder in the Mill-Race" is an enjoyable vintage mystery but it is not my favorite work by the author. By all means, this is a well-written golden age era mystery, but it certainly is not Lorac's most memorable work let alone an unique read from the period. The plot is quite predictable, and clues pretty much point to the only obvious suspect. I didn't enjoy it as much as her other works which have been republished to date ("Fire in the Thatch," "Murder by Matchlight" and "Bats in the Belfry.)

Far away in a self-sufficient and remote English village where people usually live in peace, the village sergeant knows the two drown cases that he has been dealing with are no accidents. Calling in the Scotland Yard to step in, Inspector Macdonald has to tackle villagers who usually turn blind eye and pretend ignorant when horrible things happen. The inhabitants' tendency to harbor malice by following the unspoken norm, "never made trouble in the village," does not make the investigation any easier. Macdonald, once again, exercises his wits and experiences to solve the puzzles when there are no apparent motives and witnesses.

What I love about the book:
- E.C.R. Lorac's description of the village and scenery is simply stunning and beautiful. And I love her subtle way of showing the post-war traumas to civilians at the beginning of the story
- a well constructed and believable plot

What I don't like about the book:
- the plot is predictable. There are just a small number of suspects, and clues are obvious
-The pace is a little too slow

"Murder in the Mill-Race" is still an enchanting vintage mystery. Readers of old-school crime novels would find Lorac's writing appealing and entertaining.