Shadow Waltz

February 25, 2008
At the start of Meade's diverting third Marjorie McClelland 1930s cozy (after 2007's Ghost of a Chance
), Marjorie agrees to help an anxious young wife, Elizabeth Barnwell, find her missing husband, Michael. When Marjorie and her fiancé, wealthy Englishman Creighton Ashcroft, discover a dismembered body that turns out to be Michael's mistress, the philandering husband surfaces shortly thereafter and is arrested for murder. Marjorie, though, suspects the police have the wrong man. Meanwhile, the members of Marjorie's church in Ridgebury, Conn., have planned a wedding reception for her and Creighton complete with Mrs. Shutt's “revolting” Perfection Salad. Can they gracefully get out of this without hurting any feelings? While weak on period detail, this light whodunit does offer a surprise closing twist.

April 1, 2008
As Marjorie McClelland and Creighton Ashcroft watch the townspeople of Ridgebury, CT, plan their wedding, a woman asks the couple to find her missing husband. In this third McClelland mystery (after "Ghost of a Chance"), the intrepid duo once again swings into action to investigate. Witty dialog and 1930s-era sophistication make this a charming series selection for readers liking Carolyn Hart and Nick and Nora Charles.

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2008
The spirited third installment in Meades bewitching Marjorie McClelland mystery series finds her adventurous heroine fending off the wacky and tacky assistance of family and friends who have immersed themselves in planning her upcoming wedding to debonair Englishman Creighton Ashcroft. Nuptial details quickly take a backseat, however, when a distraught young woman arrives on Marjories doorstep, tearfully pleading for the couples assistance in locating her missing husband. Curious clues quickly lead the amateur sleuths to the husbands secret love nest, where the mutilated body of his mistress turns out to be just the first of the corpses Marjorie and Creighton encounter throughout Meades elaborate tale of revenge and betrayal. When Marjories mystery-writers intuition kicks into high gear, the couple is challenged to a contest of investigative prowess by the head of the local police force, Marjories ex-fianc', Detective Robert Jameson. Sprightly characters, saucy dialogue, and supple pacing are once again winsomely showcased in Meades sassy paean to those zany Depression-era, romantic detective duos.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)