Murder at the Mansion by Sheila Connolly

When I saw that Netgalley was offering a new mystery by Sheila Connolly I jumped at the change to request it. Murder at the Mansion is coming out June 26th and is published by Minotaur Books.  I get very excited when I get the chance to read a first in series by authors whose work I already love. I had no idea what to expect with Murder at the Mansion and it truly felt like Sheila took a typical failing american small town, reached down to the ground and picked up the dirt and dust surrounding it, threw it up in the air and magically turned it to fairy dust. The story transforms itself from page one and rolls out in true cozy spirit, endearing it to me with each chapter. This was not at all what I had expected, but exactly what a great first in series should be, this cozy has great bones, a cool story line, mystery you can get behind, justice served and a great deal of fun history to unearth. Look for this one for sure this June!

Katherine Hamilton’s goal in high school was to escape from her dead-end hometown of Asheford, Maryland. Fifteen years later she’s got a degree in hospitality management and a great job at a high-end boutique hotel in Baltimore. Until, that is, the hotel is acquired by a chain, and she’s laid off. When Kate’s high school best friend calls with a mysterious invitation to come talk with the town leaders of Asheford, she agrees to make the trip, curious about where this new opportunity might lead.

Once Kate arrives, the town council members reveal that their town is on the verge of going bankrupt, and they’ve decided that Kate’s skills and knowledge make her the perfect person to cure all their ills. The town has used its last available funds to buy the huge Victorian mansion just outside of town, hoping to use it to attract some of the tourists who travel to visit the nearby Civil War battle sites. Kate has less-than-fond memories of the mansion, for personal reasons, but to make matters worse, the only person who has presented a possible alternate plan is Cordelia Walker—Kate’s high school nemesis.

But a few days later, while touring the mansion, Kate stumbles over a body—and it’s none other than Cordelia. Kate finds herself juggling the murder investigation and her growing fascination with the old house, which itself is full of long-hidden mysteries. Kate must clear her name and save her town—before she ends up in hot water.

Thank you so much for taking time to join me for a cup of tea and a cozy mystery review. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com