July 2023 MBR The Mystery/Suspense Shelf part 3 of 4

The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

A Cryptic Clue
Victoria Gilbert
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
Dreamscape Media
https://www.dreamscapepublishing.com
9781639102525, $29.99, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Cryptic-Clue-Hunter-Clewe-Mystery/dp/1639102523

Synopsis: Sixty-year-old Jane Hunter, forced into early retirement from her job as a university librarian, is seeking a new challenge to keep her spirits up and supplement her meager pension. But as she's about to discover, a retiree's life can bring new thrills -- and new dangers!

Cameron "Cam" Clewe (an eccentric 33-year-old collector), is also seeking an archivist to inventory his ever-expanding compendium of rare books and artifacts. Jane's thrilled to be hired on by Cam and to uncover the secrets of his latest acquisition, a trove of items related to the classic mystery and detective authors. But Jane's delight is upended when a body is discovered in Cam's library. The victim, heir to a pharmaceutical fortune, was the last in line of Cam's failed romances -- and now he's suspect number one.

Cam vows to use his intelligence and deductive skills to clear his name -- but with a slight case of agoraphobia, rampant anxiety, and limited social skills, he'll need some help. It comes down to Jane to exonerate her new boss -- but is he truly innocent?

Critique: Combine a traditional 'whodunnit' murder mystery with an amateur female sleuth and you have "A Cryptic Clue" -- an ideal cozy mystery by Victoria Gilbert who is a master of the genre. The first of a new 'Hunter & Clewe' mystery series, "A Cryptic Clue" is a fun read that will fully engage and entertain the reader from first page to last. While especially recommended as an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections, "A Cryptic Clue" is also readily available to dedicated cozy mystery fans in paperback edition (9781639106417, $19.99), in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99), and as a complete an unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media, 9781666636987, $22.99, CD).

Editorial Note: Victoria Gilbert (https://linktr.ee/victoriagilbertauthor) turned her early obsession with books into a dual career as an author and librarian. Now retired after over 30 years in the library field, she's worked as a reference librarian, research librarian, and university library director. Victoria writes the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series, the Booklover's B&B Mystery series, and the Hunter and Clewe traditional mystery series for Crooked Lane Books. She is also a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers.

Broadway
Stan Charnofsky
Hawkshaw Press
www.hawkshawpress.com
9781957224077, $14.99 Paper, $4.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Broadway-Charlotte-Smart-Mystery/dp/195722407X

Cozy mystery readers may recognize Stan Charnofsky's name from the prior Charlotte Smart stories, and will be delighted to find this third book in the series also cultivates a special flavor of discovery that brings its characters and setting to life. Broadway Farivar is a devotee of Charlotte. The son of immigrant parents, he and his sister Brooklyn were on the road to success when their train derailed, causing Charlotte's investigative skills to enter the picture.

Broadway is determined to find answers to his sister's dilemmas at all costs. Charlotte, used to a small-town atmosphere, finds the call to enter New York's milieu both alluring and challenging. Can small-town detective skills translate to solving a family's pressing questions in the Big Apple? Charlotte may have bitten off more than she can chew, because the combination of unfamiliar territory and a family who only knows her via a newspaper article create a perfect storm of challenge to her instincts and abilities as they translate to appearances on a bigger stage than she's ever imagined.

As Detective Cavanaugh and Charlotte Smart turn up clues about Brooklyn's deadly accident, they stumble into subcultures that range from immigrant communities to counter-culture enclaves, all operating in New York's underworld and each holding answers that work together to create the puzzle's bigger picture.

Author Stan Charnofsky crafts a sultry, revealing tone in his story that immerses readers in Charlotte's sleuthing abilities and the backdrop of New York City. He takes the time to test the interplays between various characters, from brother and sister to Charlotte's intuitive intelligence, which gets "...to the heart of an issue, tear away the cobwebs, ignore the superfluous." Charlotte uncovers more than one crime, and her instincts lead her into uncharted territory to give the story a special atmosphere of discovery that will surprise even avid cozy mystery fans.

Whether or not libraries have the prior Charlotte Smart books in their collections, Broadway both supports this savvy investigator's professional and personal evolution and stands nicely alone as a solid cozy mystery attraction. In the end, Charlotte's realizations about her choices are powerful portents of endings and new beginnings: "Now it is resolved, and, yes, there is an empty feeling, as there is after a war is won, after a race is over, when a compelling piece of theater ends. Challenge gone. Something larger than yourself had a life of its own and now has died.

Uncovering material and the intricate details of the conundrum are no longer required. Thank goodness for being an optimist, for viewing endings as opportunities. As they say, a door closes and a window opens." Will Charlotte use her remarkable skills and discoveries to change her life yet again?

Cozy mystery readers are in for a treat, both with the mystery component developed in Broadway and its vision of how detective skills change lives. Its ability to build strong characters who step out of their familiar roles to tackle unprecedented issues makes for a riveting story that's hard to put down, powered by the attraction of a small-town investigator operating in big-city environments of stage productions and an older female detective who is faced with either retirement or developing more skills to address ongoing mysteries.

Murder for Liar
Verlin Darrow
The Wild Rose Press
https://wildrosepress.com
9781509248971, $17.99, PB, 298pp

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Liar-Verlin-Darrow/dp/1509248978

Synopsis: Tom is dangerously close to discovering where his threshold is -- that point of no return for his sanity.

His encounter with the killer represents one more bizarre hot potato he's forced to juggle instead of filing away neatly. It's not one too many, but what if the next one is? And could all the coincidences that keep happening to Tom be nothing more than that? Could a young woman named Zig-Zag really be an angel? How could a dog lead Tom to one of the most important clues? The questions pile up, much as the murders do.

Swept up in a perilous world where nothing is as it seems, Tom struggles to make sense of the decidedly dangerous, downright deadly scheme in which he has somehow unwittingly become a key player. Tom is about to discover that in this treacherous reality, the truth is far, far stranger than fiction -- but the real danger is not knowing which is which!

Critique: A unique, unusual, imaginative, and deftly crafted mystery by an author with a genuine and memorable flair for originality, character development, and the kind of narrative driven storytelling skills that keeps the reader a compulsive page turner from cover to cover, "Murder for Liar" by novelist Verlin Darrow will prove a prized addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Murder for Liar" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).

Editorial Note: Verlin Darrow (https://www.verlindarrow.com) is currently a psychotherapist who lives with his psychotherapist wife in the woods near the Monterey Bay in northern California. They diagnose each other as necessary. Verlin is a former professional volleyball player (in Italy), unsuccessful country-western singer/songwriter, import store owner, and assistant guru in a small, benign spiritual organization. Before bowing to the need for higher education, a much younger Verlin ran a punch press in a sheetmetal factory, drove a taxi, worked as a night janitor, shoveled asphalt on a road crew, and installed wood flooring. He missed being blown up by Mt. St. Helens by ten minutes, survived the 1985 Mexico City earthquake (8 on the Richter scale), and (so far) has successfully weathered his own internal disasters.

Love of Art & Murder
Rose Young
https://www.roseyoungauthor.com
Best Books Publish
https://www.bestbookspublish.com
9780998881768, $16.95, PB, 392pp

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Art-Murder-Mystic-Steeples/dp/0998881767

Synopsis: The prominent artist Marilyn Maroney's life-sized sculpture of Athena, the warrior goddess, stood on the third-floor balcony of the Dahlia Art Gallery. Guests numbering 300 attended the art reception and sauntered between the gallery and the Velvet Muse, a performance venue.

The next morning, Georgi Algarve is sweeping the front sidewalk of his Vinho Verde Wine Bar, but when he looks up, he lets out a blood-curdling scream. His beautiful friend Marilyn was dead, impaled by Athena's spear.

Within days another artist is abducted, and the investigators uncover a world of deception, theft, and greed. In shock, the art community wonders - are any artists, galleries, or museums safe? Can the detective and the sleuths catch the killer before another artist is tricked or murdered?

Detective Morrison, and the enigmatic Dr. Storm M.E., determine if Marilyn's death is an accident or homicide. While Georgi, and his clue-hunting friend, Roxanne Samson, the Fire Chief's wife, are convinced they can find the culprit yet they proceed to sleuth their way into Morrison's heart - via heartburn.

Critique: With the publication of "Love of Art & Murder", novelist Rose Young takes her readers on a harrowing journey that goes behind the scenes of the art world with its museums, galleries, and performance halls, into the dark underbelly of the art world, populated by art thieves, callous villains, and unexpected murder. Original, fascinating, and with more unexpected plot twists and turns than an Oklahoma tornado, "Love of Art & Murder" is great entertainment for the dedicated mystery buff and an unreservedly recommended addition to community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections.

Editorial Note: Rose Young (https://www.roseyoungauthor.com) also publishes a Mystery Fan Newsletter.

Fractured Oak
Dannie Boyd
Indigo Dot Press
https://indigodotpress.com
9781958160046, $13.99, PB, 270pp

https://www.amazon.com/Fractured-Oak-Dannie-Boyd/dp/1958160040

Synopsis: In 1853, after Catherine Miller is murdered for daring to become a doctor in a field full of men, a molecular fusion between human decay and natural rebirth transforms her into a Northern Red Oak. One hundred and seventy years later, she remains a mute but sentient tree, rooted near a secluded Northeast Ohio house. After she watches in horror as the newest homeowner murders one of his PhD students, Catherine is resolved, somehow, to see that justice gets served.

Fortunately, present-day Catherine has an unwitting ally: Lani Whitaker, a fourth-generation detective facing mandatory retirement and sick of being treated like a dried-up relic by her young chief of police. When the body of that same PhD student turns up in the woods, Lani is determined to solve the case and go out with a win.

Two women, generations apart, linked to each other through murder. Can solving a twenty-first-century homicide shed light on a nineteenth-century killer?

Critique: Uniquely original and a fascinating read from cover to cover, "Fractured Oak" by talented novelist Dannie Boyd will have a special appeal to readers with an interest in this story that so deftly blends mystery, suspense, and magical realism. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library collections, this combination of mystery and fantasy is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).

Editorial Note: Dannie Boyd is a pen name for Carrie Rubin (https://carrierubin.com), who is a physician-turned-novelist and writes medical-themed thrillers. She enjoys exploring other genres as well, so she has a cozy mystery published under the pen name Morgan Mayer and a novel of magical realism under the pen name Dannie Boyd. She is a member of the International Thriller Writers association.

The Quarry
DM Gritzmacher
Piqued Publishing
9798986638737, $2.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Quarry-Skulldiggery-Book-2-ebook/dp/B0BYBBXLZK

Occult horror tension comes to life in a satisfyingly unpredictable manner in The Quarry, the second book in the Skulldiggery series. The story opens in 14th century France, where a fledgling longbow soldier dreams of returning to his family, but struggles with his actions and choices in times of war. Fast forward to 1944, where child Jeanne Butte and her family are fleeing war, taking refuge in an old Roman quarry that lies outside of their village. Their experience there will return to haunt her forty years later, when Jeannie finds herself back home looking for answers to a myriad of questions -- all of which seem to stem from the quarry experience and its present-day promise and threat.

Can history repeat itself? Sure it can ... especially if supernatural forces influence events past and present. DM Gritzmacher's special brand of horror needs no prior introduction to the previous Skulldiggery in order to prove immediately accessible and compelling to newcomers. Jeanne's search for answers from her childhood experiences and adult dilemmas carries readers into a frightening milieu in which she encounters the deceptive, nefarious Dr. Criqui, whose lie separated her family and contributed to disparities between her new life in America and her old one in France. Gritzmacher builds a special brand of tension that rests on historical precedent, unanswered questions and surprising revelations, and truths that move from dreams and nightmares of the past to affect present-day events.

Jeanne's character is realistic and moving as she examines the foundations of her beliefs about her family, her past, and the world, discovering new truths that enlighten her about hidden history and long-held secrets. The intrigue and horror components are nicely developed against this historical backdrop, contributing to a story filled with unexpected moments, surprising revelations, and haunting dreams and nightmares that connect seemingly disparate lives.

Libraries and readers seeking occult mysteries that stand well alone, yet contribute to other books, will find this sequel to The Relict a powerful tale that exposes war-time truths, hard decisions, and terrible consequences. The Quarry's well-developed historical and psychological tension will have readers guessing to the end, which creates satisfying connections between generations of family members exposed to skullduggery of the present and shocking truths about the past.

Barnaby Shea
J.E. Delehanty
https://www.jedelehanty.com
Independently Published
c/o Atmosphere Press
www.atmospherepress.com
9798539855741, $14.99

https://www.amazon.com/BARNABY-SHEA-Mr-John-Delehanty/dp/B09CRN5VF5

Barnaby Shea opens with an evening walk between husband and wife and a reflection on a peaceful time. In thirty years of marriage, the two have cultivated routines that embrace both. Their quiet life is shaken when lawsuits and accusations from the past embroil ex-priest Barnaby Shea in controversies he'd thought were long laid to rest.

Readers who pursue this novel for its social and legal conundrums or the mystery surrounding Barnaby Shea's actions and choices will find the story replete in thought-provoking insights. As events of the past are reflected upon and their impact on the future considered, readers are prompted to experience and relish not only Barnaby's latest challenges, but the presence and impact of church affairs in small community relationships and settings.

J. E. Delehanty paints a vivid picture that moves from a slowly satisfying life to one beset upon by turbulence and adversity. The specter of self-incrimination that affects Frank Hobson, ex-priest Barnaby, and the legal forces that pursue the truth and resolution creates a story replete with revelations that emerge to both save and tarnish reputations and connections. What is the motivation for causing pain, accusing the innocent, or harboring a secret so dangerous that it's worth killing for? Delehanty surveys the wider landscapes of social connections and issues from the perspectives of those motivated to lie, hide, or repress the truth.

As two couples become embroiled in a mystery that holds well-hidden motivations and secrets, they also reconsider the foundations of the community which supports them. Ultimately, forgiveness is at stake as Barnaby tackles the roots of sin and redemption: "Forgiveness can often be selfish, John. Often we forgive not to help the offender in any way but to help ourselves. Forgiveness is the only way we can move forward. If we are unable to forgive, we live forever with the hurt, with the grief, with hatred in our hearts. The forgiveness is for us."

The result is a thought-provoking consideration of church and community that opens with set paths and concludes with new possibilities.

Libraries and readers seeking novels that embrace mystery and discoveries that impart both surprise and bigger picture realizations will find Barnaby Shea an attractive journey into the pulse and power of past and present lives.

Alaska Deadly
J. L. Askew
https://www.jlaskew.com
Covenant Books
https://covenantbooks.com
9781685268855, $22.95 Paper/$9.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Alaska-Deadly-J-L-Askew/dp/1685268854

Alaska Deadly follows Memphis private eye Race Warren out of his comfort zone. His latest case leads him to the rugged wilderness of Alaska on a search for his client's estranged husband, but what he finds in the process of a missing persons search churns up even stormier possibilities. His search lands him in a remote arctic village where a scientist is studying bizarre ancient rites that may have led to local killings.

Mystery readers might anticipate the search will be over when Warren finds missing ex-cop Billings, but in fact this only jumpstarts further mysteries as he discovers that what Billings is looking for poses threats on a level he'd never imagined. Something is wrong, both with Warren's initial assessment of the mission and with the fate of a captive woman headed to the North Slope to confront a nightmare she hadn't foreseen.

There are no easy answers to the paradoxes which emerge as Warren's probe draws him ever deeper into Alaskan heritage, ancient cultures, tribal rituals, and an evil awakened into the contemporary world that threatens far more than a single man, his daughter, or an investigator's case.

J. L. Askew embeds his novel with Alaskan culture and environment to such a degree that readers will shiver at the cold facts that emerge from this frozen tundra of ancient history and contemporary conflict. Excellent characterization and unexpected revelations drive a story line replete with dangerous discoveries well rooted in tribal traditions: "Hartley thought the ritual was animal worship, that the Ankauits believed in a wolf deity. But with further observation, it became more ominous."

Forced to enter into fraudulent situations to get at the truth, Billings find his morals, ethics, and investigative prowess continually challenged. He's forced to reinvent himself for the greater good of solving a puzzle that increasingly embraces a wider group of people than he ever could have imagined. The tension driving his discoveries and the Alaskan native traditions and perspectives that accompany his journey will especially delight readers seeking thrillers that are more than casually steeped in their environments and influences.

Libraries and readers looking for vivid thriller stories that evolve an unexpected set of connections between a singular case and broader world-changing events will find Alaska Deadly especially powerful in its story of an investigator forced to step outside his usual paths of inquiry and discovery. The thought-provoking story is filled with surprises and hard to put down.

All That Glitters
Mike Martin
Ottawa Press and Publishing
https://www.ottawapressandpublishing.com
97819908960905, $18.99

https://www.amazon.com/All-That-Glitters-Windflower-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0C3SGWMWT

All That Glitters is the thirteenth book in the Sgt. Windflower mystery series, but his latest tale represents a diversion for the good Sergeant Winston, because his new role as a Community Safety Officer in his home town of Grand Bank, Newfoundland brings with it a case which literally lands on his doorstep.

A body discovered in the bed and breakfast he co-owns proves to harbor diamonds in its digestive tract - jewels that then involve his good friend Dr. Sanjay, who is given the gems for safekeeping, then vanishes. Diamond smuggling has come to Grand Bank, and its glittery attraction brings a deadly danger that thwarts Windflower's ability to step neatly and effectively into his new job while helping his friend Eddie Tizzard track down the perps.

Local Canadian lore, environment, and politics collide with Windflower's new role outside his familiar Canadian Mountie milieu, challenging him to employ his new position and efforts in unusual ways. One reason why the Windflower series is so compelling is that Mike Martin takes the time to capture the sights, atmosphere, and culture of Newfoundland: "I remember it being busier than this when I was here before. As someone from a land-locked province like Saskatchewan, I loved seeing them all," said Carrie.

"Yeah, the traffic comes and goes," said Windflower. "Part of what's missing is the big cruise boats. They would take up half this side of the harbour. But it's still pretty nice to be by the ocean. Feels peaceful." These scenic interludes also cement emotional connections that build as folklore lessons are imparted while Wildflower is in a dream state, and clues are given that influence not only his investigations, but his approach to life: "Be strong but be gentle and always show respect to others," said Auntie Marie as the moose slowly walked back into the lake. Windflower watched as the moose disappeared into a mist that hovered over the water. He was sad and missed his auntie but felt filled up by her visit."

Windflower's journey also offers rich philosophical and life inspections that mystery readers might not expect. These augment the mystery in a satisfying manner that encourages insights and reflection beyond the usual whodunit: "Did she tell you the moose story?" asked Uncle Frank.

"She did," said Windflower. "Why did she come as a moose, and why did she tell me that story?"

"She seems to like that appearance," said Uncle Frank, chuckling. "I think she finds it funny to imagine the looks on our faces. As for the story, you must have needed to hear that message again."

"About being strong and showing respect to others?" asked Windflower.

"And also being gentle," said his uncle. "It's easy to be a strong man. It's harder to be a gentle man."

These gems are every bit as important as the clues to diamonds, smugglers, and perps that affect Newfoundland's culture and Windflower's newfound role, creating a full-bodied and multifaceted story as astute in its psychological and cultural inspections as it is in its intrigue.

All That Glitters is a satisfying stand-alone mystery that also enhances the Windflower series as a whole, following Sergeant Winston's growth and life progression. Libraries and readers either new to the series or who hold prior affection for Windflower's Canadian milieu will find All That Glitters an involving tale that further reveals Windflower's dreams, reality, and reflections on life's adversity and promise.

Its powerful character drives an equally rich tension that creates a story hard to put down and impressively touched by surprising metaphysical and philosophical reflections.

Big Island, L.A.
Boston Teran
High-Top Publishing LLC
9781567030693, $22.00

https://www.amazon.com/Big-Island-Boston-Teran/dp/1567030696

Big Island, L.A. provides a complimentary volume to Boston Teran's literary thriller Never Count Out the Dead, but it's important to note that no prior familiarity is needed in order to appreciate this book as a powerful stand-alone crime story.

As is his style, Teran opens this story with a bang and a contemporary twist that doesn't just invite, but grabs readers: "Landshark was the first to report in his "Big Island, L.A." podcast that a Covid mask arted up to mimic the Joker's heinous grin had been left at the scene of the robbery at the Los Angeles Police Revolver and Athletic Club gun shop." In just one powerful line, the setting, place, and crime are revealed.

This is just the introductory salvo in a series of distinctly hard-hitting revelations that send author and podcast creator William Worth (a.k.a. 'Landshark') on his journey past self-imposed isolation when former combat marine Ana Ride enters his investigation with an irresistible lure to drive him away from his agoraphobic, reclusive lifestyle. In a city where shootings occur daily, Ana's experiences stand out and portend a greater foray into bloodshed, murder, and deadly fighting that mimics the battlefields of war, but takes place on the streets of L.A.

Readers looking for strong senses of place and purpose, cemented by the special interests and shifting objectives of a myriad of characters who each step out of their comfort zones, will find the action tense and the psychology well depicted in Big Island, L.A. Teran's ability to dovetail disparate lives, special interests, and "Olympic grade liars" capable of talking themselves into trouble and deadly situations shapes a tense crime drama packed with twists and turns even seasoned thriller readers won't see coming.

Between battles between tenants' associations and different conspirators who "have more juice than us, so they have more veracity," the story embraces a host of political special interests and interactions that fairly sizzle with hard gravity, gunfire, and actions and reactions outside the norm.

Libraries and readers seeking crime thrillers that embrace literary and social inspections above and beyond the norm will find Big Island, L.A. a powerful foray into L.A. culture and the psyche of Landshark, who comes to admit that "The living world out there had become the embodiment of every paranoid fear he had forever been tormented by. The terror he emotionally suffered more alive in the day to day existence down below than he could have ever imagined. He and the world were about the same."

Death in a Bygone Hue
Susan Van Kirk
Level Best Books
https://www.levelbestbooks.us
9781685123369, $16.95 Paper, $5.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Bygone-Hue-Center-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BYGSHN93

The second book in the Art Center Mysteries, Death in a Bygone Hue, continues the story of artist Jill Madison's return to and new life in her hometown, where she has established a position as executive director of a new art center and cemented a reputation for problem-solving by the mystery she solved in Death in a Pale Hue.

All has not been completely peaceful since then, because 'Ivan the Terrible,' the president of the art center's board, is not just an ongoing thorn in her side, but a professional nemesis whose ongoing (and often petty) concerns constantly thwart her efficiency and attempt to direct her every move. Think the worst of micromanagers -- that would be Ivan. Now pair him with a terrible event that leaves behind a legacy of mystery when her good friend and mentor Judge Ron Spivey is killed, bringing his estranged children into her life with a mandate to circumvent her inheritance from his will.

These developments add a fine tension to the plot that evolves on multiple levels as the story plays out. As in the previous Jill Madison account, Susan Van Kirk creates masterful interactions between all kinds of disparate individuals and special interests, flavoring the murder mystery with evolving community quandaries that keep Jill on her toes and often at odds with the very people she's supposed to serve in her new job. "Who knew I lived in such a colorful town?" Jill is only beginning to scratch the surface of its underlying influences, and readers follow along with her discoveries, which are presented in a thoroughly engrossing and revealing manner that touches upon these emotional and special interest connections to involve them in the heartbeat of a small town's secrets.

Van Kirk's ability to bring Jill and her conundrums to life comes from both her astute observational tone and the revealing events that embrace the feel of a cozy mystery and the revelations of interpersonal strife: "I took several sips of wine, sat back on the sofa, and thumbed through the rest of the newspaper. Summer sports were over for my niece and nephew, Tom's kids, so I glanced through the sports pages in a few seconds. Then I returned to the front section. Hmm. What might Editor Gushman have found to write about? I pulled open the editorial page and gasped at the headline: "Cover-Up is Alive and Well in Murder Investigation." It reminded me I despised the woman. I folded the page back and read her editorial. Dread came over me."

From accusations of cover-ups and special interests to vividly described events that often impart a wry undercurrent of humor, Van Kirk creates many compelling twists and turns cemented by a sense of person, place, and ironic inspection: "I hit my brakes, skidded on the wet pavement, and went careening onto the shoulder and down into a ditch, coming to an abrupt stop. Before I got my wits about me, my airbag deployed, and I felt like I'd been socked in the face by a sumo wrestler. Fortunately, my car called 9-1-1. Gotta love twenty-first century technology."

Death in a Bygone Hue is a breath of fresh air in the mystery series because its focus on evolving and shifting interpersonal relationships powers a whodunit that embraces a small town's prejudices, perceptions, and atmosphere. Libraries and readers seeking a stand-alone mystery that both supports the prior book and crafts new intrigue as Jill settles into her role and navigates the dangerous politics of her hometown will find Death in a Bygone Hue a delight.

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