Bobbie - Shop now
Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Over 4 million titles. Learn more
Read for Free
OR
$1.99 with 83 percent savings
Digital List Price: $11.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC.
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

The Wrong Rite (The Madoc and Janet Rhys Mysteries) Kindle Edition

by Charlotte MacLeod (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 out of 5 stars 426 ratings
A Canadian Mountie and his family take a trip to Wales where ancient rituals prove deadly—from an author “in the top rank of modern mystery fiction” (Elizabeth Peters).
 For mounted policeman Madoc Rhys and his wife, Janet, the pains of traveling with an infant are worth  taking young Dorothy to Wales for Great-Uncle Sir Caradoc’s ninetieth birthday. Along with every other member of the Rhys clan, they make the pilgrimage to the ancestral pile, to enjoy a few days of drinks, dinner, and—as it turns out—demonic sacrifices. On their first morning at the family manor, Madoc stumbles upon a concussed shepherd and a dismembered ram. It appears to be a botched attempt at an ancient rite, executed by one of those Welshmen who still carry a torch for the religion of the druids. For a spot of fun, the Rhys family decides to stage its own ritual—recreating the fertility ceremony of the Beltane bonfires. But when the flames turn a member of his family into a fireball, Madoc springs to action. Even five thousand miles from Canada, a Mountie always gets his man.
Previous slide of product details
  1. Book 5 of 5
    The Madoc and Janet Rhys Mysteries
  2. Print length
    274 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    MysteriousPress.com/Open Road
  5. Publication date
    October 2, 2012
  6. File size
    4.4 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
Next slide of product details

Shop this series

 See full series
There are 5 books in this series.

Customers also bought or read

Page 1 of 1Start overPage 1 of 1
Previous page
  3. The Terrible Tide
    Kindle Edition
    $7.99
  5. A Choice of Evils (Andrew Basnett)
    Kindle Edition
    $2.99
  7. Something Wicked (Andrew Basnett)
    Kindle Edition
    $1.99
  12. Grab Bag: A Collection of Stories
    Kindle Edition
    $7.99
  14. A Hobby of Murder (Andrew Basnett)
    Kindle Edition
    $2.99
  21. Legend in Green Velvet
    Kindle Edition
    $9.99
  22. The Fat Lady's Ghost
    Kindle Edition
    $7.99
  28. Collected Short Mysteries
    Kindle Edition
    $3.99
Next page
Loading...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The fifth Jenny and Madoc Rhys mystery ( An Owl Too Many ) finds the appealing young Canadians and their baby daughter in Wales for great-uncle Sir Cardoc Rhys's 90th birthday. The clan has gathered, and renowned musicians, a well-known author, an actress and two aging sorcerers are among the celebrants. Feasting begins in the huge old kitchen with Welsh cakes and trifle, moves to the barn with a mammoth birthday banquet, is followed by revelry in the meadow--poetry and folk singing, harps and violins, and, at dusk, the piece de resistance: leaping the Beltane fire. All is described in such delicious detail that it's a distinct letdown when sudden death terminates the festivities. Royal Canadian Mounted Police inspector Madoc, asked to join the inquiry, untangles diverse strands--an old murder, a ram decapitation, jewel theft, blackmail and even prostitution--to reach a fairly predictable solution. But if the investigation lacks thrills, the portrayal of old Welsh customs and engaging family eccentrics is delightful.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Detective Inspector Madoc Rhys of the Canadian Mounties (A Pint of Murder, 1980, etc.), wife Janet, and infant daughter Dorothy are visiting Madoc's family in Wales to celebrate the 90th birthday of grandfather Sir Caradoc Rhys. A clutch of friends and relatives are in and out of the manor house, eating a succession of meals and drinking endless cups of tea. Among them is neighbor Lisa Ellis, a widow whose gem-dealer husband was murdered in Marseilles eight years before. Distant cousin Mary Rhys, a gem-cutter of unexpected affluence, and her occult-obsessed brother Bob are also guests, as is Madoc's opera-star brother Daffyd, for years in love with Lisa. It takes 150 pages of relatives, local rites, and cooing over Dorothy before Mary, long tagged the murder victim, comes to her ritualistic end. Unwinding the background to her murder, a scenario full of bizarre coincidence, is no more enthralling than what's gone before. Cloying, unconvincing, and strictly for faithful fans. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0099HZQ2W
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ MysteriousPress.com/Open Road (October 2, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 2, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.4 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 274 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 426 ratings

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
426 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find this book to be entertaining light reading with endearing characters and interesting plot twists. They appreciate the writing style, with one customer noting the well-constructed sentences.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

11 customers mention "Enjoyment"11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining light reading.

"Anything by Charlotte MacLeod is guaranteed to be a great, fun read!..." Read more

"...and Janet series, but when Charlotte puts out a book, it's always a fun read with just enough twists and turns that I don't get bored." Read more

"...while presenting some..or many...readers with what will be entertaining light reading. I liked it despite its faults...." Read more

"...I love the characters in this book. They work so well together and it is wonderful." Read more

7 customers mention "Character development"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one mentioning that the villain was not guessed.

"...You fall in love with the characters, and there is always some kind of quirky plot twist...." Read more

"I enjoyed this final book of the series. Great dialog and character development. It did not guess the villain. Unique setting in Wales." Read more

"...Romance and blackmail are thick in the air. I love the characters in this book. They work so well together and it is wonderful." Read more

"...rereading this book a lovely Welsh mystery from the 1990s Endearing characters and a unique plot. With twists. Word" Read more

7 customers mention "Plot twists"7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the plot twists in the book, with one customer specifically mentioning it as a lovely Welsh mystery.

"...You fall in love with the characters, and there is always some kind of quirky plot twist...." Read more

"...when Charlotte puts out a book, it's always a fun read with just enough twists and turns that I don't get bored." Read more

"Enjoyed rereading this book a lovely Welsh mystery from the 1990s Endearing characters and a unique plot. With twists. Word" Read more

"...Always interesting plots and wonderful settings." Read more

4 customers mention "Writing style"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, with one customer noting the well-constructed sentences and another praising the great dialog.

"...I seek out her books and am always pleased to read works with well constructed sentences and no tedious and unnecessary clap trap...." Read more

"I enjoyed this final book of the series. Great dialog and character development. It did not guess the villain. Unique setting in Wales." Read more

"Charlotte MacLeod was such a wonderful writer. This was really fun to read. For those who haven't read all her stories, I recommend it...." Read more

"Great author! Great series! Great book!..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Melanie Theilig
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great author! Great series! Great book!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Anything by Charlotte MacLeod is guaranteed to be a great, fun read! You fall in love with the characters, and there is always some kind of quirky plot twist. This one is set in Wales, and you get a real taste of the flavor of the country.

    I am so glad that these books are available on Kindle. I own all of her books in paperback, or hard cover, but some of them are falling apart from much reading.

    If you love cosy mysteries, and enjoy humorous situations and characters.....you HAVE to read Charlotte MacLeod's books!
    6 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A fun read
    Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Charlotte MacLeod is my favorite writer. I follow several of her series. I seek out her books and am always pleased to read works with well constructed sentences and no tedious and unnecessary clap trap. I'm not as fond of the Madoc and Janet series, but when Charlotte puts out a book, it's always a fun read with just enough twists and turns that I don't get bored.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Accepting its faults, I was entertained.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Another pleasant visit with Canadian Mounty Rhys, wife,and child,, as the three visit the ancestral home in Wales, for the holidays, only to have one member burst into flames during the celebration. Did she do it herself, was it an accident, was it murder...but how could it have been. Readers already familiar with the family will enjoy their further adventures, those who have read none of the previous works, need not worry, that is not required reading for this one. As some reviewers have pointed out, the book, while centered on the crime, is also about the family....too much so for some tastes. A legitimate criticism although not one I share. Similarly, there are striking coincidences in the denouement which strain ones credulity. Once more, that did not bother me, as a series reader, although I see the merit of the criticism.
    So, we have here one of those books in which the author appears to play pretty fast and loose with the mystery elements while presenting some..or many...readers with what will be entertaining light reading. I liked it despite its faults. Perhaps you will like it as well.
    13 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Sue Reads
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good story & mystery. Satisfied with the ending.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed this final book of the series. Great dialog and character development. It did not guess the villain. Unique setting in Wales.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Customer Cathy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Spooky mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Madoc and Janet go to a relative’s birthday party with the new granddaughter. There is witchcraft and other spooky stuff going on at the party. Then, someone is killed and a large jewel is stolen. Romance and blackmail are thick in the air. I love the characters in this book. They work so well together and it is wonderful.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read
    Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Enjoyed rereading this book a lovely Welsh mystery from the 1990s Endearing characters and a unique plot. With twists. Word
    Helpful
     Report
  • pollymom
    4.0 out of 5 stars The last of the series...just when one is getting to know wceryone...so sad authors Do This!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Loved getting to know the Rhys's clan and this is the last book of this series.
    I admit I knew that at the start and Wish there were more...
    So sad authors run out of steam when the series has just begun...in a way...5 books could have covered it,I suppose...and would so love to have had more.
    Canada, Mounties, Romance, Wales, Babies, Relations, Relationships, Mystery, Confusion, Confrontation, Death, Desecration...Who could ask for anything more.
    Charlotte Macleod died many years ago now and left at least two series, welk, unfinished.
    My imagination is just not enough to cover it.
    Would live to have had a glimpse into the future to see where these folks would have been and gone, what they would have seen and done, how their child (children?) fared...etc etc etc.
    Ah, well. I suggest you read these for the immediate pleasure. The puzzles, the characters, the setting, the events, the characters, the country (Wales), the traditions, the love, the family, the extended family, the confusion and the solutions.
    It wa worth it.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
    Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I love her works, the characters, would love to meet them on real life. Always interesting plots and wonderful settings.
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Diane Funk
    5.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading
    Reviewed in Canada on March 3, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Love the characters and the humor. There is a light touch to her stories so you don’t stay in a dark place thru the book
    Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report