"This author has the magic touch"
Ten years ago Kate Mannheim fled the Grand House for
New York vowing never to return. To Kate the old mausoleum
represents nothing but frightening bad memories of cold
people even if it is her family home. Even her mother's
burial when Kate was nine turned ugly due to her
grandmother's nastiness about the deceased Sara. However,
her employers are retiring and she wants to buy their small
bookstore, but needs her deceased mother's diamonds to do
so. That is if the gems exist. So here in the winter of
1933 Kate returns to North Dakota to obtain her mother's
possessions from the Grand House. Though her spiteful grandmother just died, Kate quickly
realizes that the current matriarch Aunt Ruth remains as
acerbic as ever, but her uncle looks very frail. However,
Elliot Carstairs' arms look even more inviting than when
they were youthful lovers. As they rekindle the flame, she
wonders if she can trust him to help her find the missing
diamonds? Anyone who can place a gothic romance on the Northern
Plains during the Great Depression is either a genius or a
lunatic. In this case, the taut period piece thriller
shows why Anne Avery is a fan favorite. The terse story
line achieves a high level of satisfaction because of the
characters, their relationships, and the house (with its
own personality) seem genuine to the point that readers can
taste Kate's fear of entering the mausoleum. Ms. Avery
provides a powerhouse plot that will acquire for her many
new admirers wanting her previous books. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted July 24, 2001
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