Great Escapes Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway: A Legacy of Murder by Connie Berry

 

Today I'm participating in the A Legacy of Murder Blog Tour.  In this post you'll find book and author information along with my review.  And don't forget to enter the giveaway via the link in this post.

A Legacy of Murder: A Kate Hamilton Mystery

Traditional Mystery
2nd in Series
Crooked Lane Books (October 8, 2019)
Hardcover ~336 Pages
ISBN-10: 1643851543
ISBN-13: 978-1643851549
Digital ASIN: B07NKQDYM3

Synopsis . . .

American antique dealer Kate Hamilton’s Christmastime jaunt to a charming English village leads to an investigation of a missing ruby…and a chain of murders.

It’s Christmastime and antiques dealer Kate Hamilton is off to visit her daughter, Christine, in the quaint English village of Long Barston. Christine and her boyfriend, Tristan, work at stately-but-crumbling Finchley Hall. Touring the Elizabethan house and grounds, Kate is intrigued by the docent’s tales of the Finchley Hoard, and the strange deaths surrounding the renowned treasure trove. But next to a small lake, Kate spies the body of a young woman, killed by a garden spade.

Nearly blind Lady Barbara, who lives at Finchley with her loyal butler, Mugg, persuades Kate to take over the murdered woman’s work. Kate finds that a Burmese ruby has vanished from the legendary Blood-Red Ring, replaced by a lesser garnet. Were the theft and the woman’s death connected?  

Kate learns that Lady Barbara’s son fled to Venezuela years before, suspected of murdering another young woman. The murder weapon belonged to an old gardener, who becomes the leading suspect. But is Lady Barbara’s son back to kill again? When another body is found, the clues point toward Christine. It’s up to Kate to clear her daughter’s name in Connie Berry’s second Kate Hamilton mystery, a treasure for fans of traditional British mysteries.

 

My review . . . Antiques dealer Kate Hamilton is in England to visit her daughter Christine, an intern at Finchley Hall, a down-at-its heels country manor steeped in local history and lore, which over the years has been the site of murder and misfortune.  Desperately in need of major repairs, its current owner Lady Barbara hopes the 200th Anniversary Exhibition of the Finchley Hoard, a collection of family treasures, will generate much-needed revenue.  During the preparation of the exhibit, however, the village is beset by a series of murders, attacks, and thefts. 

 

Kate agrees to stay on at Finchley Hall to complete the exhibition work begun by Tabitha King, whose lifeless body is found submerged in a lake on the property.  The similarity between this murder and the unsolved death of another curator in 1996 raises alarms that history may be repeating itself.  Were both crimes committed by the same person, or is someone else responsible?  Detective Inspector Tom Mallory of the local constabulary is tasked with finding out.  

Kate’s work on the exhibit uncovers items missing from the collection, and a rash of burglaries of precious objects in the area has the staff on high alert.  As the murder investigation proceeds, more attacks occur, leaving the community on pins and needles. Are these criminal activities connected?  And could a rare missing book hold the key to the solution of the murders and thefts?  There seems to be danger at every turn.

A Legacy of Murder is a thoroughly engrossing mystery with no shortage of lively characters, dead bodies, mysterious circumstances, and plausible murder suspects.  The author has a real talent for character and setting development, and interweaving the past and the present.  Berry creates a rich ancestral history for her quaint village, with families intermarrying over generations, producing a plethora of interesting relationships and motives for murder.  

Moreover, Berry enriches the development of the series which she began with A Dream of Death.  The budding long-distance romance between Kate and Tom is nurtured and tested, and we learn more about supporting characters from each of their families.  It is thus that Berry increases the appeal of the series and readers’ investment in the characters.   

Although A Legacy of Murder can be read as a stand-alone novel, I highly recommend treating yourself to the first book as well.  My review of A Dream of Death is here.

Since I can't wait to return to these characters and their lives, I hope that the next book in the series will be available before too long.


Giveaway . . . Enter the A Legacy of Murder Giveaway of a $25 Amazon gift card by scrolling down the tour page at this link.


About the author . . . 

  

Like her protagonist, Connie Berry was raised in the antiques trade. After teaching theology for twenty-five years, she took up writing mysteries featuring high-end antiques and the legacy of the past. Connie loves history, cute animals, travel with a hint of adventure, and all things British. She lives in Ohio with her husband and adorable dog, Millie.

Author links . . .

Website: www.connieberry.com

Facebook: Author@Facebook.com
Twitter: @conniecberry
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18733373.Connie_Berry

Purchase links . . .    Amazon    Barnes & Noble   Indiebound     Kobo

 

Tour participants . . . 

November 1 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
November 1 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
November 1 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 2 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
November 2 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
November 2 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 3 – Carole’s Book Corner – REVIEW
November 3 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW
November 3 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
November 4 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
November 4 – eBook Addicts – SPOTLIGHT
November 4 – Diane Reviews Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
November 5 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
November 5 – Brianne’s Book Reviews – REVIEW
November 5 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST
November 6 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
November 6 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
November 7 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 7 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
November 8 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW
November 8 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 8 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – GUEST POST
November 9 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
November 9 – The Bookwyrm’s Hoard – REVIEW
November 10 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
November 10 – Here’s How It Happened – GUEST POST
November 11 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW
November 11 – The Cozy Pages – REVIEW
November 11 – Christa Reads & Writes – REVIEW
November 12 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 12 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
November 12 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

 

Note . . . I received a complimentary copy of A Legacy of Murder from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

This Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog.  It cannot be republished without attribution.  Sharing this original post on Twitter and/or other blogs with appropriate recognition is appreciated.