The Art of Betrayal

March 1, 2021
An American antiques dealer becomes involved in yet another murder across the pond. Kate Hamilton is running an antiques shop for Ivor Tweedy, a friend in Long Barston, Suffolk, who's recovering from surgery. When a woman walks in to sell an extremely valuable Chinese funerary jar, Kate's psychic gift for knowing when an antique is real immediately kicks in. Evelyn Villiers' plan to offer more of her late husband's valuable and well-documented collection soon leads to theft, betrayal, and murder. As Kate researches Evelyn's background, she learns that her husband died 18 years ago and that Evelyn blames his death on their daughter, Lucy, who was about to run off with the family's strikingly handsome chauffeur. Disaster strikes when Evelyn is stabbed on the day of the village May Fair and the pot is stolen, leaving Ivor on the hook for a large sum. Kate has continued her romance with DI Tom Mallory, whom she helped solve several other crimes. Her expertise comes in handy when both the police and Evelyn's solicitor ask Kate to do an inventory of Evelyn's belongings. Oddly, the house is in poor shape; Evelyn had been living in a small, bare room and was rarely seen outside; and many of the valuable objects are missing. Past and present collide in a tricky case in which large sums of money provide ample motive for murder. A delight for lovers of antiques and complicated mysteries with a touch of romance.

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April 12, 2021
In Agatha finalist Berry’s disappointing third mystery featuring antiques dealer Kate Hamilton (after 2019’s A Legacy of Murder), Kate is filling in for the recuperating Ivor Tweedy at the Cabinet of Curiosities, Ivor’s shop in the Suffolk village of Long Barston. Customer Evelyn Villiers asks her to handle the sale of an ancient Chinese funerary jar worth thousands of pounds. Complications ensue when the jar is stolen and Evelyn is stabbed to death. After police engage Kate to prepare an estate inventory, she finds more questions than answers. Why was Evelyn living like a recluse, and why are jewelry and photos missing from the house? Where is Evelyn’s estranged daughter, Lucy? Far-fetched scenarios, insufficient suspects, and transparent clues make it easy for readers to finger the perpetrator, and the preoccupation with Kate’s romantic life at the expense of the plot may cause impatience. Hopefully, Berry will return to form next time. Agent: Paula Munier, Talcott Notch Literary Services.

May 1, 2021
Ohio antiques store owner Kate Hamilton is in Long Barston, England, to run Cabinet of Curiosities, the antiques shop owned by her friend Ivor Tweedy, who is recovering from hip surgery. One day, the reclusive Evelyn Villiers offers Kate a valuable ancient Chinese funerary jar on consignment. Soon Evelyn is dead, and the jar is missing, prompting the police to ask Kate to inventory the antiques at Villiers' home. Kate becomes part of the investigation, assisting her boyfriend, Detective Inspector Tom Mallory, interviewing witnesses and trying to identify the killer and locate the jar. Complicating matters, a friend needs Kate's help to preserve her stately home, Tom's mother actively schemes against her, and Kate has decisions to make that will greatly impact her life. Details of antiques and folklore frame this cozy, which boasts an engaging cast of characters that will appeal to fans of Jane K. Cleland's Josie Prescott novels and Barbara Allan's Trash 'n' Treasures mysteries.

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Starred review from June 1, 2021

American Kate Hamilton is spending May in Suffolk, England. She's running her friend Ivor Tweedy's antiquities shop while he recuperates from surgery. She's also spending time with Detective Inspector Tom Mallory. The reclusive Evelyn Villiers wants to sell a priceless Chinese artifact, a jar from the Han dynasty. Kate hides the jar at the shop; then on the night of the town's May Fair, Evelyn collapses, having been stabbed in the abdomen. Tom and Kate follow a trail of blood back to Ivor's shop, where the door is open and bloody footprints lead inside. Kate discovers that the jar is missing; the theft could destroy Ivor's business. While Tom juggles the murder investigation and a major drug case, Kate inventories Evelyn's collection of antiquities. She's convinced that the murder and the missing jar are linked to the Villiers family tragedies and local legends. VERDICT Like Jane K. Cleland's "Josie Prescott" mysteries, this novel contains details of antiquities and history. Berry's follow-up to A Dream of Death is a meaty, traditional mystery that combines British legend with a contemporary story of crime and betrayal.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

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