Available:*
Library | Material Type | Shelf Number | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Port Charlotte | New books | MYSTERY FIC SCHILLACE | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Punta Gorda | New books | MYSTERY FIC SCHILLACE | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
"A delight." -THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
"A must read for any mystery lover." - DEANNA RAYBOURN, New York Times bestselling author of KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE
An abandoned English manor. A peculiar missing portrait. A cozy, deviously clever murder mystery, perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Anthony Horowitz.
Jo Jones has always had a little trouble fitting in. As a neurodivergent, hyperlexic book editor and divorced New Yorker transplanted into the English countryside, Jo doesn't know what stands out more: her Americanisms or her autism.
After losing her job, her mother, and her marriage all in one year, she couldn't be happier to take possession of a possibly haunted (and clearly unwanted) family estate in North Yorkshire. But when the body of the moody town groundskeeper turns up on her rug with three bullets in his back, Jo finds herself in potential danger--and she's also a potential suspect. At the same time, a peculiar family portrait vanishes from a secret room in the manor, bearing a strange connection to both the dead body and Jo's mysterious family history.
With the aid of a Welsh antiques dealer, the morose local detective, and the Irish innkeeper's wife, Jo embarks on a mission to clear herself of blame and find the missing painting, unearthing a slew of secrets about the town--and herself--along the way. And she'll have to do it all before the killer strikes again...
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
An autistic book editor stumbles into a murder mystery while attempting to claim her inheritance in this wonderful series launch from historian Schillace (Mr. Humble & Dr. Butcher). After her mother dies, Josephine "Jo" Jones heads from New York City to England to take possession of her family's long-abandoned country estate. Following a divorce and a devastating job loss, Jo plans to restore the property and start a new life. When she arrives, however, she finds caretaker Sid Randles dead in his cottage on the property. A short time later, she discovers a strange portrait of a woman who resembles one of her ancestors hidden in the main house's attic that subsequently goes missing. She reports both incidents to the local authorities, but they're skeptical of Jo's outsider status and insensitive to her autism. Teaming up with new friends, including an antiques dealer and an innkeeper's wife whom she meets in town, Jo sets out to clear her name, and find the killer and the thief before they strike again. Schillace, who's autistic herself, draws a marvelously believable heroine in Jo, and sets her up with an expertly constructed mystery. Readers will be hungry for a sequel. Agent: Jessica Papin, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Feb.)
Booklist Review
Within a year Jo Jones lost her job, her marriage, and her mother. Inheriting the family estate in North Yorkshire, she is ready to leave New York behind to start over. Ardemore House, a dilapidated manor with a cottage and overgrown garden, has been in the family for generations but has been neglected for over a century. On a visit to the house, Jo sees a portrait of a woman, but it disappears when the caretaker, Sid, distracts her. The next day, Jo finds Sid's body at the cottage. The bumbling local detective investigates, paying attention to Sid's three ex-wives but not listening to Jo's concerns about the painting. Sensing that the portrait is key, Jo uses her research skills to trace a photograph of the woman in the painting to a Welsh antiquarian who, like Jo, is neurodiverse and joins the search. As she digs deeper and meets more of the community, Jo learns more about her family but also gets too close to learning the secret Sid--and his killer--were hiding. The intricate plot and memorable local characters here are a delight.
