Author(s): Ali Carter

Crime, Thriller and Mystery

Fans of country-house cozies will delight in this series debut. Carter's heroine, Susie Mahl, is an artist who pays the rent by touring the UK painting portraits of the pets of the rich and titled. Mahl has two great advantages as a sleuth. First, she has a keen eye for detail. Second, she has a nearly aristocratic background herself and status as a supposedly eccentric artist, both of which make her a sought-after guest at country houses. She is also a witty narrator, giving the reader a behind-the-scenes tour of aristocratic customs and foibles. In this outing, Mahl is visiting two elderly friends, an earl and a countess, at a large estate in Devonshire. While the Countess of Greengrass plays the organ inside the village church, Lord Greengrass meets a mysterious end in the village graveyard. In true cozy style, Mahl's contacts and eye for detail put her far ahead of the local constabulary in solving the murder. While the plot and characterization here are on the thin side, they are more than made up for by the divine atmosphere.