DEATH WEARS A MASK is Book 2 in Ashley Weaver's Amory
Ames Mysteries series. This 1930s era mystery sparkles
with witty dialogue and a cast of quirky characters that
capture the imagination. DEATH WEARS A MASK reminds me of
the best of my favorite Dorothy Sayers mysteries -- with
sophisticated characters and complicated puzzles. Amory
Ames is a likable and determined amateur sleuth, and her
errant husband Milo makes a fascinating hybrid of Lord
Peter Wimsey and Nick Charles. Amory's insertion into a
murder mystery makes sense, since it takes place in her
high society world and because one of the official
detectives has asked her for help for just that reason.
In DEATH WEARS A MASK, Amory's personal life plays a
pivotal role in this mystery. Ashley Weaver does a great
job of balancing the romantic strife with the mystery. I
think Ashley Weaver's choice of having DEATH WEARS A MASK
told strictly from Amory's point of view fits the story.
Without having a window into his thoughts, Amory's
husband Milo is more of an enigma, and the reader has the
same doubts about him that Amory does. As a reader, I was
able to see both sides of the marital conflict without
having part of the story told from Milo's perspective.
The romantic conflict made me empathize with Amory
without finding her situation too melodramatic.
You get two compelling mysteries in DEATH WEARS A MASK --
a murder and a puzzle involving disappearing jewelry.
Both mysteries are tantalizing and fun to try and figure
out. Whether the two things are connected is what baffles
Amory. The elegant dinner party Amory attends at the
beginning of the book, with all of the cryptic clues, set
the tone for DEATH WEARS A MASK. Ashley Weaver populates
DEATH WEARS A MASK with shady characters, red herrings,
and deliciously haute haunts where devilishly handsome
gentlemen hang out. The vivid picture Ashley Weaver
paints makes me feel as though I'm in the thick of
things, hunting down clues and dodging romantic
entanglements. A masquerade ball and a rakish viscount
are more than I could hope for and add extra excitement
to the plot.
In DEATH WEARS A MASK, Ashley Weaver takes Golden Age
mystery elements and makes them her own with charm and
wit. The steady pace and unexpected twists snare your
interest and keep you captivated until the very end. This
book has made me a fan and I eagerly await the next
installment in this Amory Ames mystery series.
Amory Ames is looking forward to a tranquil period of
reconnecting with reformed playboy husband Milo after an
unexpected reconciliation following the murderous events at
the Brightwell Hotel. Amory hopes a quiet stay at their
London flat will help mend their dysfunctional relationship.
However, she soon finds herself drawn into another
investigation when Serena Barrington asks her to look into
the disappearance of valuable jewelry snatched at a dinner
party.
Unable to say no to an old family friend, Amory
agrees to help lay a trap to catch the culprit at a lavish
masked ball hosted by the notorious Viscount Dunmore. But
when one of the illustrious party guests is murdered, Amory
is pulled back into the world of detection, enlisted by old
ally Detective Inspector Jones. As she works through the
suspect list, she struggles to fend off the advances of the
very persistent viscount even as rumors swirl about Milo and
a French film star. Once again, Amory and Milo must work
together to solve a mystery where nothing is as it seems,
set in the heart of 1930s society London.
Death
Wears a Mask is the second novel in Ashley Weaver's
witty and stylish Amory and Milo Ames mystery series.
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