While I liked Connie Berry’s The Art of Betrayal, I loved the fourth in her Kate Hamilton series, The Shadow of Memory. The traditional mystery is carefully plotted, and all the pieces fit together beautifully. The characters, the antiques, and the setting always make Berry’s series shine. This time, though, the mystery is skillfully woven into a seamless story with nothing forgotten.
Kate Hamilton is an American antiques dealer, a widow, who is now engaged to Detective Inspector Tom Mallory with the Suffolk, England, police force. During her short time in Suffolk she’s made friends, including the group of women who attend Angela Vine’s full-day hen party before her upcoming marriage to the local vicar. After dinner, Kate walks home with two of those women, and finds a man’s body in the graveyard. Close by, she finds a paper with the name and address for one of those friends, Vivian Bunn.
It’s not obvious how the man died, but even Tom assumes it was a natural death. When Vivian learns the man’s name, she recognizes it. Will Parker might have been a retired police detective, but Vivian remembers him as her first romance. She was only seventeen, and spent a summer week with her parents at Hopley’s Camp. Why was a retired CID detective looking for her fifty-years later?
Despite finding the body, Kate has business to handle. She accompanies Ivor Tweedy, a local dealer in fine antiques, and the owner of The Cabinet of Curiosities, to a former Victorian hospital, Netherfield Sanatorium. The current board is turning the hospital into townhouses and flats, and they want some antiques appraised. They hope Ivor can sell an oil painting for them, a previously unknown piece by fifteenth century Dutch master Jan van Eyck. But, something about the painting feels wrong to Kate, and she and Ivor insist that the piece be authenticated.
It’s only when Tom informs Kate and Vivian of the unusual reason for Will Parker’s death that Vivian starts to reveal more about the summer she was seventeen. The five teens that ran around together built a murder case involving an abandoned house. Will put the case together. As the police reveal more about Will’s death and his recent life, Vivian weaves a mysterious story of the past and five teens. Five teens who are now all seniors. Kate mourns Will’s death. “Sad as it was, elderly people died all the time. Except this one had died alone in a graveyard in a strange village. And I’d found him.” But, she’ll have more worries when she learns Vivian’s memories of Hopley’s Camp lead to Miracle-on-Sea, the village where Netherfield Sanatorium is located.
Berry’s beautifully developed cast of characters, includes one the reader only meets over the phone. Kate’s beloved mother is her advisor and mentor. Kate and Tom are two mature characters hoping to make a life together. But, they both come with adult children, parents, and history that they need to learn to merge. She’s built a fascinating support group of characters.
I won’t spoil this complex puzzle with more description. The Shadow of Memory is an intriguing mystery with roots in the past. What can I add to a storyline that includes a former sanatorium, an abandoned house, a historical art piece, and a mystery that’s over fifty years old? Maybe, I’ll just say it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year.
Connie Berry’s website is https://connieberry.com/
The Shadow of Memory by Connie Berry. Crooked Lane Books, 2022. ISBN 9781643859088 (hardcover), 352p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I read a galley to review for a journal.
Lesa, this means a lot. Thank you!!!
Enjoy release day, Connie! You’re welcome!
Oh! High endorsement from you!!! I’ll have to give this one a look. Thank you!
I like a good traditional mystery, Kaye.
Haven’t read the third one yet, so it and this one are going to the top of my TBR list.
These books, and the cast of characters, just make me happy, Cindy.
Book two is $1.99 on Kindle for a limited time – but not book three!
Love her books. Thanks for the review on #4
You’re welcome, Jeannette!
I’ve added all four of her books in this series to my want to read list. They look really appealing to me. I love historical novels and the added element of a mystery makes it even better.
I hope you enjoy these, Bonnie, when you get around to reading them.
This was such a fantastic book. I loved it, too. Once I had time to sit down and read it. 🙂 Stupid real life getting in the way of my fun.
Oh, I get that, Mark. Darn stupid real life when it interferes.
Oh, yay, a new series for me! I just requested all four books from the library. Thanks for the review.
You’re welcome, Trisha! I hope you enjoy it!
This is an excellent series, and so glad you gave the latest a glowing review! This last one is at the top of my TBR pile….just waiting to finish my current book. Oh, so many great books, so little time 🙂
Tracey, I certainly agree with you about so many great books, so little time!