A Legacy of Murder

August 5, 2019
Berry’s fine sequel to A Dream of Death takes widowed Ohio antiques dealer Kate Hamilton to Finchley Hall, a stately home in Suffolk, to visit her daughter, a student at Oxford who’s interning at the home. Kate joins a tour group, whose guide explains that the place “is famous for three things—its fine Tudor brickwork, the magnificent treasure trove discovered here in the early nineteenth century, and... murder.” The guide goes on to describe the four unusual murders that have occurred there over the centuries. Then the group reaches Finchley’s lake, where the body of one of the interns is floating, and Kate phones her friend Det. Insp. Thomas Mallory, of the Suffolk Constabulary, to alert him to the grim discovery. Mallory later interviews a number of convincing suspects with a variety of plausible motives. This cozy has it all: well-developed characters, clever dialogue, a gentle love story that never slows the mystery plot, and insights into the antiques trade. Readers will eagerly await the next installment. Agent: Paula Munier, Talcott Notch.

August 15, 2019
An American antiques dealer visiting England to see her daughter, an Oxford student, becomes involved in a murder investigation. While her daughter, Christine, is interning at Finchley Hall, Kate Hamilton has snagged a small room in a stable block used by the interns while her own mother runs her shop back in Ohio and her son does research in Italy. Kate plans to spend time with DI Thomas Mallory, whom she met over a murder on an earlier trip (A Dream of Death, 2019). On a tour of the property with stunning guide Alex Devereux, she and the other tour members learn fascinating facts about the estate and the famous Hoard, a sack of valuables buried in 1549 and later recovered. When a young boy accompanying his mother on the tour finds a body in Blackwater Lake, Alex identifies it as that of Tabitha King, an intern who was designing an exhibit of the Hoard. Mallory's put in charge of the case, and Kate can't help but be interested, especially after she agrees to take over Tabitha's job helping Lady Barbara, a nearly blind widow whose son has long been gone to South America, leaving her in the care of the butler and a woman who cooks and cleans. Christine, who has a bad habit of falling for the wrong man, has become involved with fellow intern Tristan Sorel, who's easily enticed by Alex. Mallory's mother doesn't hide her dislike of Kate, who she fears will encourage her son to move to the United States. As Kate becomes more closely involved with Lady Barbara and the interns' problems, she tries to leave the detecting to Mallory. But she's a divvy, an antiques whisperer, whose extraordinary powers to distinguish real antiques from fake will be instrumental in catching a killer. Historic settings, antiquing tips, and a surprising motive in an angst-filled mystery/romance.

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September 1, 2019

American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton anticipates the holiday vibe in the village of Long Barston in Suffolk, England. She might miss Christmas itself, but she'll have time with her daughter, Christine, who's interning at a historic residence called Finchley Hall, on whose property Kate is staying. She also looks forward to reuniting with Tom Mallory, the detective inspector she met on vacation in Scotland a month earlier. But then a young boy finds a body in the lake, recalling a murder 23 years earlier. Both victims were interns working on an exhibit of the Finchley Hoard, a collection of treasures buried during a peasants' revolt in 1546 and unearthed in 1818. Knowing Tom will be tied up with the investigation, Kate agrees to finish the plans for the exhibit. But a killer isn't finished with Finchley Hall. VERDICT The serious tone of the mystery is alleviated by the humor of an ongoing feud among local pubs in this second "Kate Hamilton" mystery (A Dream of Death). Readers will appreciate Kate's growth as a character in this atmospheric story. Fans of Jane K. Cleland's books featuring another antiques dealer involved with a police officer will want to try this series.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2019
Ohio antiques store owner Kate Hamilton is in Suffolk, England, visiting her daughter, Christine, who is interning at Finchley Hall, when another intern, Tabitha, is found dead. Tabitha had been preparing the Finchley Hoard, a treasure trove of priceless artifacts, for exhibit. Lady Barbara, who lives at Finchley, asks Kate to finish Tabitha's work, as the revenue from the exhibit is badly needed to save her deteriorating stately home. Kate agrees and becomes involved in the murder investigation led by her boyfriend, Detective Inspector Thomas Mallory, whom she recently met in Scotland. When another murder and an attack on a second intern occur, Christine becomes a suspect, and Kate becomes even more determined to solve the case. Furious at Mallory for questioning her daughter's innocence, Kate continues to investigate, this time on her own. Has Kate and Mallory's relationship been irretrievably damaged, and if not, how will they manage a long-distance romance? Details about antiques are woven through this cozy, which profits from both a well-realized cast and a beautifully described setting.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)