THE MARSH MADNESS is Book 4 in Victoria Abbott's Book
Collector cozy mystery series. Readers who may
be new to this series can still enjoy THE MARSH MADNESS
and follow it without being confused. As with every book
in this series, the trivia about the classic mystery
author referenced in the title of the book is fascinating
and fun.
What starts out as a simple rare book transaction at a
beautiful estate turns deadly very quickly. The
doppelgängers and shady characters add a lot of interest
to THE MARSH MADNESS. Jordan Bingham soon finds herself
in the kind of dicey circumstances like those in the
classic mysteries she collects. I love the novelty of
Jordan trying to prove the existence of people that only
she and two other people have seen. It's a task that
becomes almost like trying to find a needle in a
haystack. The urgency of finding those people make for a
very fast-paced story without sacrificing any of the
usual charm that is a hallmark of the series.
Jordan makes a good Richard Kimble. However, unlike in
THE FUGITIVE, Jordan's looking for a butler and a nervous
assistant rather than a one-armed man - and she has help.
Jordan's disguises and quick thinking spur the storyline
along and add to the excitement. The supporting
characters, who are friends and family of Jordan, are so
fun and incredibly likable that they really make THE
MARSH MADNESS extraordinary. Jordan's well-meaning but
bumbling and slightly criminal Uncle Kev always makes for
a great bit of comic relief, and his quirky and
resourceful girlfriend, Cherie, makes a wonderful crime-
solving ally. I enjoyed seeing more of Jordan's friend
Lance in THE MARSH MADNESS.
THE MARSH MADNESS is a mystery that will keep you
guessing and entertained every step of the way. It's fun
going along for the ride, trying to ferret out clues and
motivations, and hunting down suspects. The brains behind
the murder frame-up is so well hidden that I couldn't
figure out who was behind everything, making the
conclusion a satisfying surprise. As always, I eagerly
await the next book in this brilliantly crafted Book
Collector series by Victoria Abbott.
The national bestselling author of The Wolfe Widow presents
another spine-tingling mystery featuring rare book collector
Jordan Bingham and some Ngaio Marsh first editions worth
killing for…
Jordan works hard to improve Vera Van Alst’s collection of
classic detective stories. So when Chadwick Kauffman—heir to
the Kauffman fortune—offers a very good price on a fine
collection of Ngaio Marsh first editions owned by his
recently deceased stepfather, she is thrilled to meet with
him at his fabled summer estate, Summerlea.
The next day, Jordan and Vera are shocked to read that
Chadwick has died in a fall from the grand staircase at
Summerlea. But when the picture in the paper is of a
different man, it becomes clear that the ladies are victims
of a scam. And they’ll have to unmask the imposter fast,
because someone is trying to frame them for murder…