Search
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2072 KP) rated The Art of Betrayal in Books
Jun 9, 2021 (Updated Jun 9, 2021)
Murder of a Recluse, Theft of an Antique Jar
Kate Hamilton is back in the village of Long Barston to help her friend with his antiques business while he recovers from surgery and spend more time with Detective Inspector Tom Mallory. One afternoon, a woman comes into the store with a valuable piece of Chinese pottery she wants to sell on consignment. But that night, she stumbles onto the stage of the village’s May Fair pageant and dies. Almost immediately, Tom gets a call about the antique shop, and he and Kate go there to find that the pottery is missing. Can Kate figure out what is going on?
It was a pleasure to be back with Kate and Tom in England. This is a fantastic mystery with plenty of twisty threads for Kate to follow before she resolves things. I had a part or two figured out, but most of it didn’t come together for me until Kate had figured it out. Then I couldn’t believe I had missed it. The characters are strong. Kate is a little older than a traditional protagonist, something that I enjoy. I quickly got reacquainted with the returning characters and enjoyed getting to know the suspects, who were strong enough to make me care about the outcome. This book will please Kate’s fans and should bring her some new ones.
It was a pleasure to be back with Kate and Tom in England. This is a fantastic mystery with plenty of twisty threads for Kate to follow before she resolves things. I had a part or two figured out, but most of it didn’t come together for me until Kate had figured it out. Then I couldn’t believe I had missed it. The characters are strong. Kate is a little older than a traditional protagonist, something that I enjoy. I quickly got reacquainted with the returning characters and enjoyed getting to know the suspects, who were strong enough to make me care about the outcome. This book will please Kate’s fans and should bring her some new ones.
Remo Williams - The Adventure Begins (1985)
7.3
Rate It
Movie Watch
A New York cop wakes up from a mysterious accident with a new identity. He finds himself in the...
Sue (5 KP) rated Murder at the Mansion (Victorian Village Mysteries, #1) in Books
Aug 13, 2018
Fifteen years after leaving the small town of Asheboro, Katherine “Kate” Hamilton is called home by her best friend Lisbeth. Asheboro is in financial despair after a huge storm damages all of the town shops. Insurance isn’t covering much and unfortunately, the town council had put all the town’s money into a historical Victoria mansion. What they need now is someone like Kate to help the town from going bankrupt.
No sooner does Kate arrive, but her nemesis and high school bully Cordelia is found dead. Her head bashed in on the steps of the Barton Mansion. There are a number of suspects including Cordelia’s ex-husband (and Kate’s old high school boyfriend).
The book had some good characters but they needed a bit more depth. The plot had some potential, but I wish that things were a bit more fleshed out. I felt the author repeated herself a number of times, just to fill the book with pages. I did like where the author was going with this new series and I plan on reading the next one to see what happens to the town and the character of Kate.
No sooner does Kate arrive, but her nemesis and high school bully Cordelia is found dead. Her head bashed in on the steps of the Barton Mansion. There are a number of suspects including Cordelia’s ex-husband (and Kate’s old high school boyfriend).
The book had some good characters but they needed a bit more depth. The plot had some potential, but I wish that things were a bit more fleshed out. I felt the author repeated herself a number of times, just to fill the book with pages. I did like where the author was going with this new series and I plan on reading the next one to see what happens to the town and the character of Kate.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2072 KP) rated A Legacy of Murder in Books
Oct 9, 2019
Kate Finds a Christmastime Murder
Kate Hamilton has traveled to the small village of Long Barston in England. Her daughter, Christine, is spending her semester break working at Finchley Hall as one of several college aged interns who work on the premises, and Kate can visit Christine and her new friend Tom Mallory, a policeman she met in Scotland and is falling for, before heading back home to Ohio to spend Christmas with her mother. On her first day, Kate is taking a tour of Finchley Hall. The guide is talking about the murders that have taken place on the estate when a scream interrupts her. Kate and several others run to find one of the interns dead. The police are quick to label it murder. With Tom on the case, it is cutting into the time Kate thought they would have together. But she can’t help but worry. Is Christine in danger since she is an intern?
I’ve just teased the first couple of chapters, so things obviously get off to a fast start. However, the pace is uneven, especially early on in the story. I know part of that is me since Kate loves England much more than I do, and her wonder at spending time there didn’t translate to me. However, there is a good mystery here, with some decent twists and surprises. The climax is page turning and perfect logical. The characters are absolutely wonderful. We have a rather large cast, but I never had any issue keeping everyone and their relationship to the events unfolding around Kate straight. While the book is set in December, there is so much going on we don’t get lots of scenes directly related to Christmas, although I certainly enjoyed the references to the season we did see. This book isn’t quite as strong as the first one, but I’m glad I read it. This is a series that anyone who loves the British Isles needs to pick up today.
I’ve just teased the first couple of chapters, so things obviously get off to a fast start. However, the pace is uneven, especially early on in the story. I know part of that is me since Kate loves England much more than I do, and her wonder at spending time there didn’t translate to me. However, there is a good mystery here, with some decent twists and surprises. The climax is page turning and perfect logical. The characters are absolutely wonderful. We have a rather large cast, but I never had any issue keeping everyone and their relationship to the events unfolding around Kate straight. While the book is set in December, there is so much going on we don’t get lots of scenes directly related to Christmas, although I certainly enjoyed the references to the season we did see. This book isn’t quite as strong as the first one, but I’m glad I read it. This is a series that anyone who loves the British Isles needs to pick up today.