The premise of this mystery is a bit unusual: Frances Adams believes she will be murdered. It all stems from an encounter with a fortune teller when she was sixteen, way back in 1966. For the rest of her life, she's been unshakeable in her belief that one day she will be murdered. So she spends the rest of her long life trying to figure out just who is going to do the deed.
Annie Adams is her great-niece, and she's been summoned to Frances' English country estate to meet with Frances and learn about her inheritance. Annie has never met Frances, so she's curious and cautious, since she's heard the stories of a quirky and unusual Aunt.
Annie arrives, and the first time she sees Frances, she's dead on the floor, with bloody hands and scattered flowers all around. It appears to be a natural death, until Annie discovered sharp little blades inserted in the thorns of the roses--the cause of the bloody hands. Hmmm...sounds like Frances' belief in her own murder has come to pass.
Here's the kicker: Frances has made her will so that Annie and a select few have a week to solve her murder. Whomever solves the murder inherits her entire estate, and it's a big chunk of real estate and money. If they don't solve it, the estate is sold to a developer and the money is given to charities.
Frances has left behind all sorts of diaries, diagrams, and potential clues as to who may have murdered her and why. It all ties back to 1966 and the friendship between Frances, Rose, and Emily; three young friends who grow up together but experience some radical changes which lead up to Emily's unsolved disappearance. Are the two incidents tied together, all these years apart?
I enjoyed this murder mystery very much. Loved the setting--a beautiful English country estate; Annie is clever and determined to sift through the clues and find the culprit. Yes, she wants the inheritance, but mostly because she wants to keep her mother's home in London, which is part of the estate. But who does she trust in the village of Castle Knoll? The detective? Rose, Frances' friend who is now an elderly owner of a local hotel? The Vicar, who dated Frances as a teenager? Or Saxon, who has everything to lose? It's an interesting mix of characters, each with motivation.
The past and the present definitely mesh together in this mystery. There are a few surprises, but nothing head scratching. It's not a hard mystery to solve, but you don't mind at all because it's just an enjoyable read and a fun ride.
Rating: 4/6 for a truly English murder mystery, with a gorgeous setting, plenty of suspects, and a bit of help from the murder victim herself. Family secrets, friendships that span decades, and all sorts of revelations come to light in this mystery.
Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio.
