Reviewed by Jeanne
As an assistant to romantic suspense author Camilla Graham,
Lena London has had a lot of new experiences—not all pleasant. The upcoming event seems poised to be one of
the most memorable, however: it’s a puzzle competition between four best-selling
mystery novelists. PR genius Sasha Hardwick has devised a murder mystery game
to be held in her beautiful estate. Whichever
one of the four authors solves the mystery first gets bragging rights. It’s a scheme designed to fuel interest in
all the authors’ work as well as raise some funds. It’s all be very well planned, except for the
real dead body that turns up.
This is the sixth book in the Writer’s Apprentice series, but you need not have read any of the
others. This is my favorite book in the
series, partly because it can be read as a standalone. The earlier books were closely linked by
plot, so those need to be read in order.
The books feature likeable characters, romantic elements, and clever
plots. I especially enjoy the little
sequences where Lena and Camilla talk about writing, not just plotting but symmetry,
atmosphere, and setting: things a reader
can take for granted but which can make or break a book. Buckley takes these things seriously, which means
I can always count on her for an enjoyable read.
I also liked that this series pays tribute to the great writers
of romantic suspense: Mary Stewart,
Daphne du Maurier, Phyllis Whitney, etc. and hopefully introducing them to a
new generation of readers.
The series in order:
A Dark and Stormy Murder
Death in Dark Blue
A Dark and Twisting Path
Death Waits in the Dark
Death with a Dark Red Rose
Death Through a Dark Green Glass
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