Rich in period detail and colorful characters, with a neat puzzle, moments of sweetness and a satisfying conclusion, this...
Apothecary John Rawlings crisscrosses Georgian England by stagecoach to uncover the identity of both a murderer and a victim in this latest installment in the long-running series (Death in Hellfire, 2008, etc.).
Mr. Rawlings has already given up hope of marrying his ladylove, the free-spirited Marchesa Elizabeth di Lorenzi, when he receives a letter summoning him to her home in Exeter. Dashing for a stagecoach bound there, he finds himself traveling among a motley company including an ill-tempered German spinster, a dancing master, a comely milliner and a formidable yet courtly boxer, the Black Pyramid. Before Mr. Rawlings can reunite with Lady Elizabeth, one of the party is brutally murdered at the last inn of the journey—bludgeoned to death with a savagery that tells the apothecary this is no ordinary highway robbery. Temporarily leaving the case in the hands of the competent local constable, Mr. Rawlings goes to Lady Elizabeth, only to find that in the midst of death we are in life: The Marchesa is enceinte and still will not marry him. She will, however, accept his ministrations and use her considerable influence to help him investigate the suspects. The passengers meet again at a boxing match and a ball, and still Rawlings cannot unravel the mystery until he journeys to Lewes, where he encounters a darker past than he imagined.
Rich in period detail and colorful characters, with a neat puzzle, moments of sweetness and a satisfying conclusion, this adventure will please series fans and newcomers alike.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-7278-6770-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Severn House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2009
An anodyne visit with Tricia and her friends and enemies hung on a thin mystery.
Too much free time leads a New Hampshire bookseller into yet another case of murder.
Now that Tricia Miles has Pixie Poe and Mr. Everett practically running her bookstore, Haven’t Got a Clue, she finds herself at loose ends. Her wealthy sister, Angelica, who in the guise of Nigela Ricita has invested heavily in making Stoneham a bookish tourist attraction, is entering the amateur competition for the Great Booktown Bake-Off. So Tricia, who’s recently taken up baking as a hobby, decides to join her and spends a lot of time looking for the perfect cupcake recipe. A visit to another bookstore leaves Tricia witnessing a nasty argument between owner Joyce Widman and next-door neighbor Vera Olson over the trimming of tree branches that hang over Joyce’s yard—also overheard by new town police officer Cindy Pearson. After Tricia accepts Joyce’s offer of some produce from her garden, they find Vera skewered by a pitchfork, and when Police Chief Grant Baker arrives, Joyce is his obvious suspect. Ever since Tricia moved to Stoneham, the homicide rate has skyrocketed (Poisoned Pages, 2018, etc.), and her history with Baker is fraught. She’s also become suspicious about the activities at Pets-A-Plenty, the animal shelter where Vera was a dedicated volunteer. Tricia’s offered her expertise to the board, but president Toby Kingston has been less than welcoming. With nothing but baking on her calendar, Tricia has plenty of time to investigate both the murder and her vague suspicions about the shelter. Plenty of small-town friendships and rivalries emerge in her quest for the truth.
An anodyne visit with Tricia and her friends and enemies hung on a thin mystery.Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-9848-0272-9
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: May 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
This ran in the S.E.P. and resulted in more demands for the story in book form than ever recorded. Well, here it is and it is a honey. Imagine ten people, not knowing each other, not knowing why they were invited on a certain island house-party, not knowing their hosts. Then imagine them dead, one by one, until none remained alive, nor any clue to the murderer. Grand suspense, a unique trick, expertly handled.
Pub Date: Feb. 21, 1939
ISBN: 0062073478
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Dodd, Mead
Review Posted Online: Sept. 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1939
SEEN & HEARD
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