Murder at the Mansion

April 2, 2018
In this amiable if unsuspenseful series launch from Connolly (Many a Twist and five other County Cork mysteries), Baltimore hospitality manager Kate Hamilton loses her job at a boutique hotel being acquired by a Japanese conglomerate at the same time an old friend begs for help saving Asheboro, Md., where they grew up. Unremarkable Asheboro has been left nearly bankrupt after the town council purchased a long-empty local mansion in a deal gone sour. Kate has painful memories of both the mansion and Cordelia “Cordy” Walker, the onetime high-school bully who orchestrated the failed plan to turn the opulent Victorian house into a hotel, but the challenge inspires her. Exploring the home with hopes of finding out more about its original owner, Kate discovers Cordy’s bloody corpse. As she sets out to solve Cordy’s murder, Kate devises a plan to reinvent the town as a working Victorian village. The town council’s cluelessness and other implausibilities won’t bother cozy fans, who will enjoy Connolly’s characteristically warm treatment of small-town life. Agent: Jessica Faust, BookEnds.

April 15, 2018
A Maryland businesswoman is caught up in a Victorian mystery.It begins when Katherine Hamilton's high school bestie, Lisbeth, arrives in Baltimore to ask for her help in saving their hometown of Asheboro from extinction. The local infrastructure has been damaged in a storm, and there's been no money for repairs ever since the town bought the Barton Mansion, a Victorian house built by a Civil War veteran whose factory long supported the local economy. As Katherine leaves for Asheboro, her boss informs her that the high-end hotel where she works has been bought out and her job is gone. As she strolls through the town's streets, she realizes that the paint and modern siding cover some lovely Victorian buildings that might better be restored than tarted up. Kate's high school nemesis, Cordelia Walker, is on the town board, which has roused her to fury by vetoing her plan to turn the mansion into a modern B&B. Kate is hooked when she tours the mansion, a showstopper replete with Victorian furnishings that's hardly changed since its heyday. The current caretaker, Joshua Wainwright, is a history professor at Johns Hopkins who's using the on-site apartment to work on a book. Kate develops a plan to turn Asheboro into a living history site like Old Sturbridge Village, using the stunning Barton place as a centerpiece. Things get both better and worse when Cordelia is found dead on the steps of the mansion. Cleared by the police, Kate and Josh decide to do a little sleuthing. Since almost everyone in town hated Cordelia, the suspects are many and even include Kate's high school sweetheart, who married and divorced Cordelia. The backstory of Henry Barton, who died childless in 1911, makes for fascinating reading, and the discovery of a trove of letters from Clara Barton--the real-life founder of the American Red Cross, who's supposedly related to the fictional Henry--encourages Kate to hope that her plan might succeed if they can only put the murder behind them.The prolific Connelly (Many a Twist, 2018, etc.) kicks off a new series that skillfully combines history, romance, and mystery.

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June 1, 2018

Timing is everything. Katherine Hamilton lost her job at a Baltimore boutique hotel after it was acquired by a conglomerate. Now, Lisbeth, her best friend from high school, wants her to help her hometown of Asheford, MD, which bought a Victorian mansion in a desperate attempt to attract tourists to the cash-starved community. The town council would like Kate's advice on how to manage the property, but offering an alternate plan is Kate's old high school nemesis, Cordelia Walker. When she pays a visit to the Barton house, she stumbles upon Cordelia's body on the stoop. Kate loses a job, consults on a historic property, and finds a body, all in one week. It's a heck of a week. VERDICT Connolly's (Cruel Winter) accomplished series launch avoids the tired tropes found in many cozy debuts, incorporating humor, a realistic setting, and well-developed, appealing characters. Fans of the author's "Museum Mysteries" will welcome the guest appearance of series protagonist Nell Pratt.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2018
After 15 years, hospitality manager Kate Hamilton returns to Asheford, Maryland, at the request of her high-school friend Lisbeth, to offer suggestions to the town council on how Asheford can utilize the large Victorian home the council purchased to help save the fading town. Cordy Walker, Kate's high-school nemesis and unpopular town-council member, wants to renovate the Barton mansion and use it as a high-end hotel with Cordy the manager, but the council disagrees. Soon after Kate arrives, she and the mansion's caretaker, Josh, on sabbatical from his university professorship, find Cordy's body. While investigating the murder and researching Henry Barton and his legacy, Kate perseveres with her plan to revitalize the village, growing excited by the possibilities for saving the town's Civil War history. Details of the Victorian Era frame this cozy mystery, with its comfortable small-town setting and possible romantic interests for Kate, leaving readers eagerly awaiting the next installment.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)