Review

For fans of:  Madelyn Alt, Nancy Atherton

When attorney Brianna “Bree” Winston-Beaufort agrees to defend her Aunt Cissy’s slimy fiancé, museum curator Prosper White, against charges of fraud, she’s hoping she can get rid of the case quickly and quietly by settling out of court; not only is she sorely in need of a vacation, but she hates Prosper and would prefer to interact with him as little as possible.  It seems quick and quiet are not in the cards for Bree, though; the man who’s suing Prosper is nursing a decades-old grudge and is determined to not only get his day in court, but to drag Prosper’s name through the mud, as well. 

As part of his smear campaign, the plaintiff stages a raucous protest outside Prosper’s museum.  The media shows up, the crowd surges out of control, and at some point during the confusion, Prosper is stabbed and killed.  The crime isn’t caught on tape, but Cissy was standing next to Prosper at the time of his death and the murder weapon is a knife that came from her kitchen, so she quickly becomes the police’s prime suspect.  Bree knows her aunt is innocent, but the only way she can prove it is to catch the real killer.  And to further complicate matters, it seems the lawsuit she was handling for Prosper is somehow connected to another one of her cases – a sentencing appeal she’s filing with the Celestial Courts on behalf of a condemned soul.  Does Bree have what it takes to get to the bottom of the whole sordid mess, or is she putting herself and her family in mortal danger by poking her nose where it doesn’t belong?

Angel Condemned is the fifth in author Mary Stanton’s Beaufort & Company Mystery series, and it’s one heckuva of a good read.  I came to the series late (my introduction was last February’s Angel’s Verdict), but have been so thoroughly won over by Stanton’s writing that I’d be lying if I said the rest of her books weren’t at the top of my Christmas list.  Equal parts traditional mystery, urban fantasy, and golden era crime pulp (with a dash of Southern gothic horror thrown in for good measure), the Beaufort & Company Mysteries aren’t quite like anything else I’ve ever read.

The premise of the series – that Bree takes on cases both worldly and otherworldly – is unique, and Angel Condemned takes good advantage of that framework.  The manner in which Stanton ties together Bree’s two cases here is genius, and the way she uses Bree’s investigation to not only further the plot, but to accomplish a fair amount of world-building, as well, is impressive to say the least.  Stanton’s prose is stately and beautiful, her plot is thoroughly engrossing, and her story positively drips with atmosphere.

For her part, Bree is a truly compelling heroine – strong, steely, and determined.  And the book’s supporting cast is marvelous, too; from Bree’s ditzy sister Antonia, to her loyal and hardworking legal assistant, to the majestic angels who staff the office of her celestial practice, to the creepy half-demons who serve as counsel for the Opposition, there’s not a character in the bunch that isn’t rich and textured and fully three-dimensional.

Searching for something to help inject a little magic into your holiday season?  Look no further than Mary Stanton’s stellar Angel Condemned. 

Reviewed by Kat