The New York Times bestselling author of the Manor House Mysteries and the White House Chef Mysteries returns with a mix of murder and mayhem for curator Grace Wheaton.
Now that Grace Wheaton has officially been named heir to Bennett Marshfield’s fortune, her usually busy schedule has become a juggling act. In addition to her duties at Marshfield Manor, she’s bankrolling her roommates’ refurbished wine shop, Amethyst Cellars. Grace is excited to check out the rustic space with Bruce and Scott. But that excitement turns to dismay when they stumble upon the body of the banker involved with the sale.
Grace wants to get to the bottom of this mystery quickly so that her friends’ new venture isn’t overshadowed by an unsolved murder, but she’s got even more to balance when her troubled sister, Liza, is released from prison early. Liza’s first stop is Marshfield Manor and her first priority is grabbing a bite of Bennett’s fortune for herself. Grace has to keep her greedy sister at bay and catch a killer before her new life comes crashing down around her.
I always enjoy Julie Hyzy's mysteries; as a writer, she doesn't burn a series out with a spectacular book or two, with mediocrity dragging the remaining books down. Her writing, character development and plotting are even and steady and her series' arcs are a slow burn, rather than a flash in the pan.
Grace to the Finish was actually slightly less about the murder mystery (although that was good too), than it was the resolution to a series long arc concerning her sister. Hyzy's solution was clever, if a little bit convenient. The actual mystery was ok, but less a puzzle for the reader to solve than the narrative of the mystery's solution.
With cozy series one can never be sure if the titles aren't a indication of the series' status, so Grace to the Finish could very well be the last book; if so, it ends in a pretty good place without a lot of loose threads left dangling. But if there's a ninth book, I look forward to it with pleasure.
Reading updates
-
Started reading
-
17 November, 2017:
Finished reading
-
17 November, 2017:
Reviewed