Book Review - A Dream of Death

A Dream of Death
Author:  Connie Berry
Publisher:  Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date:  April 9, 2019
5 Stars

Kate Hamilton had a strained relationship with her sister-in-law Elenor Spurgeon.  Among other things, Elenor blamed Kate for her brother’s (Kate’s husband’s) death.  Yet when Elenor called to say she was in trouble and had no one else to turn to, Kate decided to help her.  She left the antique shop she ran in Ohio in her mother’s hands and traveled to Glenroth, Scotland.  It was a tough trip for Kate because being in Glenroth again brought back harrowing memories as that is where her husband had died.  When Kate gets there, Elenor didn’t seem overly concerned and said she would explain everything after the Tartan Ball she was throwing.  Before Elenor had a chance to fill Kate in, however, Elenor winds up dead.  Kate finds herself immersed in this investigation as she feels a duty to find out what happened to Elenor, but also to clear the name of a dear friend who is the prime suspect.  As the investigation progresses, its seems more and more like Elenor’s death is tied to a two hundred year old murder mystery.  Can Kate find the link to the past and the present before it is too late?

When I read some of the first lines in this book, I knew I would enjoy the writing.  “Three years had passed since Bill’s death, and the veneer of coping I’d laid over my grief was as thin as eggshell porcelain and every bit as breakable.”  What beautiful and descriptive writing!  The rest of the book is filled with many other magnificently descriptive passages.  The writing was superb and made reading the book a real delight.

The author’s writing style is also accompanied by a first-rate mystery.  I was engrossed from beginning to end.  I loved how the author weaved together the two hundred year old story into the present day murder.  This connection opened the field of suspects and left me guessing all the way until the pivotal reveal.

The cast of characters was just as good as the plot itself.  I found myself enamored with Kate, cheering for some, concerned about others, and suspicious of many.

This was a great first in a series book, and I absolutely can’t wait to read the second book in the series.

Thanks to Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC of this book.  #NetGalley #CrookedLaneBooks #ADreamOfDeath