Source: Publisher
Description: Spring is a magical time in England--bluebells massing along the woodland paths, primrose and wild thyme dotting the meadows. Antiques dealer Kate Hamilton is spending the month of May in the Suffolk village of Long Barston, enjoying precious time with Detective Inspector Tom Mallory. While attending the May Fair, the annual pageant based on a well-known Anglo-Saxon folktale, a body turns up in the middle of the festivities.
Kate is even more shocked when she learns the murder took place in antiquity shop owner Ivor Tweedy's stockroom and a valuable Chinese pottery jar that she had been tasked with finding a buyer for has been stolen. Ivor may be ruined. Insurance won't cover a fraction of the loss.
As Tom leads the investigation, Kate begins to see puzzling parallels between the murder and local legends. The more she learns, the more convinced she is that the solution to both crimes lies in the misty depths of Anglo-Saxon history and a generations-old pattern of betrayal. It's up to Kate to unravel this Celtic knot of lies and deception to save Ivor's business.
Genre: Mystery
Why I Picked This Book: I really enjoyed the 2nd book in the series so I couldn't pass up the 3rd book!
My Impression: Oh I enjoyed this! I really liked the previous book in the series so going in I was a little concerned that this one wouldn't hold up but if anything it was even better. This isn't quite a cozy but lacks the gore and graphicness of a police procedural so it's kind of in the middle. Kate is a widow with adult children and Tom is in a similar setup. The primary difference is that while Kate's mother is a delight (though unfortunately an ocean away) Tom's mother is not quite so lovely and in a much closer proximity which does lead to the occasional tense moment. There is some regular life stuff like parents and children and talks of the future mixed in with the mystery which helped add dimension to Kate and Tom's otherwise intelligent and professional demeanors.
The mystery involves antiques, a present day murder and a past scandal which are all some of my favorite things. I loved the exploration into all three aspects and seeing Kate and Tom work together as she works with an estate appraisal was really fun. This wasn't the fastest paced mystery but I never felt like the story was dragging. I thoroughly enjoyed all of this from the characters to the mystery to the history and this is an author I'm looking forward to reading more from!
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Definitely! I'm hoping to go back and read the 1st book before the next book in the series comes out.
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy straightforward mysteries with clever characters I think you'll enjoy this one!
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Definitely! I'm hoping to go back and read the 1st book before the next book in the series comes out.
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy straightforward mysteries with clever characters I think you'll enjoy this one!
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
This sounds really good! Kate and Tom sound like great characters and the mystery sound interesting.
ReplyDeleteI've read the first two books in this series and will continue at some point.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good series. I like that cover too.
ReplyDeleteI think this sounds like a good series and set in England is a bonus as well. Kate and Tom are characters who I could easily adapt to.
ReplyDeleteThank you for a lovely review!
ReplyDeleteSounds interesting.
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