Genre: Mystery
Hardcover; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781496735812
Kensington Publishing
208 Pages
$22.95; $9.99 Amazon
January 25, 2022
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Aunt Rose already has a strike against her for not being too fond of dogs -- or Aunt Peg. But Melanie still agrees to organize Easter festivities at Gallagher House, the new women's shelter opened by the stern former nun, even if it takes all the jellybeans in Greenwich to sweeten the arrangement. No sooner does Melanie arrive to dye multicolor eggs and stuff baskets, than she learns devastating news about Beatrice Gallagher, the respected benefactor of the estate. Beatrice has fallen to her death, and the circumstances are shocking.
No one can say why or how charitable Beatrice got pushed into an early grave. Yet for a supposedly warm and generous philanthropist, rumors have her pinned as an overbearing manipulator who used money to control the unfortunate few trapped in her inner circle. Facing an uncertain future as danger lurks around Gallagher House, Melanie and Aunt Rose must tolerate each other's company long enough to discover the truth about Beatrice's true nature and identify a vengeful killer -- before another person's idyllic spring break becomes a serious nightmare...
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Melanie Travis is looking forward to spring break, where she can enjoy her family: her youngest son, Kevin, is waiting for the Easter bunny, and her husband Sam is training his Standard Poodle pup Plum for her first time in the show ring. She thinks everything is going well -- at least until her Aunt Peg arrives and tells her she needs to call her Aunt Rose.
It seems Aunt Rose, who is an ex-nun, and her husband Peter, an ex-priest, have returned from a sojourn in Honduras and have now taken residence in Gallagher House, a women's shelter that has recently opened. Rose, who isn't fond of dogs in the least, and hasn't warmed up to Melanie ever, needs Melanie to organize an Easter egg hunt for the three children in the home. Melanie, ever soft of heart herself, agrees to the task. But no sooner does that occur when she discovers that the home's benefactor, Beatrice Gallagher, has died from a fall in her own home.
It's a tangled web indeed. Gallagher House is the former home of Beatrice, and the children -- Charlie and Charise, want it back. Then there's the little case of Rose being a suspect -- which Melanie refuses to believe -- and it tumbles from there. When Rose asks for her help, Melanie can't refuse. But where does one start when one has no clue? And who would want the woman dead? Finding a killer might not be what Melanie planned to do on her break, but it's what she's doing -- and she needs to figure it out before the last egg is dyed, or Rose won't have a home to go to...
In this latest installment of the series, Melanie has her hands full with planning Easter egg hunts for both her own children and the children of battered women. It's keeping her busier than she expected, but Melanie has never backed down from someone wanting help.
Since I came late to the series, I've never met (nor heard of) Rose; and since Rose is Aunt Peg's sister-in-law, the sister of Rose's late husband Max, then it must be that Peg is an aunt by marriage. This I never knew. Otherwise, Rose wouldn't be Melanie's aunt at all. It confused me for only a moment, but it makes some things clearer. I do like Rose's no-nonsense attitude, but it would be nice to see her soften toward Melanie. The woman already has to deal with sensible Aunt Peg; she should get affection from one of them, at least!
But the story line was very good, and written very well. Melanie does what she does best; asking questions and putting clues together. Even if the local detective doesn't listen to what she says, (or already has the information), she plunges forward, vowing to find the truth of the matter. I like the fact that she doesn't run willy-nilly into a bad situation, and can think on her feet. It makes her likable indeed. I also enjoy the fact that she has a happy home life, with a loving husband who understands her and two growing boys who adore her. It makes it all pleasant reading.
When the murderer is revealed, it's a sad situation all around. Things come to a head in the most surprising way, and it all wraps up nicely. The book was easy to read, a nice cozy for a cold evening with a cup of tea or cocoa. Recommended.
I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.
More on Laurien Berenson's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/laurien-berenson/
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