By: Connie Berry
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: June 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64385-594-3
Reviewed by: Katie Specht
Review Date: June 12, 2021
Award-winning mystery author Connie Berry continues the Kate Hamilton mystery series with the third installment entitled The Art of Betrayal. Our protagonist, Kate, is an American antique dealer who has a unique skill for solving mysteries. The setting for this tale is springtime in the Suffolk village of Long Barston in England. Kate is temporarily running her friend Ivor Tweedy’s antiquity shop while he recovers from hip surgery.
While Kate is attending the May Fair with her friend Detective Inspector Tom Mallory, a brutal murder halts the event. After learning that the murder itself happened in Ivor’s shop, Kate, along with help from Tom, is determined to follow all leads to get to the bottom of this mystery.
Kate is shocked to discover that a valuable Chinese hunping jar is stolen from Ivor’s shop the same night of the murder. This news devastates Kate as it was her responsibility to keep this jar safe until she could obtain a buyer for it. Kate quickly realizes that the fate of Ivor’s business depends on her solving the murder and recovering the precious jar.
As Kate and Tom work together to solve the crime, Kate realizes that the key to finding the killer may be found in an old Anglo-Saxon legend of the green maiden. With the help of friends both old and new, Kate unravels a web of lies and deception that spans decades.
While the heart of The Art of Betrayal is the story of our likeable protagonist Kate solving a murder, the narrative encompasses so much more. There is a tale of romance, English history lessons, charming characters, surprises, and suspense. The reader of this book will be left with newfound knowledge of the antiquities world, along with an appreciation of English history and folklore.
Compared to other murder mysteries, the murder details themselves are explained skillfully and are not gory in any way. Sometimes the graphic nature of homicides depicted in books are exaggerated for simple shock value. It is refreshing to read a murder mystery that is devoid of these often appalling details, but still tells a story that captivates its readers.
Quill says: With The Art of Betrayal, Connie Berry delivers another enthralling tale in the Kate Hamilton series, complete with a charming protagonist, shocking discoveries, and a suspenseful journey to solve the crime. Our hero uncovers a shocking decades-old incident of betrayal with a twist that will leave readers stunned. This book is definitely one to be cherished.
To learn more about The Art of Betrayal, please visit the author’s website at www.connieberry.com.
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