A Legacy of Murder: A Kate Hamilton Mystery
A Legacy of Murder: A Kate Hamilton Mystery book cover

A Legacy of Murder: A Kate Hamilton Mystery

Hardcover – October 8, 2019

Price
$22.83
Format
Hardcover
Pages
336
Publisher
Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1643851549
Dimensions
5.7 x 1.04 x 8.52 inches
Weight
13.6 ounces

Description

Praise for A Legacy of Murder: "Historic settings, antiquing tips, and a surprising motive in an angst-filled mystery/romance." —Kirkus Reviews "Axa0delightful mystery about the secrets of the past, closure, strong friendships, and finding answers." — Tulsa Book Review "This cozy has it all: well-developed characters, clever dialogue, [and] a gentle love story that never slows the mystery plot...Readers will eagerly await the next installment." —Publishers Weekly "A well-realized cast and a beautifully described setting."— Booklist "Readers will appreciate Kate's growth as a character in this atmospheric story. Fans of Jane K. Cleland's books...will want to try this series." — Library Journal “A multifaceted gem of a book, it's sure to hold your interest from the first page.”— Myshelf "A veritable treasure."— Midwest Book Review "You won't want to put the book down."— Kings River Life Praise for A Dream of Death: “Axa0well-written, intriguing debut mystery...that blends an old island legend with a contemporary whodunit.”— Library Journal starred review, Debut of the Monthxa0“Suspenseful [and] elegantly written… Readers will look forward to seeing more of the intelligent and resourceful Kate.”xa0— Publishers Weekly “Nicely drawn characters with realistic backstories, a romantic historical subplot, and a modern-day flirtation combine to make this a promising start to a new series.”— Booklist "An exciting one, with tense and tough moments, aided by its rugged Scottish setting and the author’s entertaining unraveling of the plot."— New York Journal of Books “The Scottish atmosphere is captivating, the characters are well-drawn, and the dual mysteries blend together perfectly. This is exactly the type of book that I read cover to cover with barely a break...I honestly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery.”— MyShelf Connie Berry is the author of the Kate Hamilton Mysteries, set in the UK and featuring an American antiques dealer with a gift for solving crimes. Like her protagonist, Connie was raised by antiques dealers who instilled in her a passion for history, fine art, and travel. During college she studied at the University of Freiburg in Germany and St. Clare's College, Oxford, where she fell under the spell of the British Isles. In 2019 Connie won the IPPY Gold Medal for Mystery and was a finalist for the Agatha Award’s Best Debut. She’s a member of Mystery Writers of America and is on the board of the Guppies and her local Sisters in Crime chapter. Besides reading and writing mysteries, Connie loves history, foreign travel, cute animals, and all things British. She lives in Ohio with her husband and adorable Shih Tzu, Emmie. You can learn more about Connie and her books at her website www.connieberry.com.

Features & Highlights

  • A Christmastime jaunt to an English village devolves into an investigation of a missing ruby and a series of baffling murders—and only antiques dealer Kate Hamilton can crack the case
  • It’s Christmastime and antiques dealer Kate Hamilton is off to visit her daughter, Christine, in the quaint English village of Long Barston. Christine and her boyfriend, Tristan, work at stately-but-crumbling Finchley Hall. Touring the Elizabethan house and grounds, Kate is intrigued by the docent’s tales of the Finchley Hoard, and the strange deaths surrounding the renowned treasure trove. But next to a small lake, Kate spies the body of a young woman, killed by a garden spade. Nearly blind Lady Barbara, who lives at Finchley with her loyal butler, Mugg, persuades Kate to take over the murdered woman’s work. Kate finds that a Burmese ruby has vanished from the legendary Blood-Red Ring, replaced by a lesser garnet. Were the theft and the woman’s death connected? Kate learns that Lady Barbara’s son fled to Venezuela years before, suspected of murdering another young woman. The murder weapon belonged to an old gardener, who becomes the leading suspect. But is Lady Barbara’s son back to kill again? When another body is found, the clues point toward Christine. It’s up to Kate to clear her daughter’s name in Connie Berry's second Kate Hamilton mystery, a treasure for fans of traditional British mysteries.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(153)
★★★★
25%
(127)
★★★
15%
(76)
★★
7%
(36)
23%
(117)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Great story, fun characters easily became emotionally attached.

Loved the characters. The description of scenery evoked beautiful images. Enjoyed the mystery as well as the not-so-simple romance.
3 people found this helpful
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Kate Finds a Christmastime Murder

Kate Hamilton has traveled to the small village of Long Barston in England. Her daughter, Christine, is spending her semester break working at Finchley Hall as one of several college aged interns who work on the premises, and Kate can visit Christine and her new friend Tom Mallory, a policeman she met in Scotland and is falling for, before heading back home to Ohio to spend Christmas with her mother. On her first day, Kate is taking a tour of Finchley Hall. The guide is talking about the murders that have taken place on the estate when a scream interrupts her. Kate and several others run to find one of the interns dead. The police are quick to label it murder. With Tom on the case, it is cutting into the time Kate thought they would have together. But she can’t help but worry. Is Christine in danger since she is an intern?

I’ve just teased the first couple of chapters, so things obviously get off to a fast start. However, the pace is uneven, especially early on in the story. I know part of that is me since Kate loves England much more than I do, and her wonder at spending time there didn’t translate to me. However, there is a good mystery here, with some decent twists and surprises. The climax is page turning and perfect logical. The characters are absolutely wonderful. We have a rather large cast, but I never had any issue keeping everyone and their relationship to the events unfolding around Kate straight. While the book is set in December, there is so much going on we don’t get lots of scenes directly related to Christmas, although I certainly enjoyed the references to the season we did see. This book isn’t quite as strong as the first one, but I’m glad I read it. This is a series that anyone who loves the British Isles needs to pick up today.
2 people found this helpful
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Suffolk estate mystery

I truly enjoyed the second mystery in this new series. A well written and plotted mystery, I really liked the descriptions of life in Suffolk and the problems of trying to keep these old large estates viable. Ohio antiques dealer Kate Hamilton is all set to spend a couple weeks right on the estate. It's a chance to spend time with her daughter Christine as she begins an internship at Finchley Hall and to see where things may go with detective inspector Tom Mallory after their electric meeting in Scotland. Lady Barbara of Finchley Hall is set to exhibit the Finchley Hoard--stolen and then found artifacts from 300 to 400 years ago, hoping to raise money to keep the Hall livable. Finchley Hall has a long past, and seems to be a magnet for murder. The present day is no exception, an intern is murdered and small antiquities begin disappearing from nearby estates. There are a lot of little things that make this book work so well, for instance the dueling pubs in town and the secondary characters (and dog) are well done.
1 people found this helpful
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Kate Hamilton could be my new best friend

This is the second in a charming series by Connie Berry. I read the first book in hours and the second was every bit as good. The heroine, an antique dealer from the U.S. finds herself first in Scotland, then in an English village for this second book in the series. The characters are three-dimensional and people you would like to know better. Fortunately, more stories await. I would recommend Berry's books to anyone who enjoys a witty, independent heroine and a mystery that will keep you guessing until the end.
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Safe travel that has you on the edge of your seat.

Setting and characters felt real and settled into my mind to be remembered.
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Legacy of Murder, a Kate Hamilton series

This is my first book by Connie Berry and I was lucky enough to win this book during an online Mystery Writers program! I was instantly drawn to the lead character, Kate Hamilton! This novel is truly a cozy mystery. I look forward to reading more in the series. Thank you for this gift!
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Killings, maiming, intrigue, and oh yes theft ; what's not to love.

I really like the art expert in this mystery. The author really knows how to spin a yarn.
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Well written and made me want to read more!

I read A Dream of Death first and enjoyed it, so I was looking forward to reading this one. It did not disappoint. Connie Berry does a great job of holding your attention while weaving several plot lines together. I highly recommend both books!
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excellent novel with a minor problem

An excellent novel. It made sense and there were no plot holes that I'm aware of. My one quibble is that the author had Kate use British terms when she was thinking. For example how many Americans think of a waterproof jacket as a waxed one? Connie Berrry lives in the US, so she has no excuse for not knowing American terminology.

A good book leads readers to be concerned about the characters. I'm concerned about Kate's daughter Christine. I don't think she's learned her lesson about how much trouble her hot temper can get her into. An adult can't throw breakable objects at other people without legal trouble eventually resulting. She should have had therapy as a child after she cut up her brother's clothes. Having to pay for their replacement from her allowance was not enough. And her father was still alive then, who she respected more than her mother, so she would have been less likely to resent the therapy's imposition.
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wonderful book

Wonderful book, hard to put down.