A most novel revenge

Society sleuths Milo and Amory Ames postpone a February trip to Italy to respond to an unexpected invitation to Lyonsgate, a Shropshire country home, at the behest of Amory's cousin Laurel. Estate owner Reginald Lyons has just reopened the manor, after avoiding it for several years following a high-profile murder during a house party in 1925. Among the guests this 1933 weekend is notorious novelist and socialite Isobel Van Allen, whose roman à clef about the murder had made her a social outcast. Her time in Africa did not heal any wounds, as she is the victim in this closed-house mystery. Amory and Milo use the earlier novel, village gossip, and their own observations to reveal the real killer and unearth some unseemly Lyons family history along the way. As with Weaver's first two in this series, the upper-class setting, the Ames' banter, and the intricate plotting make for a delightful cozy.--Muller, Karen Copyright 2016 Booklist

Edgar-finalist Weaver's captivating third mystery set in 1930s England (after 2015's Death Wears a Mask) takes socialite Amory Ames and her newly reformed playboy husband, Milo, to Lyonsgate, a country estate, where a death occurred one evening years earlier. The guests from that tragic evening-plus Amory and Milo-have been reassembled by Isobel Van Allen, a magnetic woman who scandalized society with a novel, The Dead of Winter, closely based on drug- and alcohol-fueled events that led up to the discovery of the body. The book ended with an accusation of murder against a fellow partygoer, but Isobel found herself ousted by society when the real-life model for the accused committed suicide. Isobel's dramatic announcement of a sequel during the current fraught reunion leads to outrage and her murder. To catch a killer, Amory sorts through the murky past with the reluctant aid of Milo; their charged relationship adds narrative tension. Fascinating and stylish characters fill out a finely tuned traditional mystery. Agent: Ann Collette, Rees Literary Agency. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

A cousins call for help seriously complicates a wealthy society sleuths holiday.Amory Ames and her husband, Milo (Death Wears a Mask, 2015, etc.), have had a rocky relationship, perhaps because Milos so handsome and charming that Amorys never sure if his flirting is a cover for something deeper. Though things have recently improved, Milos not pleased that theyve accepted an invitation to a cold country house instead of the trip to Italy hed planned. Amorys cousin Laurel was unfortunate enough to have been a guest at Lyonsgate when the mysterious death of Edwin Green caused a scandal that was vastly overblown after another guest, Isobel Van Allen, wrote a thinly veiled novel based on the incident. Now Isobels come home from Kenya and insists that everyone who was there that night return as well. Since Edwin Green cant attend and the man Isobel hinted murdered him has committed suicide, Isobel fills out the party by adding her secretary, her current lover, and the Ameses. Isobel claims shes writing a new novel that will reveal much more about the eventso when Amory stumbles over her bloody body, the police have plenty of suspects. Chief among them are members of the Lyons family: Reggie, who was in love with Isobel; his sister, Beatrice, the object of both the dead mens affections; and his much younger half sister, Lucinda, whos quickly fallen for Milo. Also visiting at the time of Greens death were Amorys old school friend, her husband, and an artist whod given up painting until he met Amory. Despite Milos every effort to curb her sleuthing instincts, Amory cant help but look for clues, especially after another murder. A pleasant reminder of golden-age mysteries that keep you guessing until the denouement. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.