I was given a free e-copy of this novel by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
It seemed like a simple case: the murder of Lewis Trenton, a beachcomber who lived alone in a cabin in the Oregon hills. But the newspaper article piques the interest of Vivian Wainwright, owner of the British-style Misty Bay Tearoom. The photo accompanying the article shows Lewis’s cluttered living room, and on the shelf is a replica of Big Ben. Vivian is sure she sold the clock a week before in her shop. Who could have given the replica to Lewis?
Unable to keep from doing a bit of sleuthing, Vivian hunts down the replica in a local thrift shop, noticing that the base is missing, rendering it worthless, but just as Vivian is about to throw it in the trash, a sparkle catches her eye. It’s a diamond, hidden away in a crevice in the clock. Vivian takes the diamond to Detective Tony Messina, who identifies it as part of a jewelry heist in Portland a month earlier. Portland police think Lewis was the fence who sold the jewels, and that he was killed after double-crossing the thieves—but Messina doesn’t believe the story.
What was the true motive behind Lewis’s murder? How did he come upon the diamond? And what secrets can the clock tell—before the killer strikes again? (Goodreads Synopsis)
I have not read any of Kate Kingsbury’s novels prior to this one.
I liked everything up to how the main sleuth, Vivian, handled her solution. It always bothers me when the character forgets that they are actual law enforcement and potentially put themselves, and others, in danger. Read the novel to find out what I mean, because that is all I am saying. It was also the only thing that bothered.
I enjoyed Vivian, Gracie, and Jenna and all of their interactions. I felt like they were all sisters and not employer with employees. They all seemed to genuinely care for one another. I think it also gave me insight for an older sister with two bickering sisters. It’s soft-hearted without being malicious.
The two ongoing romances were perfectly pitched as an undercurrent, and not at all distracting. Vivian and Hal are the best example of it doesn’t matter how old you are. But I was also glad to see Jenna and Messina begin. I will have to read the first novel to understand exactly what they had to overcome, but I didn’t feel that I was missing anything. The author does a great job of giving enough detail that the reader isn’t lost, but not so much that the reader knows everything about the first book.
I love the interactions with Felix. Though I kept thinking he was a smaller dog than what was featured on the cover. It doesn’t matter anyway, because whenever Felix is mentioned, he basically stole the show.
Overall I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.
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