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Summary
Summary
Amateur sleuth Hannah Ives has a new home, but after a gruesome discovery in the chimney, she has a new case on her hands. Is a tragic discovery from the past triggering a number of shocking present-day events?
When Hannah loses out on the cottage of her dreams because of an unscrupulous real estate agent, she and her husband, Paul, buy a fixer-upper instead. But contractors restoring the chimney soon make a tragic discovery: the mummified body of an infant.
Hannah, already researching the history of her home in the county archives, is searching for clues to the dead infant's identity when more shocking events occur. Suddenly, her access to the courthouse is denied and the records she has been examining are slated for destruction. Someone with money, influence, or both is trying to make sure incriminating information stays buried. Can Hannah solve the crimes before the evidence and over one hundred years of county history go up in smoke?
"Readers who haven't met Hannah should do so promptly." ― Booklist
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
At the outset of Talley's leisurely paced 14th Hannah Ives mystery (after 2014's Tomorrow's Vengeance), Hannah Ives and her husband, Paul, who live in Annapolis, Md., go looking for a vacation house along Chesapeake Bay. The couple settle on a charming English cottage, which was built in 1765 and needs a lot of work. During the renovation of the charming home away from home, one of the workers discovers the mummified body of a baby girl on the smoke shelf of the chimney, where it appears to have rested for over half a century. Hannah's investigation into who the infant was and how she died involves her in unexpected ways in her new community. Despite the number of years that have passed, the story has ramifications for some local residents. Not surprisingly, dark secrets from Maryland's past ooze out, making this a tale of love, greed, racism, politics, and power. Fascinating information on how to search historical records is a bonus. Agent: Vicky Bijur, Vicky Bijur Literary Agency. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Hannah Ives is in a bad mood. The amateur sleuth, star of a series of popular novels, was burned in a real-estate deal. Now she and her husband are renovating another place, and they've found something shocking: a dead body buried inside their new house. A child, apparently. If you know Hannah, you know that she won't be able to rest until she finds out who buried the infant and why. Hannah is a likable narrator; she's a cancer survivor, and that always plays a role in the stories (here, she refers to her diagnosis in the book's opening sentence), but she doesn't dwell on it. She's not a cancer survivor who solves crimes; she's a crime solver who happens to have overcome a personal challenge. Like Hannah's life, the books are full of joy and sadness, of brilliant light and terrifying shadow. Fans of the series will be well pleased, and readers who haven't met Hannah should do so promptly.--Pitt, David Copyright 2015 Booklist
Library Journal Review
After losing out on the house of their dreams owing to an unscrupulous realtor, amateur sleuth Hannah Ives (Tomorrow's Vengeance) and her husband, Paul, buy a fixer-upper on the Chesapeake Bay. Their renovations uncover the mummified remains of an infant in the chimney. When the dodgy realtor is murdered, is it possible that the two crimes committed 60 years apart are connected? © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
