15 Minutes of Flame by Christin Brecher

15 Minutes of Flame (Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery, #3)

by Christin Brecher

As Stella Wright’s Nantucket candle store thrives, her knack for solving mysteries burns equally bright—especially when a Halloween haunted house uncovers evidence of a centuries-old murder . . .  

When Stella’s friend inherits a creaky, abandoned home in Nantucket, she knows it’s the perfect setting for the town’s annual Halloween fundraiser. A deserted, boarded-up building on the property—once used as a candle-making shop—adds to the creepy ambiance. But as Stella explores the shack’s dilapidated walls, she discovers a terrible secret: the skeleton of a Quaker woman, wrapped in blood-soaked clothing and hidden deep within a stone hearth . . .
 
While police investigate, Stella wastes no time asking for help from friends with long ties to Nantucket’s intricate history. The key to the murder may lie within a scorching 18th century love triangle that pit two best friends against one another over a dubious man. But before the case is solved, another life will be claimed—leaving Stella to wonder who in Nantucket is friend, and who is foe . . .
 
Praise for Murder’s No Votive Confidence
 
“A charming mystery with believable, likeable characters. Check it out.”
 —Suspense Magazine

Reviewed by Mystereity Reviews on

5 of 5 stars

Share
While setting up a Girl Scouts haunted house, Stella stumbles across an old skeleton entombed in the chimney of an old chandlery behind the house. Soon, police discover the bones are very old and call in an expert named Solder and his assistant Leigh to determine the age and origin of the remains. It comes to light that the victim is one Patience Cooper, who, as legend has it, was robbed of a collection of money raised to invest in merchant ships and then disappeared.

While researching the unfortunate victim in the chimney, another related case comes up of a friend of Patience who killed herself by jumping down a well, An expedition is formed to descend into the well, where another skeleton is found, clutching a map indicating the location of a treasure. When a tree suddenly falls over, trapping Leigh in its branches, Solder is found dead, strangled and bludgeoned. Can Stella untangle the threads of an old mystery while finding a modern day killer?

I found this on Netgalley and although this is the third book in the series, it's my first entry and you can bet I'll be reading the first two ASAP. I can safely say this can be read as a standalone or as an entry into the series, as it doesn't seem like many details from previous books are present, or if they are, are adequately explained.

I absolutely loved the atmosphere of the book from the first page! Great, engaging characters, a romantic setting at seaside Nantucket and an intriguing mystery spanning generations. What more could anyone ask for? I totally admit I had no idea whatsoever whodunit, the culprit was neatly hidden very well until the dramatic reveal at the end.

I did feel that the historical mystery wasn't tied up as well as the modern mystery, as what happened to the "treasure" and what was found at the location really wasn't explained or even brought up again. That would be my one gripe. Where is my happily ever after for Patience's treasure?

Overall, this was one excellent read and you can bet it'll be on my list of ones to follow eagerly for each new installment.

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 2 July, 2020: Finished reading
  • 2 July, 2020: Reviewed