Marriage is Murder - A Posie Parker Mystery, Book 9

I did not realize it has been over a year since I read my last Posie Parker mystery.  I love this 1920s female sleuth, who shares the same last name as Mildred Wirt's teenage detective from the 1940s and whose name is the reverse of a certain American actress of today.  Author L.B. Hathaway has crafted a world and characters that draw you into the story so easily, and murder mysteries that will keep you guessing right up to the end!  The world Hathaway describes is so vibrant and real, it is so easy to picture in your mind, and the characters are so distinctive and well-rounded, that you cannot help but love or hate them (depending on what the story calls for).  When I got this ninth book in the series from Amazon, I will admit I was surprised at how thin it was - I did not realize when I purchased it that it was simply a novella - a short story that tells the story of how Posie Parker and Scotland Yard's own Richard Lovelace finally tie the knot.  But, of course there are some complications along the way...

 

Marriage is Murder?, and yes the question mark is a part of the title, is only 66 pages in length, but it sure packs a lot into those 66 pages!  It opens with what is supposed to be the most magnificent day of Posie Parker's life. With two previous fiances left behind, Posie is absolutely sure that Richard Lovelace is the one.  After all the dangers they have faced together solving quite a few murder mysteries, and now that they are adopting Katie, the little baby left behind with no family but Posie and Richard, there can be no doubt that the finest that Scotland Yard has to offer is the man who will finally become her husband. So, why, then, is she so nervous?  Is it simply pre-wedding jitters?  Or is a premonition that even the best laid plans never go off without a hitch.  And boy, is there a hitch or two (or three, or even four!) this time!

 

First, the flowers are wrong.  Posie arrives at the church to find yellow mimosa all over the place, instead of all of the white roses she had ordered and paid for herself.  Where did her flowers go, and who replaced them?  Then, who is that minister standing at the altar?  That's not Father Rene Hoffman, the French-speaking reverend who Posie and Richard had specifically hired for their ceremony.  And what in the world was that persistent knocking noise, that seemed to come from somewhere behind the minister?  And more important than any of those things, where in the world was Richard Lovelace?

 

It seems the mystery is one of a missing person.  Until they hear the faint cry for help from behind the wall in the cupboard.  Until the telephone call the Chief Inspector takes that provides a riddle as to Richard's whereabouts.  Until Posie goes racing off to find her betrothed, unaware of the guns being fired into the church sanctuary.  Until Posie arrives at Scotland Yard to find it completely empty - not just of law enforcement, but of all the criminals where supposed to be locked in their cells.  Until Posie discovers she has been tricked, led into a deadly game of cat and mouse.  Until she finally comes face-to-face with an old enemy, one she thought long dead - one who intends to make her his own wife and take her far away from England and the man that she loves. And that is when Posie does something she thought she would never have to do.  What is that, you ask?  Well, you really don't think I'm going to tell you and spoil it!

 

The story is a fun-filled romp from the blessed halls of God's house to the filthy boardwalk along the wharfs, with Posie running here and there and everywhere in her beautiful wedding down and veil.  Oh, and yes, this is the dead of winter, so it's freezing outside, snow on the ground, and a harsh snowfall raining from the sky.  As if things could not get any worse for poor Posie.  It's a thoroughly enjoyable read that flies by way too quickly.  It's a good thing I found a number of the remaining books in this series at my local used bookstore, because now I do not have to wait to receive them from Amazon in order to read the next book - I already have it in hand!

 

If you are not reading this series, you should.  You must!  Hathaway is an amazing author, her mysteries are perfectly plotted, and Posie Parker is definitely one of the finest female detectives out there - right up there next to Miss Marple and Nancy Drew!

 

RATING:  10 cases of mistaken identity out of 10 for a wonderful winter wedding murder mystery well worth the read! 

Murder on the White Cliffs - A Posie Parker Mystery, Book 8

I really need to pay more attention, because it has apparently been more than a year and a half since I read my last Posie Parker mystery novel, and I am already way behind on this series - I mean, here I am just now reading book eight, and and according to Amazon, there are sixteen published books in the series!  Which means, I am only half-way through the series.  Egads!  But that's okay, because it seems a number of other series I read have either already ended, or are coming to an end, so at least this gives me some comfort in knowing I still have eight more books to go with this one (and how know how many more L.B. Hathaway will write while I'm trying to get those eight read?!).  This book is considerably thicker than the seven prior books, but the larger page count was definitely needed for Hathaway to tell this story.

 

Murder on the White Cliffs provide us with a prologue to murder - a young woman heading off to a clandestine meeting on a dark, stormy night, high atop the cliffs overlooking the treacherous rocks and ocean below.  A mysterious man meets her, and they fight, the man accusing her of having written to Posie Parker for help.  Help with what?  The next thing you know. the young woman is pushed, sent flying over the edge of the cliff, and the last thing she hears is someone crying out her name ... Elsie .. or was that Elise?  With that cryptic crime, Hathaway then switches to Bloomsbury, London, where Richard Lovelace has been left getting his fiance's top-floor flat ready for him and his two daughters to move it.  Yes, the marriage of Posie Parker and Richard Lovelace is still on, but the question is - does Posie have cold feet?

 

Just when they are preparing to wed, move in together, and share their lives, Posie heads off to St. Margaret's Bay to look into the mysterious circumstances surrounding Elise Moncrieff's death.  It may at first glance appear to have been an accident, Posie's gut tells her otherwise.  Why else would the woman have written to her months before, asking for her help?  She had not gone to help her, and now the woman was dead.  For Posie, something did not add up.  The fact that St. Margaret's Bay is also the location of Maypole Manor, the site of another murder three years prior that Posie and Richard had solved ... the site where Posie first met the mysterious secret agent, Max ... a man she had been strangely attracted to ... a man who she had learned died in service of his country ... a man who, oddly enough, turns out looks nearly identical to the now deceased Elsie Moncrieff!  Yes, the stage is set for a superbly written mystery that connects the present to the past, interweaving a story of spies, secret love, deceit, murder, and hidden identities (as well as a scheming little maid who manages to learn quite a bit about everyone at White Shaw - perhaps too much, since she winds up dead before the end of this tale!). Not everyone in this story is who they say they are, and the more you read of it, the more you realize why Hathaway needed nearly 400 pages to write the story.

 

The mystery centers around the fashion design house known as White Shaw, and its owners - the American heiress, Petronella Douglas, and her Scottish husband, Anthony Stone.  The lavish parties thrown, the high-profile guests who attend, the alcohol and drugs that flow freely at those parties, and the scientist who goes missing at one of those parties are all a part of the mix, as Posie slowly discovers as she digs deeper and deeper into the death of Elsie Moncrieff - a woman who, as it turns out, has no past.  In fact, she does not seem to exist at all.  So, who was she?  Why did she reach out to Posie?  What involvement did she have with Douglas & Stone fashion house?  How did she create her own network of spies within the house without anyone knowing?  When did she decide it was time to leave?  And, most important of all - what information did she discover that led her to her not only receiving a letter of termination from Petronella Douglas, but ultimately led to her death?  The housekeeper ... the cook ... the chauffeur ... the handyman ... the escort ... an entire crew of people, each hiding secrets regarding Elsie and the day her body was found.  Plus, Posie has a very unexpected visitor in her hotel room ... a ghost from the past who is trying to give her the clues she needs to solve this mystery before she becomes the next victim, as there are forces at work far beyond the fashion world.  Spies, traitors, and secret agents play a huge part of it, and someone Posie thought she could trust turns out to be the worst villain of them all!

 

Hathaway does integrate Guy Fawkes Night into the story, and as I read mention of this celebration, I had to wonder where I had heard of this before?  Had a prior Posie Parker story mentioned it?  Well, looking back, it seems those precocious pre-teen sleuths, Wells & Wong, happened to have a mystery that involved the same celebration (Jolly Foul Play).  It seems those night time bonfires are the perfect place for a murder to happen!  And for those who don't know (which included me, until I looked it up), Guy Fawkes Nigh, also referred to as "Bonfire Night," is an annual event in November that commemorates the failure of Guy Fawkes plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill King James I.  

Something else that caught my attention in this story are the references to Posie's prior boyfriend, the adventurous Alaric Boynton-Dale (who died in a previous book).  While I had not thought about the name before, when I was reading this story, it suddenly struck me as funny how similar Alaric's name is to the author of the Sue Barton and Carol Page series for young adults - Helen Dore Boylston.  It made me wonder if Hathaway was giving just a minor nod to that author; perhaps Hathaway even read some of Boylston's books growing up.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery, and as Posie begins to put the pieces together, if the reader has paid close attention throughout the story, one will be able to figure out who is who and what really happened that fateful night. It is a well-plotted tale of murder and intrigue, and it not only puts to rest a part of Posie's past, the final chapter sets the stage for Posie and Richard's wedding, with a huge surprise thrown in to boot!

 

RATING:  10  blue, fake-silk headscarves out of 10 for a post-war, spy-filled murder mystery spattered with fashion and bonfires!

 

The Saltwater Murder - A Posie Parker Mystery, Book 7

I have really been enjoying the character of Posie Parker.  I love a good mystery, and I definitely love a good female detective.  Author L.B. Hathaway has managed to meld the two nicely, and each book not only further develops the characters(not just Posie, but also all of the members of her supporting cast), and if there's one thing I've learned to date, it's to never assume that any character is safe from harm.  Over the course of the first six books, poor Posie has lost a couple of loves, has been jilted by another, and has watched her friends suffer the loss of ones they love.  In a way, it's like the old joke about Jessica Fletcher - if she invites you to a dinner party, you might want to decline, because someone always ends up dead!  With this series, though, Hathaway keeps peeling more and more layers back from Posie's past, as we meet new people time and again that have a connection to this early 20th century detective, and in this book, that past has its consequences.

The Saltwater Murder introduces readers to Amyas Lyle, an up and coming lawyer who has made it big in such a short time, and is getting ready to further his career thanks to the position and influence of his father-in-law.  But Posie knows a different side of Amyas.  When he mentions needing her help with something, she promises to meet with him the next day.  The only problem is, the next day turns out to be too late.  Inspector Lovelace calls her in on the case, asking for her assistance in figuring this out - he seems to be in a rush to get this one solved, and Posie can tell there is something on his mind.  It seems everyone else knows but her, and when she (and the reader!) does learn what it is, it comes as a real shock!  It's definitely a life changer for both of them.  But let's leave that for later...

The mystery is definitely one that is just chock full of secrets.  Amyas was living a double (triple?) life.  His wife has her own secrets she is keeping.  And there is Amyas' law partner who has made no secret of his desire to get the position Amyas was taking.  Of course, we also can't forget the Head Clerk, George, who was facing his own dilemma at the hands of Amyas.  And lest we forget, just how in the world can Posie spot Amyas alive and well outside of his house days after his death?  Well, there's definitely a reason for that, and my suspicions on that turned out to be correct (but you don't honestly think I'll spoil the surprise and tell you here, do you?).

Hathaway provides plenty of twists and turns, and with each secret revealed, there are two more to uncover.  Posie learns not only more about her brother, but also about Amyas' past interactions with him and why her brother hated the lawyer so much that he warned her away from him while he was in college.  But every time she thinks she has a feel for what type of person Amyas is (was), she learns something new that makes her question everything.  But it is the trip to Whitley Bay that literally changes everything, both for Posie and the case.  She goes there initially to meet up with Max, but when he fails to show, she starts to investigate the connection of Amyas Lyle and Whitley Bay.  It is here she discovers some of the answers she has been looking for - but before she can truly act, she gets called back to London by the most unexpected source - the spy agency for which Max works!  It seems Max was working undercover and has gone missing and is presumed dead, making the second love that Posie has lost in the same number of books.  Poor Posie!  But, let's remember - in any fictional setting (books, movies, television, comics, etc.) - if there is no body, then that means the person is very unlikely to be dead and will probably show up again at some point in the future! (At least, we can hope!)

This is the first Posie Parker mystery that I literally could not put down.  I kept reading, turning page after page, and finished the book in less than two days (which is a record, since I normally take three or four days to read one of Hathaway's books!).  The mystery truly was that good.  And the epilogue - well, let's just say that the decision Inspector Lovelace has to make has some very, VERY life-changing affects for both him and Posie.  I am definitely looking forward to the next book to see where these characters go from here!

I realize I am really far behind in this series (this is only book seven, and there are 15 books listed on Amazon), since I came into it late.  But I am working my way through, and I am loving every one of them.  If the rest are anywhere near as good as this one, then I know I'm in for one heck of a great ride!

RATING:  10 containers of nitric acid out of 10 for a gruesome murder, an unlikely murderer, and a surprising ending!

Murder in Venice - A Posie Parker Mystery, Book 6

It's been a bit since I last read a Posie Parker mystery, so figured it was time to read the next book in the series.  Posie is a character you can't help but love.  She has definitely experienced enough drama in her life - from losing her first love to another woman (then having to continue in a working partnership with him!), to facing down death time and again as she finds herself embroiled in solving some very dangerous murders, to dealing with her own heartache of losing her brother in the war.  But author L.B. Hathaway has created a very strong character in Posie Parker, one who is enjoyable to read and who draws you into the story and into her life the way few books do.

Murder in Venice is the culmination of several stories, the biggest one being the fact that Posie is traveling to Venice to get married!  Alaric Boynton-Dale, the famous explorer and aviator, had proposed, and of course, Posie said yes.  And now, Posie is making the trip from London to Venice to marry the man she loves.  But, as usual, nothing goes quite as planned.  Before she even reaches Venice, Posie catches a glimpse of a magazine cover featuring her betrothed - with another woman!  And not just any woman, but Silvia Hanro, the gorgeous actress Posie was protecting in the last book!  Just what was Alaric doing with her in Constantinople, and why do they look so happy together?  Posie begins to question her decision to marry Alaric - but that gets pushed to the side when she arrives in Venice, only to be greeted by the police, who are there to escort her.  Not to prison, though.  She learns that the home of Alaric's friend, where they were planning to stay for their wedding has caught fire and is burning to the ground!  All thoughts of jealousy aside, Posie is concerned for Alaric's safety!

The fire at the palace of the Romagnoli family is only the beginning of Posie's problems in this book.  Hathaway pulls out all the stops with this one.  The Count Romagnoli and his wife, the Countess, along with her Aunt Minnie, her brother Richard (Dickie) Alladice, her companion Lucy Christie, and her secretary, Roger Valentine, have all been forced to move across the channel to take up temporary residence with Mrs. Persimmons' English guesthouse.  It seems Mrs. Persimmons only has one guest at the present time - a salesman who keeps to himself - so she has plenty of room to house everyone.  Posie is still in shock when she first sees Alaric, but right away, she knows something is off.  Not just with Alaric, but with everyone in the house!  There is an undercurrent of distrust and lies, and Posie doesn't know what to make of it.  However, her main concern is Alaric and whether she still wants to marry him.  At least, until the body turns up.

Yes, this is a murder mystery, so you know there's going to be a murder before too long.  After all, the title says it, doesn't it?  Well, our overbearing and overweight Countess Bella Romagnoli turns up dead in the dining room, all alone, poisoned by the liquor she keeps in that silver container with the "AA" initials on it.  Which would be quite a clue if it weren't for the fact that there were TWO containers, exactly the same, with those initials.  And so the wrong person gets accused of the murder, but this person refuses to say anything and ends up in jail.  So it's up to Posie to figure out just who really did kill Bella before another body turns up.  The only problem is, everyone has secrets, everyone is wearing a mask (figuratively), and everyone could have done it!  That's okay, though, because all of these mind-games keeps Posie from thinking about the fact that her marriage plans are falling apart faster than the Romagnoli homestead after the fire!

Hathaway creates an amazingly well-crafted mystery here, and even with Inspector Lovelace's help (you didn't think he was going to miss the wedding, did you?), it will take all of Posie's cunning and ingenuity to dig deep and find out the truth.  Even if that truth winds up breaking her heart.  And be warned - for as good as this mystery is, Hathaway manages a number of misdirects and misunderstandings that will ultimately pull the rug out from everything you thought you knew was going on in the story - and gives readers a climactic conclusion that they will never forget!

What I don't get, however, is that epilogue.  Hathaway does a time jump, "many years later" it begins with, and we suddenly get a glimpse into Posie's future.  I won't spoil anything here, but I will say it left me a bit bewildered, as there are still plenty of books in this series after this one (this is only book 6, and there are currently 15 books that have been published - yes, I'm quite a bit behind!).  So, why would Hathaway give away some things that are not going to happen until "many years later"?  I guess, as the saying goes, only time will tell...

RATING:  10 great flapping black storm capes out of 10 for mesmerizing readers with a complicated, well-written mystery along the canals of historic Venice and shocking us all with that ending!

Murder of a Movie Star - A Posie Parker Mystery, Book 5

Finally got around to reading the fifth book in the Posie Parker mystery series.  I have been thoroughly enjoying this series, written by L.B. Hathaway.  Set in the early to mid-1920s, it features a very strong female lead in a time when women were still trying to assert their independence in a world ruled by men and men's expectations.  Hathaway expertly portrays this prevailing belief at the time regarding women's place in the world, and I absolutely love how Parker breaks away from the mold of that time and not only asserts her independence, but also manages to earn the respect of the men around her while doing so.  This latest mystery is by far the longest to date, coming in right at 400 pages (398 if you want to be exact), but it is so engaging that I finished it pretty much in the same amount of time it took me to read her other books!

Murder of a Movie Star is the story of Silvia Hanro, a famous English movie star whose time is nearing its end - in more ways than one!  Hanro is nearly 30 years old, and her fear of being forced out of the limelight is first and foremost in her mind.  But also on her mind are the death threats she has been receiving.  At first, she laughed it off, but when she receives a final note with a severed finger, her film producer, Brian Langley, decides it is time to call in help; rather than the police, though, he calls Parker (in definitely the most dramatic way).  Parker is reluctant to become involved, but her best friend, Lady Dolly Cardigeon, who is totally enthralled with the film industry (she herself having been a make-up artist and costumier for the theater before she got married) and convinces Parker to take the case.  But Parker only has twenty-four hours to figure out who is behind the threats and stop him (or her), because the latest threat has made it clear Hanro will die the next day - which also happens to be the last day of filming for her latest film and the day of the wrap party.

And before I say anything else about the story, I must give kudos to whomever designed and/or provided art for the cover of this book.  The face of the woman on the cover is posed so that she is looking at the reader back over her shoulder - such that the right half of her face is in shadow, while the left half is in the light.  This face may seem trivial, but it holds OH SO MUCH importance to the story!  First, it pays homage to the comedy/drama theater masks - portraying the two extremes of emotions set forth in any theater production.  Second, it points out the duplicitous nature of the film industry, where nothing is as it seems - everything is fake and merely acted out such that the audience is drawn in and believes what is really happening on screen, when in reality, it is merely actors reciting lines in front of fake backdrops.  Third, it hints at the two-facedness of pretty much everyone involved in this mystery - from the actress receiving the threats, to the producer, and all of the other players in this game.  Everyone has a secret, everyone is telling only half-truths, and everyone - and I mean everyone! - is playing some sort of game.  Fourth, it unveils a carefully hidden secret about the first murder, one which Posie is the first to figure out.  Fifth, and finally, it provides a quite literal clue to the identity of the killer.

Now, that being said, let's go back to the mystery.  I'm not ashamed to admit that I could not figure this one out.  There were so many suspects, so many motives, and so many clues and red herrings, that I'm amazed Hathaway herself could keep track of them all!  But she did, and wove them all into a very intricately woven tale of lies, blackmail, love, hate, guilt, and ultimately, murder.  Silvia Hanro may at first seem to be a victim, but make no mistake - she's no one victim.  Is this all a huge scam as a way to draw attention to herself before her career fades away?  Brian Langley will do anything to complete this film and save his nearly bankrupt film studio - but will he result to murdering his own star just to gain publicity for the film?  Robbie Fontaine is the leading man and also the love of Silvia's life - or so it seems.  In reality, he and Silvia cannot stand each other, and he is tired of playing second fiddle to Silvia, who is the real star.  Would he kill to get back in the spotlight?  Pamela Hanro is Silvia's forgotten sister, the suffragist who has always been a blight on the family name - and she harbors a hatred for her sister for something that occurred some years back.  Is that secret and her hatred enough to spur her on to murder her own sibling?  Tom Moran is a man behind the scenes at the studio, and having suffered a grievous injury during the war, he's not the same man he was. But is he man enough for his true love, Silvia Hanro, or would he kill the woman he loves rather than be an object of her pity?  Then there's also Robbie Fontaine's real-life wife, Sheila, who seems to stay completely behind the scenes; the studio's cook, who seems to know everyone's secrets and isn't above a little blackmail; Silvia's dresser, Elaine, who appears completely obsessed with the movie stars and their glamorous life; and the man who has been stalking Silvia Hanro for some time, managing to disguise himself again and again to get past the studio's security and get close to the object of his obsession.  So many suspects, so many motives, so many opportunities - but only one of them is a killer, and if Posie Parker doesn't figure out which one it is before the wrap party, Silvia Hanro may end up dead!

Hathaway truly has written a masterpiece of murder mystery fiction with this book.  There are tons of plot twists, character surprises, and red herrings that will lead the reader (as well as Posie!) down a number of rabbit trails, before finally leading to an explosive climax that sees the return of a major player in this series.  It also, unfortunately, sees the exit of a lovable character that, quite frankly, I was very saddened to see.  This character, albeit a supporting cast member and not a major player, was one I had grown quite fond of and was hoping to see more of in future books - but, alas, that was clearly not meant to be.  And, while dealing with all this film industry madness, Posie also finds herself saddled with another mystery - what threat is there against Rufus Cardigeon, and why is he asking Posie to watch Dolly carefully and protect her at all costs?  When Posie finds out the truth of that one - well, let's just say the reader will see Posie's true nature come to light as she does exactly what she has to do in order to protect her friend - and before you think about it, know this: it will not be what you expect!

If I hadn't already been hooked with this series before, this book would definitely do it for me.  So many surprises, so many twists and turns, so many exciting moments, so many big reveals - I had a hard time putting this one own at night just to get some sleep.  Now I need to get on Amazon and order the next books in this series (I am SOOOO far behind - I think there are already 13 books out in this series) so I can find out what happens next in the life of Posie Parker (although I suspect there are several carefully placed hints in this story as to some of the adventures to come...)

RATING:  10 bright lemon-colored outfits from the House of Harlow out of 10 for such a superbly written mystery that truly had me guessing up until the very end!

The Vanishing of Dr. Winter - A Posie Parker Mystery, Book 4

It's time to take another trip back to the 1920s to solve another mystery with that nosy little private detective, Posie Parker.  Four books in, and our intrepid sleuth is now having to face a mystery that is personal, as it reveals a part of Posie's past that readers have yet to learn about!   Author L.B. Hathaway takes Posie on a different kind of journey with this book, and I must say, it was a nice change of pace.  While I have thoroughly enjoyed the first three books in this series, this book really dove into just makes Posie tick - and there's a wonderful surprise at the end of the book that should have fans of this series smiling big-time!

The Vanishing of Dr. Winter opens up the door to Posie's past, when she served during the Great War at Casualty Clearing Station Number 8.  The crew at the station had formed a familial-type of bond, and she loved her fellow workers.  Until, that is, Felicity Fyne showed up and took over the role of Sister-in-Charge.  She was stern, she was cold, and she broke-up the engagement of one Dr. Winter and one Helena Llewellyn, a couple that everyone there was overjoyed to see happen.  Posie left the station, and eventually she heard that nearly everyone who had worked at the station had been killed.  Nearly everyone.  It seems that Sister Fyne was not one of them.  Because just as Posie is about to celebrate Christmas in 1922, Sister Fyne shows up, asking for her help.  It seems not only did she break up Dr. Winter's engagement all those years ago, but she ultimately married the man.  But he died in the explosion that ripped apart Station Number 8.  Or so she thought.  Because that very day she happened to see her deceased husband very much alive at the university in Cambridge!  Posie was already there looking into a mystery of her own involving her brother's past, so what's one more mystery along the way?

This story is filled with TONS of secrets, TONS of twists and turns, TONS of red herrings, and TONS of surprises!  Every time you think you have something figured out, Hathaway manages to throw a monkey-wrench into it and heads off in another direction.  Is Dr. Winter really alive, or did Sister Fyne imagine him?  And who is blackmailing Sister Fyne regarding her deceased husband's reappearance?  Has Dr. Winter's first fiance come back for revenge against the woman who stole her man?  And what about the mystery surrounding Posie's brother, who also died during the war...?  Why are the professors at the university so cagey about him?  Why is the porter at Trinity College so eager to help Posie?  Just how does he know so much?  And secret is the professor's wife hiding?  The ghosts of Posie's past are definitely back to haunt her in this mystery that is definitely worthy of Christie, Doyle, Hitchcock, and even a bit of Poe thrown in for good measure.

It's been a year since the murder at Maypole Manor, and this time around, instead of solving a murder, Posie must hunt down a man thought to be dead; stop a blackmailer who may not be who Posie thinks he/she is; uncover a secret about her brother that will bring about big changes for Posie; and figure out just how she is going to get all of this done by Christmas so that she can spend the holiday with Alaric!  Yes, Hathaway manages to sneak into the story some very touching moments in Posie's relationship with the dashing, continent-hopping man who stole her heart; but at the same time, she reminds us that Posie's feelings for her business partner/former almost-boyfriend Len Irving are not necessarily completely gone away.  And the adorable Mr. Minks manages to make an appearance or two, for all the cat-lovers out there!

Book four is another fantastic read, and I'm looking forward to reading the further adventures of Posie Parker as this series progresses!  Last book saw the end of 1921; this book sees the end of 1922; so we'll see how far into 1923 the next book takes us!

RATING:  10 black and gold-tooled leather boxes out of 10 for reminding us that not every great mystery needs to be a murder mystery!

Murder at Maypole Manor - A Posie Parker Mystery, Book 3

I journey back to the the early 20th century for the next Posie Parker mystery.  Thus far, I have been thoroughly enjoying this series, and author L.B. Hathaway certainly has a way of making the reader feel like they are right there with Posie.  The setting, the clothing, the historical context - those early decades of the 20th century were some of the best for mysteries.  No cell phones, no computers, no easy to to find out information (having to depend on telegraphs, libraries, old fashioned research, and the like) puts the protagonist at a greater disadvantage than the detectives of today - so it makes for some very exciting reading to follow Posie and her cohorts as they try to find the clues they need to solve the crime.

This third mystery, Murder at Maypole Manor, finds poor Posie Parker alone on New Year's Eve, getting ready to enter 1922 all by her lonesome.  Her boyfriend, Alaric Boynton-Dale, is off on some adventure, and so Posie has resolved herself to a quiet holiday.  Until, that is, Inspector Lovelace calls and asks for her help with a mission!  He needs her to pose as his wife for a posh party at Maypole Manor, a glamorous mansion owned by the wealthy Lord Robin Glaysayer.  It seems there is to be a very important transaction involving some government plans during the course of the party, and Lovelace needs to be there to ensure there is no trouble.  Yet, as we well know, this is a mystery, so trouble is bound to come along, even before Posie ever sets foot on the train to St. Margaret's Bay (where she happens to see someone watching her ... or is that just her imagination?).

The party turns into a night of mystery when two bodies turn up - the first is a silent film actress who is so innocent and naive on screen, but obnoxious and downright rude in real life; the second is the host of the party.  The actress is found dead outside next to the maypole in the freezing blizzard; Lord Glaysayer is found dead from a gunshot wound in his office, a gun in his hand.  But Posie and Inspector Lovelace realize there is more going on than what it appears - the actress seems to have overdosed on drugs, but the former drug addict had been clean for quite a while according to her husband; and Lord Glaysayer appears to have committed suicide - but if that were the case, then why was the gun in his right hand, when he was left-handed?  Are the murders connected?  And who ransacked Posie's room at the manor, and why was the only thing stolen an old photo of her and Alaric?  And just what are all of the guests hiding?  Posie certainly intends to find out!

Hathaway provides a wonderfully plotted tale with more than the usual suspects.  The Lord's two adopted daughters, one of whom inherits everything upon his death, the other one physically impaired and seemingly left out in the cold.  The Italian nobleman and the woman on his arm - a woman who Posie immediately recognizes from the last adventure in Egypt as a photographer but who is apparently at the Manor in disguise!  The businessman from London who is actually helping Posie and Inspector Lovelace with the secret transaction.  Then there is the German, who Lord Glaysayer met back in Tanzania, who came to the party as a last minute guest.  And, of course, we can't forget the actress's husband, who is so broken up about his wife's death, he can't seem to hold it together.  And just who is the mysterious priest who shows up at the Manor in the middle of the blizzard that has everyone stranded there overnight?  And we certainly can't forget the American who has the blueprints that are being turned over to the British government that night - blueprints that the Germans and other factions would kill to get their hands on!

But Hathaway definitely does not make this easy.  While Posie quickly recognizes the photographer, she and the Inspector are completely unaware that others in the party are not who they say they are.  And those secret identities would definitely change the game in the most surprising ways - which they do during the exciting climax to the mystery!  It seems there is considerably more going on in this house than anyone is aware!  There are tunnels running underneath the house ... there is a secret door at the end of the upstairs hall ... there is a stuffed tiger that is laced with arsenic ... and there are plenty of strange noises coming from behind the walls (are they simply coming from the central heating system, or are they signs of something else entirely?) ... oh, and don't forget about the flashing lights coming from the cliff outside of the Manor.  With so many secrets, so many lies, and so many happenings, one wonders how in the world will Posie and the Inspector ensure the transfer of the blueprints takes place without a hitch?

By far, this third mystery is the best in the series so far.  Well plotted, plenty of suspects and surprises, and an unexpected twist at the end that will leave the reader with their eyes wide open in shock!  I don't know how Hathaway could possibly top this one, but I guess that's what we will find out as we keep reading the series...

RATING:  10 broken lipstick cylinders out of 10 for making murder so exciting to read about!

The Tomb of the Honey Bee - A Posie Parker Mystery, Book 2

Posie Parker is back for another mystery in the second book of her series by author L.B. Hathaway. For those who don't recall from the first book, Posie recovered a priceless family jewel, and as a result, she received a very, VERY handsome reward - large enough to set her up for life. With that money, she fully funded her private detective agency. But at the same time as all of this good news, she had to face some bad news - her blooming romance with business partner Len Irving had to be put on hold as he left town to go be with his father, who had fallen seriously ill. And with that in mind, Hathaway begins Posie's second adventure...

The Tomb of the Honey Bee takes Posie on some rather unexpected adventures in France, Italy, and finally, Egypt.  Posie has the money now, so Hathaway doesn't hold back in letting her spend it. Posie is hired by the very famous Lady Violet Boynton-Dale to locate her brother, the equally, if not more, famous Alaric Boynton-Dale. Alaric is a known adventurer and explorer, and it is not uncommon for him to take off and be gone for months at a time, so Posie questions Lady Violet's concerns. But then Lady Violet shares her reasons - Alaric had recently announced that he was changing his will to leave all of his fortune to Lady Violet - thus cutting out his brother, Roderick (who has a gambling addition); his sister-in-law, Lady Eve, who will do anything to maintain her lifestyle as rich and famous; the family's valet, Codlington, who seems willing to do anything for Roderick and has been acting suspicious; and then there is Ianthe Flowers, a prolific author who has come to Boynton Hall to write a story based on the family, but has ultimately fallen madly in love with Alaric.  Of course, there is also Alaric's secret love affair with the very married Lady Cosima Catchpole and her husband, Hugo Marchpane, who found out about the affair!

With so many suspects, all of whom have motives to have not only burned down all of Alaric's beehives on the property, but to have done away with him altogether, how will Posie sort it all out and discover the truth behind Alaric's disappearance?

While the story starts off fairly slow, it begins to build momentum when the first real body shows up - the author, Ianthe Flowers! Murdered on her last day at Boynton Hall, and the last page of her just finished manuscript missing, it is clear Ianthe knew what happened to Alaric and was going to reveal it in her novel.  But someone stopped her before she could, and now Posie has both a missing person AND a murder to solve!  The clues lead her to France, where she has a chance meeting with her almost-boyfriend, Len Irving (and discovers the real reason why he stopped writing her for so many months!), and then to a small island off the coast of Italy. The island of Ortigia is home to the most mysterious group of monks and their just-as-mysterious honey that they claim has healing properties - but is also hosts a masked villain who seems to be following Posie and who ultimately murders someone who tracked Posie down to the island in order to obtain the valuable coin she has in her possession (which coin belonged to Alaric and is the only clue she has to find him).

With two murders now under his or her belt, the murderer will clearly stop at nothing to get to Alaric.  So, it's off to Egypt and an archeological dig, where a case of mistaken identity leads to a third murder - which, while unfortunately for the victim, is fortunate for Posie, as it gives her the perfect way to lay out bait for the killer to reveal him- or herself!  So, it's back to Boynton Hall for the final revelation, and while not totally unexpected (on my part), it was definitely a fantastic twist.

Hathaway has a way with her characters that makes them believable, despite some of their stereotypical personalities.  The dialogue reads naturally, and there is nothing cardboard about any of them.  In fact, as I read the book, I could "hear" each of the voices and literally feel the desperation, fear, concern, anger, and other emotions coming from each character as they spoke.  That is certainly not an easy thing for a writer to do, but Hathaway manages it with apparent ease, which makes her books true page-turners.  Plus, this book comes with a couple of surprises at the end, one of which pretty much indicates that Posie is going to have her own major nemesis throughout the series.

And, oh, in case you are wondering the title of the book does not come from the bee hives that were all burned down on the grounds of Boynton Hall; rather, it is actually the title of Ianthe Flowers' book that held the final clue to the identity of the killer.

Looking forward to book three!

RATING:  9 cold glasses of frozen granita out of 10 for penning a mystery that is chock full of surprises and twists!

Murder Offstage - A Posie Parker Mystery, Book 1

Not really sure why I picked this book up. Perhaps it is because the protagonist, Posie Parker, is a transposition of a great actress (Parker Posey, in case you couldn't figure that one out); or maybe it is because I've found myself growing fond of period murder mysteries; or possibly it is because I just can't get enough of female detectives, and this one caught my eye. Well, whatever the reason, I'm glad I did.

Murder Offstage, the first Posie Parker mystery, is set in 1921 London, and Posie is an aspiring detective that just isn't getting the business she thought she would. It seems her assistant, and somewhat-sleuthing partner, Len Irving, is keeping the agency afloat, and Posie would do just about anything to change that. As with any good detective novel, fate steps in and a mystery lands right in Posie's lap.  A long-time friend of her late brother is being accused of murder - a murder that Rufus claims is the fault of his girlfriend, who has mysteriously disappeared. But that's not all that disappeared! Posie (or "Nosy" as Rufus calls her) soon finds out that the murder isn't the only crime that was committed! It seems Rufus' family stole the Maharajah diamond many years ago, and Rufus was to insure and keep the diamond safe - only now, it's missing, right along with his girlfriend.

Author L.B. Hathaway creates a convoluted but engaging mystery with lots of twists and turns that keeps the readers guessing. The characters are as fun as they are varied - - Posie, Len, and Rufus, of course, but there's also Inspector Lovelace, who treats Posie with respect and does not mind her interference now and again; there's Inspector Oats, who is so full of himself and absolutely cannot stand Posie's involvement in any manner; there's Dolly Price, the cheerful, always helpful theater costumer; there's Babe, Posie and Len's secretary who is less than diligent about doing any actual work; and there's Mr. Minks - Posie's adorable little cat who wiggles his own way into the middle of this mixed-up mystery.

One would think with all of these characters, it would get confusing and overbearing, but Hathaway manages them all quite nicely. The characterization draws readers into each character, and while the actual villain may not be so much of a surprise, the connections, the mistaken identities, and the double-crosses all keep your mind turning, trying to figure out what's going to happen next. And what I love about these period mysteries is that there is none of the modern technology that allows for quick and easy access to information. Here, Posie and the Inspector are forced to wait days to received photographs and information from a foreign government about one of their suspects, and it helps build the suspense.

And the climax, when Posie gets kidnapped, and she must face off against the culprit - well, let's just say that Hathaway handles it nicely.  I was turning page after page, unable to put it down until I knew that Posie was safe and the culprit was caught... (or was he?).  This, plus the fantastic dialogue, makes the first Posie Parker mystery a huge success in my book, and I'm heading over to Amazon to buy the rest of the books in this series that have been published so far.  Highly recommend this series to any mystery-loving fans out there!

RATING:  10 bunches of bright yellow mimosa out of 10 for starting off a new mystery series with quite a bang and creating a new female sleuth that is easy to love!