Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Fatal Masquerade, the new book from Vivian Conroy and number 4 in the Lady Alkmene Mystery Series.
Title: Fatal Masquerade
Author: Vivian Conroy
Publisher: HQ Digital
Publication Date: 9 October 2017
Blurb
Lady Alkmene and Jake Dubois are back in a gripping new adventure facing dangerous opponents at a masked ball in the countryside.
Masked danger…
Lady Alkmene Callender has always loved grand parties, but when she receives an invitation to a masked ball thrown by Franklin Hargrove – oil magnate, aviation enthusiast and father of her best friend, Denise – she’s never seen such luxury. The estate is lit up with Chinese lanterns in the gardens, boats operated by footmen float across the pond and the guest list features the distinguished, rich and powerful!
But below the glamour, evil is lurking. When a dead body is discovered, it forces Lady Alkmene to throw off her mask and attempt to find the true killer before Denise’s family are accused. If only her partner, Jake Dubois, weren’t hiding something from her…
This case might just be more dangerous than either of them could have imagined.
Review
Fatal Masquerade puts me in mind of a good old-fashioned whodunit, with a single location, a limited selection of suspects and a classic bit of misdirection. What’s not to love?!
Based in the 1920’s, we join Lady Alkmene Callender as she arrives at the family home of her young friend, Denise Hargrove, in order to attend a masquerade ball hosted by Denise’s wealthy father and his new wife.
There are a number of guests at the house party and they certainly are a bit of an odd bunch, including nervy aunt Felicia, serious lawyer Mr Keegan, to the supercilious psychiatrist, Theobald Zeilovsky. Lady Alkmene’s colleague/investigative partner Jake Dubois then appears on the scene, refusing to tell Lady Alkmene the real reason behind his presence there.
The party takes a sinister turn when one of the servants is found dead in the boathouse. When a young maid is accused of the murder, Lady Alkmene isn’t convinced of her guilt and sets out to discover the real perpetrator of the grisly crime. Cue some intrigue, blackmail and some very shady characters.
As Lady Alkmene and Jake question the suspects and comb through the clues, the reader is left to wonder why the servant was killed and who had a motive to kill him?
Fatal Masquerade is a light and entertaining read. The characters are fun and the plot is satisfyingly twisty. Chances are, it will keep you guessing until the end! Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries.
The book is the fourth in a series. I think it works fine as a standalone novel, however reading the earlier books will give you a bit of background about Lady Alkmene and her investigative talents. I hope to find the time to catch up on those earlier novels.
About the Author
Vivian Conroy has been a cosy crime reader since she could pick up a book, she loves Agatha Christie and loves creating warm characters and heart racing mysteries that everyone can enjoy.
Buy Links
You can follow the rest of the blog tour by visiting the blogs listed below…
Don’t forget to check out the earlier three books in the Lady Alkmene Mystery Series…
Like this:
Like Loading...
The Curious Ginger Cat 