DEATH WAITS IN THE DARK is the
fourth book in Julia Buckley's "Writer's Apprentice" mystery series. In
DEATH WAITS IN THE DARK, a
mystery from the past takes center stage -- bedeviling Lena London
and her friends and prompting someone to murder. I love stories that
provide more than one mystery for readers to solve and require
characters to find part of the puzzle in events from years before. For
Lena and her crime-solving crew, in order to figure out who killed Jane
Wyland, they must first unravel the puzzle of why her sister Carrie
Wyland left town years ago under mysterious circumstances.
Normally, in this "Writer's Apprentice" series, the villain has been some
shadowy criminal figure -- whether big shot or smaller fish. In DEATH WAITS IN THE DARK, it
becomes increasingly apparent that the murderer is likely someone
who is a local and possibly hiding behind a facade of respectability and
small-town friendliness. While Julia Buckley includes a few favorite
elements of cozy mysteries, like fun supporting characters and close
friendships, she also weaves a riveting tale of secrets, suspense, and
paranoia. This mystery hits Lena on a very personal level. The
reputation of Lena's friend Camilla Graham's late husband is in
question. Lena is attacked physically over the course of her
investigation. Both of these circumstances make for a very tense
situation, but Lena is determined to get to the bottom of things and
find out the truth -- whether it's a painful truth or not. Julia Buckley
does a wonderful job of balancing juxtapositions and keeping Lena and
readers off balance while still being an entertaining mystery.
DEATH WAITS IN THE DARK is an
intriguing tale of old sins haunting the present and leading to murder.
The past and present are represented well in this story and all of the
suspects are convincing as likely murderers. The friendship between
Lena and Camilla seems stronger as Lena gets insight into Camilla's
past and helps her restore her husband's good name. I like how Lena
and Sam's relationship continues to evolve in this book. I eagerly await
the next "Writer's Apprentice" book.
Writer's apprentice Lena London is back and better than ever
when her
friend bestselling suspense novelist Camilla Graham needs
help solving
a town murder that hits a little too close to home...
It's summertime, and Lena and Camilla are busy working away
while a
town vandal runs amok. Things get even more complicated when
Jane
Wyland pays Camilla a not-so-friendly visit and gives her an
ultimatum:
reveal Camilla's husband James's family secret, or she will.
Lena
assures Camilla that nothing will come of the woman's
threats, since
the family has no secrets to hide.
When Jane Wyland is later found dead, they're convinced that
whatever secret she was planning to expose led to her death.
With
Lena's assistance, Camilla is determined to solve the case
before the
finger points at her...
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