Murder at the Mansion

by Sheila Connolly

Having just received the news that the hotel she was running has been purchased by a large conglomerate and they wish to install their own personnel, Kate finds herself able to consider a proposal brought to her by her high school best friend.  Her home town of Asheford, Maryland is slowly dying.  The city council has purchased the large Victorian mansion once owned by Henry Barton.  The same mansion where Kate was humiliated by the clique queen and high school nemesis, Cordelia.  Now Cordy wants to take over the mansion and turn it into a high chrome, flashy hotel by ripping out the historical charm that has been painfully maintained with funds left by Barton.   As Kate is finishing up her tour of the mansion with the caretaker, they find the troublesome Cordelia, dead on the front steps.  Can Kate figure out what Cordelia was up to and why she was so interested in the mansion?

Books with storylines that deal with historical treasures hidden in basements and attics are a big draw to me.  Kate’s story moves along though clues and ideas do not come easy.  Connolly does not give Kate a smooth and effortless path to figure things out.  She stumbles and trips like a ‘regular’ person would.  Fans of Connolly’s Museum Mysteries will be happy to see Nell Pratt featured.  My one whine is against reading this book on an e-reader.  It abruptly ended.  I was so engrossed in the story that when the last line came up and I turned the page, I was agog that the book had ended.  I was not prepared.  Needless to say, that last line leaves it wide open for more installments. I will be waiting patiently.

I wish to thank the generosity of the publisher and NetGalley for providing an Advanced Reader’s Copy for my honest review.

PUB:  St. Martin’s Press

PUB DATE:  June 26, 2018

ISBN: 9781250135865

GENRE:  Cozy Mystery