If you remember, I won a free copy of Connie Berry’s The Art of Betrayal and was looking forward to reading it. I’ve finished that book now and enjoyed it a lot. I’ll be picking up the other books in that series to read, too.
The story is about an American antique dealer who’s currently working in the UK (in Suffolk). Her friend and employer is recuperating from hip replacement surgery, so she’s running the shop until he’s up and about again. She takes a priceless Chinese vase on commission from an elderly woman–and the woman is murdered, seemingly during the theft of the vase from the shop, though the alarm never went off and nothing else was taken. Kate and her policeman boyfriend must determine who committed each crime, and if they were actually committed by the same person.
This was a good read with lots of tension and interesting characters. I like stories set in small English villages anyway, and this one didn’t disappoint. We have the Lady of the Manor, trying to keep the old place afloat in today’s world, the quirky villagers with their traditions, and the inevitable group of suspects, each of whom has something to hide. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this series now. I won’t disclose the ending, but it has a satisfying twist and is solved nicely. If you like this sort of mystery story, pick up a copy–you won’t be disappointed.