Murder, al fresco
by Frances Patton Statham
A captivating tale of murder, secrets and switched identity.
Statham’s (Flame of New Orleans, 2012) mystery novel centers on a pair of identical twins, Carley and Morgan Burnside, who stand to inherit property from their recently deceased grandmother, Lydia. Ever the jokester, Lydia dictated in her will that her beloved granddaughters would draw cards to determine who would receive which property—her house in Alabama where they each live, and a villa in France. Carley, to her dismay, draws the home in Alabama and assumes her life will remain much the same, as she suffers a divorce from a philandering husband and dismissal from the firm where they both had worked. She’s mistaken, however, when her career in landscaping resumes, landing her in an artist’s colony. But as her success grows, Carley suspects she’s being followed. Unbeknownst to her, her ex-husband’s mistress, Sherrie, isn’t satisfied with having stolen Carley’s husband, so she now seeks to destroy Carley’s new project as well. She unleashes the nefarious Rocky Donovan to trail Carley in the hopes that he’ll find something incriminating. But he’ll stop short of killing her—or will he? Just as Carley’s career hits an upswing, her love life does, too. Handsome, wealthy Evian “Whit” Whitstone comes into her life, but something about him has Carley uneasy. Her concern escalates when a murder occurs at one of her landscape projects, and all signs point to her close friend and trusted foreman, Jake. As Whit becomes more elusive, and Carley’s safety all the more threatened, Morgan resurfaces, thickening an already complex plot as she tries to step in and protect her sister. Well-paced and precise, this dramatic mystery weaves together romance, suspense and high stakes, culminating in an enthralling tale. Carley’s suspicions of those closest to her will keep readers guessing while cheering her on as she dodges various threats. This light but engaging read is likely to absorb readers until the last page.
An exciting murder mystery replete with humor, romance and intrigue.